Second half left to go before the end of the game. UCLA has been fighting fiercely trailing behind us with two points while we sit at ninety seven. The front seat where Amaal, Cassie and Sasha are seated there's one empty seat. The card written reserved is placed on the chair. I sigh as I head back to the change rooms as Coach gives us the last strategy tactic.

I still have on Kiana's scrunchie and honestly, I'm beginning to believe that it really is over. I thought that yesterday would be the day she would at least hear me out and try fix things but in turn it was her returning my stuff. It hurt but I knew she was hurting too.

I may have caused her a lot of confusion with the breakup as well as trying to win her back but that's what everyone told me to do, now I'm beginning to think that's not what Kiana wanted. Sure, she said she appreciated the gifts but all she wanted me to do was talk to her and I never did.

Fuck. I screwed up again. To top all that I spilled the beans on me loving her, her stunned face was a kick to the gut, and I had to leave. I just wish she would've come tonight.

"Devontae, you good, bruh?" Rome asks me again and I nod, plastering a fake smile on my face, "yeah man." The door bursts open and everyone's head including mine turns to the direction of the person's arrival. When I see Kiana, I rise to my feet immediately in disbelief. Kiana's chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath, placing her hands onto her knees.

"Damn, I'm not cut out for this lifestyle." She wheezes and I can't help the laugh that escapes me. Her head snaps in my direction and her face immediately reddens. She takes steps closer towards me, "I saw you – on the tv and –" She huffs, and I gesture for her to sit in my seat, and I motion for Rome to give me my bottle. He tosses my ice cold bottled water that I didn't open, and I had it to her and accepts gratefully, taking big gulps of it.

When she finally calms down her breathing, she becomes hyper aware of the crowd we have watching our every move.

"Can I talk to you, without prying eyes?" She whispers, clearing her throat.

"Yeah, sure." I agree, grabbing her by the hand moving her into a further corner away from the team. I fold my arms over my chest and wait for her to speak, "okay, as I was saying – I watched your press conference on tv and I – got my ass down here as fast as I could."

I don't ask why because I know she will, "what you said there Devontae struck me, I couldn't just sit there and – what I'm trying to say is – Jesus, can you not look at me like that?" She says and I shrug, "I have no idea what you were talking about." I do.

She narrows her eyes at me, but chooses to not address, "Devontae, the way you spoke today was the way I wanted you to talk to me the day of our breakup, I know you saying you couldn't risk your career over our relationship was a bunch of bullshit because I know you, you make decisions in haste thinking you're doing a good thing."

"I thought I was saving you."

"From what the press? Devontae, you know that online trolls are unavoidable because of –"

"Not from them. From me."

She pauses, and a puzzled look crosses her face, "huh?"

"Kiana, it was hard for me to see your puffy swollen eyes whenever you'd cry yourself to sleep and seeing you slowly start to believe what people saying about you, I felt like I didn't deserve you because I couldn't protect you from what people were saying online. Or least be louder than the people online. There's millions of people on the net, there's only one me. I felt fucking hopeless, and a loser and I know you still went read the comments after I told you not too. I don't know what it's like have a mental health disorder, but I could never forgive myself for being responsible for you being consumed by it once again at my doing. I felt like I wasn't doing enough to protect you."

Her hand fall to her sides, as she tries to find words then that lost, upset aura dissipates as quickly as it came and she slaps my chest, "why did you make that decision for me. We could overcome it together, plus, I would've told you if I couldn't handle the pressure."

My dad's exact words. "I know, I know."

She slaps my chest, "I can't believe you didn't talk to me. All of this could've been avoided."

"I'm an idiot." She hums in agreement, jutting her hip out in a stance, giving me all the business that I truly was a dumb fuck. "Devontae, I appreciate you wanting to protect me and all, but somethings are out of our hands, and we can't control them, all we can do is decide for ourselves how to handle them, whether it's dealing with them head on or hide."

"Did you at least like the flowers?"

"Yes, and very extra of you. Speaking of extra, you dropped the 'L' bomb on me and hightailed outta the apartment." Yeah, I was hoping we'd cruise over that part in history.

"Ah." I say rubbing the back of my neck, "can't we address that later?" Now that she's here I must face the fact I said it and ran. One because of her facial expression and the fear she didn't love me back. Now I basically told everyone in the media that I love her. It's not a lie, I just don't want her to say it because I did.

She grins at me slyly and I can feel my knees buckle from that look alone, "you didn't let me answer you or even process the words because you said them then you vanished."

"Well, about that..."

She presses her mouth on mine, I blink, in shock and finally relax against her mouth, she tilts her head for better access, and I pry her lips open. My tongue tangles with her and she whimpers against me. I pull back, not wanting to catch a boner right before the game continues.

"If you didn't run out on me, I would've told you that I love you too."

A wide grin spreads onto my face, "really?" She laughs throwing her head back as she does, "of course I do."

The locker room erupts into cheers as I kiss her again, lifting her up and spinning us around. I put her down on her feet where the guys tackle Ki in warm embraces. "About time, nigga seeing you sulk made me miserable." I narrow my eyes at James as he offers me a bro hug.

After the hugs, Kiana turns to me, "alright then, I'll see you on the court, then." I press a kiss on her temple and as she turns to leave, I smack her ass. The guys let out wolf whistles and girlish screams as she yelps, her face reddening in embarrassment. She walks back out to the court and its finally time to end this season with a bang.

...

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Andd they reunite when there's only two chapters left to go. : >