All You'll Ever Need (21 page)

“Are you kidding me? You have all of this,” he lifted his arms out and turned in a circle, “and it’s not like you’re hurting for money. Yet you’re trippin’ because I need a little help every now and then.”

Jada listened on, unable to pull herself away from the door. Zack was the most generous person she’d ever met. He wouldn’t pull his support from his brother if he didn’t have a good reason.

“Hell, every now and then?” Zack glared at his brother. “Shane you have your hand out every other month. It’s not like you’re asking for twenty or thirty bucks when you come to me, it’s more like a hundred here, five hundred there. I’m sick of your mess. Just because I have a few bucks in my pocket don’t mean that I’m trying to give it all away. I work damn hard for everything I have, and if you held on to a job for more than a week, maybe you could get yourself together.”

“So it’s like that, huh? You gon’ just cut me off? We’re supposed to be family, and this is how you do me?” Shane pointed at himself. “I shouldn’t have to pay money back to you. You should be willing to just give it to—”

“You know what, Shane? You need to go. Jada will be here shortly, and I don’t want her coming home to your shit.”

“That’s what this is about isn’t it?” Shane yelled. “Ever since you hooked up with that—.”

“That what?” Zack spat the two words out with a lethal ease that Jada had never heard from him. “That what, Shane? Go ahead and say it so I can kick your ass right now.”

“You’ve changed.” Shane took a few steps back, and Jada released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Zack looked like a bull ready to charge, and there was no telling what he would’ve done to Shane had they not put some space between them.

“You’re damn right I’ve changed. That woman who you seem to have a problem with is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Instead of you wishing me well and welcoming her to our family, you’ve been treating her like a second-class citizen.”

“She’s not good enough for you! Man, don’t you see that? You’re so concerned about me using you, what about her? I’m sure by now she’s asked you to pay her bills and buy her a new car.”

“Unlike you, she hasn’t asked me for a damn thing!”

“Oh, well I’m sure she will. But tell me something. How do you go from dating supermodel-type women to hooking up with a construction worker?” Shane shook his head. “I’m sure you can do better.”

“You of all people are going to look down on someone because of the type of work they do? You can’t even hold a job for more than a few months. How crazy do you sound right now?”

The heaviness in Jada’s heart felt like a two-ton boulder. Did the rest of his family feel the same way? Did they all think that she wasn’t good enough for Zack? According to her father, she came out of the womb self-confident as if she were the princess of power, the most powerful woman in the universe. But then Dion knocked her down a peg or two, telling her that she wouldn’t have been good enough for him even if he weren’t already married. Did Zack and his family feel the same way? The possibility wedged in her gut like a steel weight, anchored to one of her vital organs.

She staggered backwards until she bumped the wall, but couldn’t get her feet to keep moving. She should’ve been running out of that house, getting as far away from Zack as she could, yet, her heart wouldn’t let her leave.

“You are a multi-millionaire scraping the bottom of the barrel.” Shane continued, disgust in his tone. “Has it really come to this? Can’t you find someone in your tax bracket? You have to settle for—”

Zack grabbed his brother by the front of his jacket. “Get out!” he roared. “Get the hell out of my house, now! As a matter of fact, we’re done. Don’t call me. Don’t come by my house. Hell, act as if you don’t even know me.” Zack pushed him away, not seeming to care that Shane tripped over an ottoman though he righted himself immediately. “We’re done. Get out!”

A stab of guilt lodged in Jada’s chest. The last thing she wanted was to come between him and his brother. Family meant everything to her. There was no way she would be the reason for dissention in anyone’s family.

Willing herself to move, she took a step forward, but stopped when Zack’s gaze met hers.

“Jada,” he said, barely loud enough for her to hear him.

“Oh great! If it isn’t the gold-digging, walking Barbie doll.”

Before Jada could move or say anything, Zack charged at his brother like he was a defensive tackle, rushing the passer. He grabbed the front of his brother’s jacket and slammed him to the floor, then raised his fist sending a punch after punch to Shane’s face. His brother fought back, landing a few punches of his own.

Oh no.

“Stop!” Jada screamed, running toward them. “Please, Zack, don’t! Don’t do this! Please, baby, stop!”

“Get up!” Zack lifted his brother and dragged him out of the room, despite Shane fighting him.

Jada swiped at the tears that were beginning to fall, and her heart pounded in her chest.

Zack walked back into the room but stayed near the door staring at her. With the sleeve of his long sleeved T-shirt, he wiped the blood from his lip. Jada didn’t move from her position near the sofa. She didn’t know what to say or what to do. Part of her wanted to apologize for causing a rift between him and his brother, but the other part of her was glad he had defended her honor.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry you had to hear all of that.” He eased toward her, but the confidence he normally displayed was missing. Jada figured it was due to not knowing what she was thinking or how she would respond to him. “Shane is a very angry and selfish person. He has been that way since our father walked out years ago. Ignore anything you heard him say.”

Jada swallowed hard when his hand touched her shoulder and then slid down her arm until he grabbed hold of her hand, tenderness sparkling in his crystal blue eyes. She willed herself not to cry, but couldn’t help it when a few tears slipped through and crept down her cheek. Deep in her heart, she knew she was good enough for any man, but she couldn’t seem to shake Shane’s words. Zack had accomplished so much in his life, while she had nothing to show for her life but a boat-load of debt.

Zack pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “I’m sorry.” Jada’s head rested against his chest, his heart pounding loudly against her ear. The love she felt being in his arms should have been enough to soothe the ache in her heart, but it wasn’t.

“I think I should go.” She pulled away slightly, but he prevented her from moving much with the gentle hold he had on her upper arms.

“I can’t let you leave. Not like this. Not without us talking about what just happened.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do this right now.” She eased out of his hold and headed to the door.

“Jada.”

She stopped and glanced at him over her shoulder. If she stayed, she would never leave and right now she had to go someplace and clear her head.

Chapter Seventeen

“You know you played like shit out there today, don’t you?” Coach James said from behind his desk, leaning forward in his office chair. “In all of the years I’ve coached you, you have always brought your “A” game. I don’t know what’s going on, but it has to stop. The team needs you.” Zack lowered his gaze to the top of the oak desk, tension twisting in his gut like a spring waiting to pop loose. “There are two more games left, Chicago and Denver. We need you out there giving your best. If all of you guys show up to play, then I think we can pull out some wins.”

At that moment, Zack didn’t give a damn about football or anything else. He could only think of Jada. He hadn’t seen her in almost two weeks. Every effort he made to talk to her, or see her came up empty. Stopping by Jenkins & Sons twice didn’t help. Peyton wanted to help him, but couldn’t give him Jada’s location for fear of drama breaking out. When Zack sought Christina’s help, she let him wait for Jada one evening at their house, but Jada never showed. Instead, she spent that night at her parent’s place.

“Zack?”

He looked up to find his coach observing him with concern. “Sorry coach.” Zack ran his hands through his damp hair. “I’ll be ready next week.”

Coach James’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I hope you know that if you need me for anything, all you have to do is ask.”

Zack nodded. “I know. Thanks.” Zack slunk out of the building, his body engulfed in tides of weariness. Something had to give. He either needed to find a way to connect with Jada to find out what was on her mind or move on with his life.

An hour later, Zack pulled up to his mother’s house. He had purchased the three-bedroom, two-bath bungalow with his first signing check. Buying things to make her life easier and more enjoyable gave him a sense of accomplishment. His mother’s love and support never wavered. When he was growing up, she refused to let him give up on his dreams, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He even accepted that she wanted to marry an immigrant she didn’t love in order to help him stay in the country.

Zack climbed out of his truck and strolled up the walkway. The door had swung open before he had a chance to ring the doorbell.

“Hi, son. Come on in.”

“Hey, Mom, something smells good in here.” He shrugged out of his jacket, trying to ignore the throbbing in his shoulders and back. Feeling like he had been run over by a Mack truck wasn’t uncommon after a game, but today was worse. He had taken a beating on the field and skipped the Jacuzzi soak and massage he usually received after a game. Zack knew his pain was from a combination of getting pounded by three-hundred pound men, and the fact that he couldn’t get Jada off his mind.

“I made your favorite, honey.”

The savory scent of basil and garlic drew him to the all-white kitchen with top of the line appliances and plenty of granite counter space. The kitchen was his mother’s favorite room in the house, and she could always be found in there whipping up something delicious.

He inhaled deeply, and his mouth watered. Ms. Mal’s lasagna was amazing, but no one could top his mother’s.

“Shane stopped by yesterday,” his mother said.

Zack didn’t respond and kept eating. Shane could fall off the face of the earth for all he cared.

“He mentioned that you had lost your mind and that I should see about getting you some help.”

Zack’s fork stopped mid-air. His gaze darted to his mother. He didn’t miss her raised eyebrow, and her lips twitching as if trying to keep from laughing.

Zack shoved the fork full of food into his mouth and shook his head. If anyone needed mental help, it was Shane. As kids, their relationship had its moments of drama, but in the last ten or fifteen years, they barely tolerated each other.

“So what? No comment? Your brother calls you crazy and you have nothing to say.”

“Nope, except this lasagna is good as usual. I bet with a good marketing campaign, you could make a killing selling this by the pan.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Maybe I’ll give Jada the recipe so she can make it for you sometime.” Zack knew his mother was baiting him, but he didn’t stop by to talk about Jada. Yet, he knew he needed to talk to someone.

“So, what do you know … about Jada and me?”

“I know the TV sports broadcasters have been criticizing you more than usual. They say you haven’t played too good the last couple of games. I also know you’re not looking well. Clearly, you haven’t been sleeping. And I know you haven’t mentioned Jada not once in the past thirty minutes, which is a first since you met her.”

She turned from him and went back to washing dishes. His mother had a sixth sense when it came to knowing something was wrong with any of her children.
That’s probably why she called and invited me to dinner
.

“Jada is avoiding me.” Zack laid his fork down and wiped his mouth. He propped his elbows on the breakfast bar and rested his head in his hands. He was beyond tired but didn’t look forward to going home to an empty house.

His mother dried her hands and stood on the other side of the breakfast bar facing Zack. “Why do I have a feeling your oldest brother has something to do with this new development?”

Zack replayed the events of the night Shane was at his house and the words that were spoken. The more he thought about the hurt on Jada’s face, the angrier Zack became. He couldn’t help but wonder if he could’ve done or said something more. If he had known that when she walked out of his door that she was walking out of his life, he would have begged her to stay.

“I had to cut Shane out of my life. I can’t have him disrespecting the woman I love. The woman I want to marry one day.”

“Growing up as an only child, I had always wanted my children to be each other’s best friend.” His mother’s voice held a hint of sadness. “I’m not sure where I went wrong with Shane. Even as a child there were times he was angry at the world, and then there were other times he made me proud to be his mother. I don’t know what happened. I often wondered if your father had stayed around if Shane would’ve turned out differently.”

Raised by her grandmother, his mother was deprived of love, friends, and any freedom until she was nineteen. It wasn’t until her grandmother died that she had a chance to live a little. Zack toyed with the handle of his fork. He remembered her telling him that she married their father within two months of meeting him and became pregnant soon after. The marriage ended when she was three months pregnant with Zack’s youngest brother and left to raise four children by herself.

“I understand why you’re distancing yourself from Shane. I hate you two couldn’t work out your differences, but let me give you something to think about. Shane drives you nuts, and I get that. But, honey, you have to understand. Your brother has had a tough few years and hasn’t always made the best choices.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault. What I’m saying is that everything doesn’t come as easy to others as it might come for you.”

“Mom, I have worked hard for everything I’ve accomplished. If Shane applied himself maybe he could stop getting himself into jams and hold onto a job.”