"That's all you got boy." Ray said as he demolished me in pushups.
I was struggling to pull myself up after 100, but this old nigga was still going.
I collapsed on the floor tired.
Ray laughed, stood up and look down at me.
"See that's why you ain't got no ring now. You get tired too easily." He drank a sip of water.
He had went on from Ok State to play for the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a superbowl ring.
After a bad injury, the Ravens let him go and no other team picked him up. It was then he told me and the group his life began to spiral out of control with drugs and alcohol. He turned to them as comfort during his depression and not being able to deal with the hard reality of life after football.
His lowest point, being him selling his super bowl ring in exchange for drugs. It was only a stint in jail for drug possession that forced him to get his life together. He was released early, under the probationary terms that he would complete this addiction program. That's why he's here. To take back his life.
"How I'mma be 42 and in better shape than yo little ass." He laughed as I stood up and drank some water. "Boy I tell you."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(Side note- it utterly annoys me when yall call these men like O, Shep, and Aug daddy. But can I just introduce you to the man who puts Sugah in Sugah Daddy, the football legend that is Mr. Ray Lewis Jr. Now this is a daddy. I know he old, but boy, grandpa can have all of this. Y'all better stop checking for these young players and get you a nice, retired seasoned one like Ray . Okay I'm done. 😂😂😂)
"That's cause I'm sleepy." I said lying. I had really been slacking on my workouts and it was showing.
"Yeah, okay. And sleep gon make you miss your opportunity." He eyed me.
"You gotta train hard Shep. Especially going to the Titans. Prove to Seattle through your work ethic and training, they should've never let you go. Not through your antics."
"You right." I sat on the bench drinking some water.
He sat on the other end of the bench.
"Thank you Unc, for speaking some sense into me the other day. I didn't want to hear it, but I needed it." I sincerely thanked him.
"Your father was like a brother to me. I felt like I had to."
There was a period of silence.
"How those sisters of you doing Latoya and Raven?"
"Their good. Toya is married and she's a lawyer."
"Wow." He said impressed.
"Ray works for this non-profit back in OKC."
"My godbaby Ray." He smiled. "Boy we were like two peas in a pod. I would be practicing my tackles, and she would want to tackle me. So I'll let her run into me and I'd fall to the ground, like her little skinny self did something." He laughed.
"Derrick would get so mad cause when Cheri would drop y'all off, Ray would run straight to me. He would be like, alright lil Ray. Treating your daddy like that. And every since then her nickname was Ray." He chuckled.
I smiled.
"And here you are. Shepard's boy done made it to the NFL. Despite all your antics, I know your father is proud of you. Listen son, in life we all fall. We all do. And that's okay. We can't beat ourselves up about it. It happened, we can't change that. But folks won't remember the fall, if we stand back up and make the most of the opportunity in front of us. I'm trying to and I hope you use this to as well."
I shook my head I understood.
He stood up. "I'mma go back to my room. Know I'm here if you need me. See you at group meet later."
"Aight." I told him goodbye as he left.
I got up and went back to work. I was gonna make the most of this opportunity.
Deanna POV-
"Get off August." I rolled my eyes as he had got in the bed with me and pulled me close into his body.
He wrapped his arms me tightly and intertwined his legs with mine. He put his face on top of mine.
"Just a minute ago, you wanted to be my wife, now all that changed. Huh?" He said in his deep accent.
"I want to be your wife. Not your widow."
"And you will be." He kissed my cheek.
"Aug just go."
"No. I realized I was being selfish. I didn't stop to think that when you came into my life, this shit affects you too. And I can only imagine the worry I'm putting you through and I'm legit sorry." He said against my face.
I wiped my tearing eyes.
"Look at me."
I turned to look at him.
"I promise as soon as this mission is over I'm done with undercover and just going to being regular. I would leave now, but officers have lost their lives when they leave cold turkey. It blows their cover. But I promise, the moment we arrest these fools, I'm coming straight home to you and we outta here. Aight?"
"Yeah." I softly rubbed his healing face. It was still slightly bruised but so much better. He looked like himself again.
"And sorry about how I talked to you the other day. I was trying to play it like you weren't important to me. Once they see a soft spot, somebody special to you, they go after them. And I didn't want that for you."
"I know, which is why I played along. But if you weren't under I would whoop your ass."
He chuckled but let out a yelp of pain. Laughing hurt his face.
"I love you so much." I told him and softly kissed his lips, that were still healing.
"Love you too." He said looking at me.
I gave him one last kiss and went to sleep in his arms.
