“You couldn’t wait to ride this one in Orlando. So, this has to be a favorite.” He started the movie, settling back against the pillows.

“So, I watched the parade,” I confessed as the opening credits rolled.

“Oh, really?” he said with a casual shrug. “It was pretty intense. I’m glad all that press shit over for real, for real.”

“So, are you like on break now, or how does that work?”

“Yeah. It’s off season. I get to be a regular person until we ramp up for training again. I may get called into a few meetings in between now and then but nothing too hard.”

“And when does training camp start?” I questioned.

“Late July, early August,” he stated.

“That’s around my due date… Doctors say I’m due in August…” My words trailed off. I didn’t want him to think I was insisting on him being there when I gave birth.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”

He pulled me close, and we fell into a comfortable silence as the movie drew us in. The warmth of Kellon’s body and the sounds of my favorite black princess had my eyelids growing heavier and heavier until I finally succumbed to sleep.

Chapter 14

The faint sound of footsteps had me jumping up out my sleep. I blinked, taking in my surroundings. I was still at Phileigh’s crib. We both must have dozed off during the movie. My arm was draped over her as she slept soundly on my chest. I almost didn’t want to wake her, but as the footsteps got louder, the situation got more urgent.

“Aye.” I nudged her gently. “Somebody’s here.”

“Huh?” She stirred. Her eyes just barely opened.

“Somebody’s here,” I repeated, silently cursing myself for doing some rookie ass shit and leaving my gun in the living room.

Professional football player or not, I always kept a Glock on me in case somebody thought I was an easy target. I’d set it on the counter when she ran off to throw up and forgot to retrieve it. I didn’t want to startle Phileigh. She didn’t look like the type that was turned on by guns and shit. She was green as hell.

“What do you mean somebody’s here?” She sat up.

“I mean somebody’s in yo’ crib… I swear, if it’s yo’ baby daddy⁠—”

Before I could finish my thought, Phileigh’s bedroom door burst open with a loud creak, and an older, skinner replica of Phileigh waltzed through the door.

“Oh my goodness!” Phileigh’s mom yelled. Her gaze darted between us. “Phileigh Joann Read! What is going on here?”

“Mom!”

Phileigh yelled, pulling the cover up over her body like she was naked. We were both fully clothed. We’d literally passed out fully dressed, but I understood the embarrassment, and I knew her parents assumed we were having sex.