All We've Got Is Basketball (Blake Griffin FanFic)

Chapter 73

I jumped out of the bathtub, Blake standing up, as I splashed him a little. I went for a towel across the room, but Blake grabbed my wet, naked body from behind. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Your hair still smells like weed," Blake commented and I stopped wiggling and groaned.

"I don't care," I said, plainly. I was irritated. "Let me at this bitch. She's a fucking bitch!" Blake shushed me and I started wiggling again.

"Let me go," I cried, but Blake wasn't budging.

"I don't get why you didn't just tell me," Blake cooed in my ear, "what you went through was horrible. Why didn't you just tell me? I could've helped you." I huffed, as I could feel my eyes welling up with tears, and the lump in my throat growing bigger.

"Help me with what?" I asked hopelessly, letting one tear fall. I was hoping Blake wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the bath water and my tears. Or the cracking of my voice. But of course, knowing me like no one else, he did. "I am over it, I've been over it. I couldn't even help myself those days. I don't even think about it anymore." Blake stood there, still grasping me tightly, I stopped wiggling and just fell into his arms. I let the tears escape from my eyes, as Blake didn't say anything. I sniffled a little, and wiped my blurry eyes. Blake wasn't saying anything, so I tried to get out of his grasp, but he still held me there.

"You obviously still care and do think about it," he stated, and I knew he was right. I thought about it every damn day. I wanted to forget, to push it out of my mind, but there it was always just... there. "Is that another reason why you were depressed? If you would've told me, I wouldn't have acted like such a dickhead." I shook my head, shaking.

"You had every right to act that way," I said, wiping more tears away. "What I did... was horrible and I can't blame that and my behavior nor my childhood. Basketball was the only thing I had, the only thing I've ever had. That's why I worked so hard, like I did. I wanted to make it somewhere. But I think my childhood is also the reason why I'm strong. If everything was peachy for me, I would be different. But, that's also why I love you so much. I have never been wanted by anyone in my life--"

Blake interrupted me, "don't say that."

I responded, "You may not know it's true, but I do. I have always felt out of place... and it sucks. But you know what? It's different now. I have been a lot happier, of course, I have my moments." Blake lead me back over to the bathtub.

"Let's get the smell out of your hair," he whispered to me, leading me over to the bathtub, as I stepped in easily. The water was cold now. He laid me back down, filling more warm water into it and put the shampoo in my hair. The shampoo smelled like green apples, which made me ease a bit. "Why didn't you tell me, is what really bothers me?"

"I don't know, but I'm sorry," I said, shrugging.

"So... your parents left you? Put you out on the streets all alone? While your mom was abusing drugs? Where did you go? How did you feel? What did you do?" I smiled at Blake's question.

"Oh," I said, smiling, "that's where Paige and Regan come in. I'd really love to bring them out here so they can meet you and see DJ again. They gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to feel, I just didn't feel loved or wanted, I felt alone. DJ, who was my best friend and whom I loved growing up in high school, didn't even know."

"I'd love to meet the two girls that saved my baby girl," Blake cooed, smiling down at me, as he put in more shampoo. I smiled as I looked up to him and he laid a soft kiss on my lips.

I took a deep breath. "And now that my parents know that I'm popular... have money, they want to see me again." Blake stopped working through my hair now, and set his hands down. "When I was down in South Carolina, Paige and Regan told me that they wanted to see me again. That they got help, have been clean for a long time and are living in a nice retirement community outside of DC. I said no. I don't want to see them. Ever."

"Good," Blake said, rinsing out my hair. "I don't want you to see them again. I don't want you to go back to that." Blake tapped his hand against the tub, and I could tell something was bothering him. Something he really wanted to say. My hair was almost all rinsed out, as Blake dipped his hand in the water, to rinse off the shampoo. He sat next to me, on his knees, by the tub. He reached into the tub, and grabbed my arm. I knew what this was about. He looked at my wrist and ran his fingers over the cuts. "Do you need help?"

"No," I responded, swallowing hard. "It was just once a couple months ago. It was... stupid of me, and childish."

"You know that, no matter what, I'll always be here for you, right?" Blake asked me and I nodded, smiling a little. "Baby, you don't even know how much I love you. I love you so much, oh god, I do. You'll never even begin to understand how much I love you." My heart and inside of me filled with warmth. I tried to stop that stupid, goofy smile that spread across my face, but I couldn't help it. I grinned like an idiot and connected our lips.

"I love you so much too," I said back to him. "More than anyone on this Earth or in Heaven. The measure of how much you love someone is not based on how long you've known them, it's based on who walked into your life, said 'I'm here for you and I care' and proved it. And that was you. I've never had anyone in my life like you. Someone that cared, and didn't give up on me. You'll never begin to understand how grateful I am for that. I love you." I eyed the towel, and he helped me out of the tub, and to the towel. I just clutched it in front of me, as Blake wrapped me from behind again. I was getting him wet, but luckily he didn't have a shirt on, so I could feel my back against his hard abs. He just held me there our bodies warm together.

"You'll never be alone again," Blake told me.

•You're a victim of your own mind•