Page 10 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

A sense of freedom rained on me after I spoke my truth to Erin. When I couldn’t get hard for Ashley, a car model with a banging ass body and fat ass, something had to give.

“Before she hung up, she put me on blast, calling out my meaningless sex.”

Malcolm folded his arms, wanting me to continue. “And your thoughts on her calling you out?” he asked.

“It wasn’t a complete lie. I mean, she called it how she saw it, but she missed the most important part. She would be the sex that meant something to me,” I said.

“Man, you did the right thing. Pops would’ve approved,” Malcolm said, slapping hands with me.

I abandoned the bed in search of my bag, satisfied with my choice to put Erin on notice. Either we make this friendship work or we fucking; the way I see it, she caused the drought.

“He told me to be honest,” I said, as we exited the hotel room door.

“Y’all talked about it?” Malcolm asked, as we migrated down the hallway.

“Yeah. The day of the pier, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Pops told me to slow things down and not to have sex with her unless, I’m sure. When you care about the woman, the sex is better than the first time.”

“In other words, he doesn’t want you crashing out after sex,” Malcolm confirmed.

I shrugged as we stood in front of the elevator. Being the more extroverted twin came with its pros and cons. With Mom, I was able to get away with more, but she treated me with gentle hands. I hated the mother, and son talks when she lowered her voice and tiptoed around words.

Pops, on the other hand, gave it to me how he saw things and I appreciated it. People had no idea how much I internalized the things I wanted to say. When I did lose my temper, it’s because the pot boiled over. Messing with my family catapulted me to ten without a warning.

“I would ask you if his statement was true, but you’re still fresh, losing your virginity last summer,” I said, as the elevator stopped.

Watching Malcolm shrug caused a chuckle to form.

I couldn’t be mad at him for standing on business.

He knew who he wanted, and with some encouragement from me, he secured his heart.

Jhae and Malcolm were somehow meant to be, but I hated the riff in the family structure.

The awkwardness between Mom and Jhae bothered me.

Jhae and Malcolm also toned down their affection, and the conversations centered on everything but the issues.

“Know I’m here for you when you finally stop playing around with Erin,” Malcolm said, as he tapped my shoulder.

Tonight, this game was special for one main reason: we played Calvin Baltimore’s punk ass. Last season, he was out for an ACL tear and he couldn’t get this work. Malcolm was too forgiving for me. I didn’t give a fuck that it was before his time. He hurt my sister-in-law and the rent was due.

Chauncy finally used his size correctly, tipping the ball to our point guard, Sterling. He brought it up the court, and I called for the ball. Calvin called himself defending me, but I shot the jumper in his face.

“Bitch ass,” I said before I ran down the court.

I was on him, leaving Calvin no space to run or get set for a play.

He couldn’t turn from seeing my face. The first quarter, he was frustrated because he couldn’t shake me, but he also couldn’t defend me.

When I called for the ball, I took his ass to school with my mid-range jumper.

Denver substituted a player, and I crowded his space by the sideline.

“Marquise, you better back down before I beat yo ass,” he warned, and I grinned.

On the next possession, he tried to play defense and caught an elbow to the face. I got the foul and the extra bucket. Calvin held his eye and found me standing at the foul line. He rushed up to me and got in my face.

“Tell yo brother to fight his own fucking battles. You beefin’ with me about some pussy that ain’t yours. She’s a has been,” Calvin said.

“Break it up, fellas,” the ref said, and I smiled as his teammates pushed him back.

Malcolm stood on the three-point line cackling because I told him my plan in the locker room.

He didn’t care about Calvin talking shit on social media because he only followed Jhae.

I am an active social media user and took it personally.

The crowd booed as I shot my two free throws, and it fueled me.

For the next three quarters, I played lights out.

They tried switching players and nothing worked. I either dunked or shot over them.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, we caught Calvin slipping on a fast break.

Malcolm tossed the ball in the air, and I cocked back for the dunk.

Calvin tried to defend it instead of moving and I landed on him.

The ref called a technical because I stood over him for too long.

The L.A. bench left their seats while the fans videoed it.

Malcolm and I chest bumped before the coach subbed us out the game.

“Shit!” I yelled as the Alien Lord killed me and Erin before we could exit Mars.

“I’m sick of him. He’s been following us since we left Jupiter. Somebody cheating because we’re shooting right at his green ass,” Erin expressed in a lighthearted anger as her voice elevated.

We played this board twice, and it ended in the same fate, us losing together. Erin did have a point. Something is rigged because we were unloading on him, but he killed us.

“Is it awkward to watch yourself on T.V.? The dunk you put on Calvin is still trending from two days ago,” Erin asked. “Jhae’s social media is in flames. People connected her past relationship with this new one.”

I scoffed. “Why, Malcolm didn’t dunk on him, I did.”

“You’re his twin brother. Some people still can’t tell you guys apart. Which is crazy to me because you two don’t look alike,” she said.

I allowed the controller to dangle in my hand as I chuckled at her comment.

“We’re identical twins, Erin.”

The sound of hands played in the background.

“Ladies and gentlemen, he knows my name. Yes, you’re identical, but you’re different.”

This was the second game of the road trip and, for once, I was ready to go home. I wanted her next to me as we played the game and not over the phone.

“You know what I been wanting to ask you?” I said.

“What?”

“Where are your people?” I asked.

Erin sighed through the phone. Whatever happened between her and her family weighed heavily or it was some bullshit.

“My dad is in Chicago and my mother is in Florida. I was raised by my dad and before I graduated from college, I found out he was a fraud. My mom warned me, but I was, or am, a daddy’s girl. It broke my heart to block him but I couldn’t reconcile who he really was,” she said.

“Damn, what did he do? Steal some money or something?” I asked.

“That’s an in-person conversation,” she said.

Whatever he did must have been illegal and it may be in my best interest not to know the details.

“Do you talk to your mother often?” I asked.

“Not really. We are apples and oranges, but I respect her title.” she said.

I learned in five minutes I wasn’t the only one with a fucked up family.

“Do you talk to your bio mom?” she asked.

After the draft, things were cool with Toni, but she kept pushing this idea of meeting her family. She hadn’t put in the time to get to know me before infusing herself into my daily life. When she slipped up and called me her son, I blocked her ass.

“No, and please don’t give me a reconnection speech. Being honest, I don’t want her around. The last time we talked, her energy was sad, depressed, and traumatic. I don’t know how Malcolm does it,” I said.

“And I’m sure you were forthcoming and discussed things with her,” Erin asked, and I scratched my beard, dismissing her sarcasm.

“No need to explain. She has an ulterior motive,” I said.

We were silent for several seconds and I could sense she wanted to say more.

“Go ahead,” I requested.

“You could be searching for an invisible snake because it’s easy to blame her. But I can’t talk. I also have crazy parents,” she said, and I chuckled.

Toni wasn’t invisible. She stood right in front of my face.

Our family was fractured with the surprise marriage, and she couldn’t wait to jump at the opportunity to turn Malcolm.

I’m trying to protect everyone, but Mom and Malcolm were fighting me on it.

I told him to stop talking to Toni until we heal our foundation, but he refused.

“I know who she is and see right through her.”

“Have you tried viewing things from her point of view?” she questioned.

I tossed my head backward, exhausted with this story line. Toni had it hard. We all did, but at what point do we move on?

“Did you try viewing things from your parents’ point of view?” I asked.

“Yes, and I couldn’t justify my father’s behavior, and I was wrong about my Mom. Please accept my apology,” she said.

I wasn’t expecting the accountability in Erin’s response. There wasn’t any anger in her voice, and she recognized that she needed to work on things.

“We will work on you, bestie, but let’s get this Alien Lord,” she said, and an invite appeared.