NBA Alphabet One-Shots

goodbye - stephen curry

for inlovewiththegame
_____

"Claire? Baby girl, please don't do this. I know I messed up, but I can change. I love you."

Claire could barely hear her fiance's voice, raspy from crying, over her own strangled sobbing. Stephen pounded on the door separating the couple as he desperately leaned against it.

She didn't respond. Instead, she collapsed onto the bedroom carpet with tears streaming down her face. She shook her head sadly. This room had once been for two lovers, ones who trusted each other and shared endless happiness.

But that was before. Claire couldn't remember the last time she had even slept in this room since her first clash with Stephen.

The first incident. She buried her head in her arms, remembering the day when she came home from work early and caught Stephen making out with his ex, Ayesha, in the kitchen. She remembered how terribly her heart broke in two, how speechless she was, how her trust in Stephen decimated after that day.

In hindsight, Claire knew she should have ended her relationship with Stephen after that day. But he had promised he would never cheat on her again, and he would change. Claire was too stupidly in love that she trusted him. She wanted, with all her heart, to trust him and only see the good side of him.

It came back to haunt her today. She was watching the Warriors practice for their next playoff game against the Cavaliers when Stephen's phone buzzed at her feet. It was just a quick glance, but she saw enough to read that Ayesha had texted him.

Last night was great, babe. I missed having you over. ;)

Practice was winding down. Stephen was walking towards Claire when she read the text. Her eyes welled with hot tears as she hurled his phone at his chest and screamed profanities. She didn't care that all his teammates were there to hear it; Stephen deserved to be humiliated.

She also didn't care that they had shared one car to his practice. She took the car and left him at the practice facility, immediately locking herself in the bedroom once she arrived home.

Last night, Stephen said he was going out for a team dinner. Clearly, the only eating was being done in Ayesha's house.

Stephen had nudged Claire over the edge over and over again, but Claire never dared to jump.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

She finally accepted the fall. He had put her through more than anyone should handle. She decided enough was enough, and she wasn't going to make the same mistake a third time.

The woman wiped away her tears. She called her best friend and let her know she was staying the night. Tomorrow, she would drive over to her parents' house.

Claire stared down at her engagement ring before setting it down on the nightstand. She walked over to her dresser and began packing her things. She could still hear her fiance's desperate pleas through the door. Even when she had gathered all her belongings, Stephen still had not given up.

She inhaled deeply before opening the door. He was slumped against the wall, eyes bloodshot and dark circles forming underneath his eyes. Claire only felt a twinge of sympathy, since he had repeatedly put her through the same heartbreak he was currently experiencing.

Stephen's eyes lit up for a moment when he saw Claire. His expression turned to one of hurt when he saw the suitcases in her hands. "You're—you're moving out?" he questioned softly.

"We both need this, Wardell," she stated simply.

"No, I need you," he protested. He stood up. Even though he towered over her, Claire was the one holding all the power. Stephen held her wrist, touching his forehead to hers. "Claire, please. I love you."

She yanked her hand away, turning to walk downstairs. "This isn't love. Trusting each other completely is love. Doing what's best for the other person is love. Whatever this is," she gestured between them, "it's not love."

Claire was halfway down the stairs before Stephen spoke again. He sounded like a small child who needed forgiveness to bring balance back into his life.

"Do you remember when I first met you?" He asked. She stopped in her tracks. "You sang the national anthem at one of my games. It put chills in the whole arena because your voice...it was so beautiful. I had to find out who you were after that game, and when I found a video of you singing and discovered your name, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It's not every day you find a woman as naturally beautiful as her voice.

That was the first thing I fell in love with, your voice. When I had a bad game, your voice always calmed me down. When I couldn't sleep, you always sang to me. So when I proposed, that's the one thing I'll never forget. We were at the arena before a game, when they played your favorite love song. You sang along to it—to this day, your singing still sends chills through my spine—and we danced around the middle of the basketball court. When the song was done, I got down on one knee." Stephen faltered.

Both of them thought back to the simpler and happier times, where their love was enough and nothing else mattered.

Claire looked up at him and saw tears streaking his face. Guilt was written all over his broken features. She didn't realize it, but also she had tears running down her face. Claire quickly wiped her cheeks.

"I can't live without you, Claire. Please, just give me another chance—"

"That was your chance," Claire spat. "Stephen, I trusted you. I trusted you with all my heart. I was willing to forgive you when I caught you kissing Ayesha—in our house, may I add—but after a second time? I'm done." She reached the front door and was about to leave before she turned around again.

"I didn't care about what my friends said about you. They said you'd just play with me and break my heart. I didn't listen, and I clearly should have. Goodbye, Wardell." Claire spoke coldly. Stephen had already made Claire cry countless nights over him, and she refused to add another one to that list.

"Maybe we're really meant to marry each other. But I can't do this until something changes."

As Claire shut the door behind him, a certain finality rang the air. Either Stephen chose to ignore it or couldn't hear it, because he made a promise to himself.

"I'm going to change and win back the woman I am so deeply in love with," he murmured. "I promise, Claire, this goodbye won't be forever."