Xo Novel
Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Champion In Our Hearts “There you have it, ladies and gentlemen Belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
The US Open title this year goes to Alexander Jenkins! What a surprising season it is
The country was heartbroken when Carlos was injured, but Alexander Jenkins took home the cup!” A sports commentator announced before the cameras shifted to Alexander, raising his trophy cup, nearly teary-eyed as his astonishing win.
mv
In an interview, Alexander claimed, “This win is for my friend, Carlos, The Devil
This was supposed to be his win, but it was taken from him
And it was exactly because of Carlos that I was more determined to win this year’s US Open championships.” 1 “Mister Jenkins, when do we expect The Devil to return to playing on the court?” The reporter asked.
“It’s hard to say, but we know Carlos
His ultimate goal was to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a year
This year, he won three out of four
He was this
close
If not the next season, he would surely be back to claim it the year after.” Alexander looked at the camera and owned it for his friend
“Wait for the Devil’s return!”
“Get well soon, Carlos.” Alexander then pointed to the crowd behind him, all while holding his trophy
The audience was cheering as if in synch with Alexander
“See this? Your fans are waiting for you to return to the court!”
The tennis enthusiast on all levels in that stadium cheered, calling out Carlos name.
“Devil!”
“Devil!”
“Devil!”
|–
“Devil!”
***
After watching Alexander receive the trophy, Carlos could not help but feel emotional
He was proud of Alexander while, at the same time, he envisioned having won the same title again
Even if Carlos had won the previous US Open titles, this year was supposed to be different
This year, he had his Kate, and his win was supposed to be dedicated to her.
“You’ll win the next,” Kate suggested
“It will be for another year until the next US Open.”
Carlos nodded
He forced a smile and said, “I know.”
It was later that day when Alexander came to visit Carlos
He had a back-to-back interview and made it in time to have dinner with Kate and Carlos.
After a successful surgery, Carlos’ left leg had to be kept elevated
His entire left leg, including his ankle, was secured by a cast
He sat by the side of the hospital bed when Alexander entered the room.
“There is the US champ!” Carlos called
His smile reached his ears
“There is the real US champ!” Alexander said back, offering a manly hug
“I’m glad the surgery went well
I wanted to see you immediately, but I got caught up with the press conference and other interviews.”
Shaking his head, Alexander complained, “I don’t know how you managed it before, man
The schedule is crazy.” “It can be pretty tight,” Carlos admitted
After which Alexander gave the trophy to Carlos
He said, “This is for you.”
Carlos laughed
He replied, “You have it
It’s your win, and you deserve it
I have plenty of championship trophies back home.” Alexander smirked
He asked, “Are you sure? It would have been yours -” “Maybe some things aren’t meant to be
They say you can’t have it all,” Carlos said
His eyes shifted to Kate, who was preparing his dinner in the small dining area, and said, “Maybe my best trophy this time is getting my girl.” “You are right,” Alexander acknowledged
“Then.” Raising his trophy, he said, “ I’ll keep this.”
“It’s yours,” Carlos laughed
After the two friends chatted about the championship, Carlos said, “You know, seeing you play, I earnestly fear I’d compete against you one day -”
“When that day arrives,” Alexander said
“I won’t hold back
You deserve a real match, and I will give you one
But, if I lose, I will be happy knowing I lost to the person whom I learned tennis from the most.”, Carlos felt warmth spread through his chest
He replied, “And if I lose to you, I will be happy knowing I used to train you to be the best.”
“That’s the spirit,” Kate said with a smile
She was holding Carlos’ food when she added, “For your true prize is the friendship that you share.” Kate said to Alexander, “I’m glad he has you.”
“I’m glad, The Devil has you!” Alexander said back.
“One day, you’ll have that special someone too,” Carlos suggested
“You’ll see.”
It was as if The Devil was playing god that evening
After the three of them had dinner, Alexander received a text from Savannah that read: (Congratulations, US Champ!)
He grinned, reading the text, and his face turned a shade darker
He opened the message and sent his reply.
***
Two days after, Carlos and Kate returned to Braeton
Alexander had to stay behind to entertain more media appearances and, at the same time, sell some of his properties
It was late in the evening when the couple arrived at Carlos’ mansion
While Lemuel and the other bodyguards carried their things, Kate pushed Carlos’ wheelchair.
Entering the living room, Carlos frowned, saying, “Why are the lights off?”
“Surprise!” After the lights were turned on, Kate’s family came out of hiding
Samantha held a cake in her hand, with Ethan behind her
Kaleb and his son were present, including Kyle’s family.
2
They had set up a “Get Well Soon” banner on the wall, and they had several gifts for Carlos packed in paper bags
2 “Congratulations on a fruitful season, son,” Samantha said
“You may not have taken home the Us Open trophy this year, but you will always be the champion in our hearts.”
“It was a great match, either way,” Kyle remarked.
Kaleb echoed, “You gave Ivan a hard time, and everyone saw it.”
“We are proud of you,” Ethan remarked
“Regardless of your wins, your ranking
Tennis is a gentleman’s sport
It wasn’t always about winning, but how you play
it.”
Carlos nodded
He replied, “Thank you, aunt, uncle
Kyle, Kaleb, and Gaby
Thank you for coming here late to remind me of this.” One by one, they each hugged Carlos, giving him the support and comfort of a family
Samantha, being the last one to hug Carlos, relished her time with him
She patted Carlos’ back and whispered, “We love you, Carlos
The whole family loves you
We are glad you are safe and that your surgery was a success.
Remember, great things still await you, and I know you’ll do just that.” “It isn’t too late to achieve your goal; nonetheless, you have already accomplished so much.”
Carlos smiled
He answered, “Thank you, aunt -.” “Stop calling me aunt
You can call me, mom,” Samantha suggested
“And you can call me dad,” Ethan offered
A smile became painted on Carlos’ face as he repeated, “Thank you, mom, dad.”
The Wright family stayed for an hour, eating a piece of the cake and chatting over tea or coffee
After understanding Carlos’ treatment plan, they left with the confidence that he could get back on track in a few months
Carlos simply needed the proper support, as he will go through several stages of therapy.
***
Later that night, Kate had helped Carlos rest his leg on a customized pillow footrest
Afterward, she tidied the bathroom where she had aided Carlos in his · bath.
Kate then checked Carlos’ medication for the next few hours and set everything on her timer
Finally, she sighed and rested next to Carlos when she had everything covered.
Carlos had considered hiring a caregiver while he was still recovering, but Kate did not see why it was necessary
Moreover, she could not get over the fact that another person, let alone a female caregiver, would give him a bath! Kate claimed she was the best person to care for him during this time.
Kate received a kiss on the cheek
She smiled as Carlos said, “Thank you for taking care of me, my Kate.”
She hugged his frame and said, “My pleasure
It feels good to take care of you
I remember when we were young, you always took care of me
Now, it’s my turn to look after you.”
As Kate rested her head on his chest, she felt Carlos’ fingers raking through her brown hair
Eventually, Carlos asked, “Kate, would you still want to marry me even if I did not win this year’s US Open?”
A frown formed on Kate’s face
She looked up at him and answered, “Even if you would not play all your life again, I would still marry you… because… I love you as you
I love you as Carlos, regardless of your title.” Carlos’ grey eyes remained fixed on Kate’s blue orbs
He caressed her cheek before sealing her lips with a kiss.
Moans and gasping echoed throughout the room
Their heads turned from side to side, their breathing became labored as their tongues intertwined
The two shared a heated kiss that lasted nearly a minute, and after letting go, Carlos said, “Thank you, Kate
I love you so much.” – “I love you too,” Kate replied.