33

Angel Reese

I wasn't really in the mood to go out, but Rickea had that look. the one that said "you've been in the house too long, get dressed."So here I was, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting my shorts for the fifth time while she hollered from the living room.

"Angel! Let's go! The Uber's outside!"

"Coming!" I called back, grabbing my bag and spritzing perfume one last time.

We met a few of the girls at a rooftop bar downtown. Rae, Dearica, and Cam already posted up near the DJ booth. The place was dim but warm, music low enough to talk but loud enough to feel in your chest.

"Look who finally came out!" Rae teased, handing me a drink before I could even sit.

"I finally got a mom break," I said, smirking as I took a sip.

Rickea rolled her eyes. "Exactly. Let's just toast to outside being open again."

We laughed, clinked glasses, and for the first hour, it was easy. Drinks flowed, music got louder, and the city lights made everything feel a little less heavy. But then—

I saw her.

Kaylen.

Same eyes, same easy smile, just... not for me this time.

She was across the bar, sitting with a few people I didn't recognize. And the second our eyes almost met — almost — she looked away. Quick. Like I wasn't even there.

My stomach tightened.

It had been months since we talked. I'd ghosted her — not intentionally at first, but then it got messy. Jackie had come back around, and everything with Kaylen just... drifted. And I didn't know how to explain that to her without sounding like an asshole.

"Earth to Angel," Rickea said, nudging me. "You good?"

"Yeah," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just thought I saw somebody I knew."

She shrugged and went back to talking to Dee, and I let it go — or at least tried to.

But later, when we moved to the back lounge and Rae disappeared for a while, I caught sight of them.Kaylen — laughing.Rae — sitting way too close, hand on her thigh.

And that's when it hit me — that sharp, quiet twist in my gut.

Jealousy.

I hated it instantly. Because I had no right to feel that way.

Not when Jackie had been nothing but perfect to me.

I stared too long. Long enough for Kaylen to glance up — eyes catching mine for the briefest second. No emotion, no smile. Just... a look.

Then she turned away again.

I exhaled slowly and downed the rest of my drink, ignoring the sting behind my ribs.

"Yo, you ready to go?" Rickea asked.

"Yeah," I said, standing up too fast. "Yeah, let's get outta here."

⸻

In the car ride home, everyone else was laughing about something Rae said, but I wasn't really listening. My phone buzzed with a text from Jackie — a picture of Ray asleep in her bed, wearing some random princes crown.

Jackie: princess is out for the night. Have fun baby. See you when you get home.

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes.

Because even with Jackie, even with all the comfort and rightness that came with her... there was still something unsettled in me. Something I didn't want to name.

I leaned my head against the window and whispered to myself, "Get it together, Angel."

The city lights blurred past, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't know if I was running from something... or straight into it.

⸻

The next morning hit hard.

My head was pounding, my throat dry, and even though I hadn't had that much to drink, my brain felt foggy — heavy with thoughts I didn't want to keep revisiting.

Ray was up early though, bouncing around the kitchen in her pajamas with her new bracelet still on.

"Mommy, look! It pretty !" she said, holding her arm toward the window so the diamonds threw tiny sparkles on the wall.

I smiled, rubbing my eyes. "Yeah, baby, it's pretty. Braveket needs to stay home while you go to school though. You gotta keep it safe though, okay?"

She nodded, eyes serious. "Okay mommy. I love Jackie, her so nice,"

That made me pause. It sounded so natural coming from her, like Jackie had been a steady fixture in her world for years, not just a few months.I didn't even know how to feel about that.

After breakfast, I got her dressed, brushed her curls into two puffs, and dropped her off at daycare. She ran in without looking back, like she always did, and I stood there for a second before getting back in the car.

Next stop — lashes.

Two hours later, I was reclined in a pink chair, soft music playing while my lash tech talked about some drama that had nothing to do with me. I smiled and nodded, letting her words wash over me, grateful for the distraction. But once she finished and I saw myself in the mirror — perfect lashes, no sleep behind the eyes — I realized I was still carrying everything from last night.

So by the time I pulled into the parking lot for my therapy session, I was ready.

⸻

"Good to see you, Angel," Dr. James said as I settled onto the couch across from her. "How've you been?"

I laughed a little under my breath. "Depends on what hour you're asking."

She smiled knowingly. "That kind of week, huh?"

"More like that kind of life," I sighed, kicking off my slides. "I've been... overwhelmed. But not in a bad way. Just... full."

"Full of what?" she asked gently.

I looked down at my hands. "People. Feelings. Situations I probably made worse."

She tilted her head. "Start with one."

So I told her. About Jackie — about how easy it felt, how right it looked, but how confusing it sometimes was to feel so settled and still wonder if I was ready for it. Then about Kaylen — how I'd seen her last night and that weird ache that followed me home.

"She looked happy," I said quietly. "And I was glad for her. But then I wasn't. And I don't like that version of me."

"Jealousy doesn't always mean you want what you lost," Dr. James said. "Sometimes it just reminds you of what you didn't finish — or what you didn't get closure on."

I nodded slowly. That felt true.

"I think I just... avoid people when I can't handle how I feel," I admitted. "It's like my brain hits flight mode every time things get real. Kaylen didn't deserve that. And neither does Jackie."

"What makes Jackie different?" she asked.

I thought for a second. "She feels... safe. But I'm scared of safe. Every time I get it, I find a way to ruin it."

"Maybe you're not ruining it," she said. "Maybe you're still learning what to do with it."

That sat heavy for a while.

⸻

When the session ended, I walked out feeling lighter but also... aware. Like I'd finally stopped running circles in my head long enough to realize I was tired of running altogether.

Sitting in my car, I unlocked my phone and saw a notification pop up at the top of the screen:

Flight reminder — BWI, tomorrow at 2:15 p.m.

Maryland. The court hearing.

I sighed, leaning back against the seat, the weight of everything returning all at once.

It wasn't just the hearing — it was going home, facing things I hadn't touched since before the league, before Ray, before all of this.

I opened my messages and hovered over Jackie's name for a second before locking the phone again.

Not yet, I thought. One thing at a time.

Then I started the car and pulled off, the city humming around me — another day, another version of myself trying to figure out what came next.

—————

The next morning came fast.Too fast.

I barely slept — the kind of rest where your body's still but your mind won't shut up. I kept thinking about everything at once: the flight, the hearing, Cam'ron, the look on Ray's face if things didn't go the way I needed them to.

By the time my mom knocked on my door, I was already dressed and pacing.

"You ready, baby?" she asked softly, peeking her head in.

"Yeah," I said, slipping my carry-on strap over my shoulder. "Just... trying to keep my nerves in check."

She smiled that knowing mom smile — the one that had seen me through a thousand storms. "You've done harder things, Angel. We'll handle this, one step at a time."

I nodded, but my chest still felt tight.

Ray came bouncing out of her room with her backpack and that pink diamond bracelet flashing in the morning light. "Mommy! I got snacks!"

I bent down and kissed her cheek. "Good job, baby. You and Grandma are gonna have so much fun on the plane, okay?"

She tilted her head. "You not sit with me?"

"I'll be close, promise. I just gotta talk to some people when we get there."

She accepted that answer easily, and part of me envied how simple things still were in her world. Just snacks, cartoons, and that raggedy ass bunny she instead on dragging around .

⸻

The flight to Maryland was quiet for the most part. Ray fell asleep on my mom's shoulder before we even took off, and I spent the next few hours staring out the window, watching clouds drift by while my stomach twisted.

I wasn't scared of court — not really. I'd done my homework, talked to my lawyer, prepared everything. But what I was scared of... was him.

Cam'ron had a way of making everything feel smaller — like I was the one who had to explain myself, even when I'd done nothing wrong.And this time, it wasn't just about me.

When the plane landed, we got our bags and headed to the rental car. My mom buckled Ray into her car seat while I stood on the curb for a second, taking in the thick Maryland air. Everything here carried weight — memories, mistakes, and unfinished business.

"Come on, Angel," my mom called gently.

I climbed in the driver's seat and started the car.

⸻

At the hotel, we ordered room service for Ray and set up her tablet so she could watch her shows. My mom sat across from me at the small dining table, her eyes soft but serious.

"You sure you don't want me in the courtroom tomorrow?"

"I'm sure," I said, rubbing my temples. "I just... I don't want her seeing him. Not unless the judge says she has to. I can't have him around her right now, Ma. Not after everything."

Her expression tightened but she nodded. "I understand. And I agree."

I looked over at Ray, giggling at her cartoon, sticky fingers from the strawberries she'd been eating. The thought of that man even looking at her made my chest burn.

"I just hate that I can't fix this for her," I said quietly. "I gave her a terrible dad. And there's nothing I can do to change that, "

"Hey, you will not blame your self for this shortcomings, you hear me? What he deformed to do is not your fault Baby. Besides look at how far you've come. Your daughter brags about how much her mommy loves her. How she gets to ride in slink Barbie car every day, how you always play with her, telling her how much you love her. You are present, and you are a damn good mother.  That's all she needs to know," my mom said. "The rest is for us adults to handle."

I nodded, swallowing hard."Tomorrow's gonna be a long day mama."

"It'll be a good one if you remember why you're doing this," she said. "You're fighting for her. For her peace."

Her words sank in, heavy but grounding.

I sat back, watching Ray's reflection in the TV screen, her curls glowing in the soft hotel light.

"Yeah," I murmured. "For her peace."

Excuse all errorsAjah