Miranda hadn't spoken to Crystal in months she was always flying here and there. She quit her job and was just with Ben. She smiled seeing pictures of them in magazines together. She was honestly happy for her. It was the life she always wanted to live.
Miranda was surprised when she called her out of the blue and invited her to Ben's Congratulatory celebration for the all stars party.
She arrived a little late and walked into Ben's house. Miranda looked around at all the people. She was glad she chose jeans and a top because everyone was casual. She had just got her hair done and added light brown highlights to her dark brown hair.
Ben eyes widened as he looked at Miranda walk in. His glanced over her frame and beautiful face. He hadn't seen her in almost 2 years. She looked great.
"Hey." Miranda smiled walking over to Ben.
"Hey Miranda... what are you doing here?" Ben grinned.
"Crystal invited me." Miranda replied smiling.
"Wow you know Crystal?" Ben countered
"She is my cousin."
"Small world." Ben replied swallowing hard.
"Mm-hm."
"Miranda." Crystal cheered excitedly walking over.
Miranda embraced her in a tight hug and they rocked back and forth.
"It's been so long." She said softly.
"You've been busy." Miranda sneered.
"I know, I know. Let's catch up." She responded grabbing Miranda's hand.
"Honey I'm going to give Miranda a tour." Crystal informed pecking his lips and he nodded.
"You're wearing your hair short?" Miranda asked looking at it.
"Yes, Ben doesn't like weave?"
"Really? That's different. " Miranda laughed.
"Let me show you around. Isn't it incredible?"
"Yeah girl its like you been on tour, like you're the one who plays for the Rattlers.
"Well I got to stick close to my man these woman out here are treacherous."
"I hear that."
You have no idea, oh anyways lets go up stairs."
Miranda and Crystal walked all around the upstairs looking at different rooms on their way.
"And this is the master bedroom." Crystal showed her opening the door and they walked in. "We are going to keep the nursery over here so the baby--
"Baby?! You're pregnant." Miranda asked shock.
"No, but we plan to start a family right away."
"You've known Ben for 3 seconds and you're already trying to get pregnant.
"We're in love and when you're in love you get married and start a family."
"You in love?" Miranda questioned putting her hands on her hip. she wanted to laugh really Who was this girl fooling. In love with money yes, but a man.
"He changed me Miranda. I know it's hard to believe, but he made me want to be a better me."
"Crys This is me your talking to remember I know you." She stated staring at her.
"Look I'll admit it I went after Ben for all the wrong reasons, but he seeped inside my heart." She smiled softly.
"You're serious." Miranda smiled in disbelief.
"Yes. Are you happy for me?"
"Of course."
Crystal finished giving the tour and They walked passed the door Miranda was familiar with.
"I don't know what's in there. He said that it's not finished and under construction. I saw chairs being delivered though."
Miranda smiled to herself she was curious to see the progress on his library.
"I would love to live like this. " Miranda gasped looking at the spa and pool.
"Can I get everyone's attention. Take it down everybody." Ben yelled with a champagne glass.
"First I want to thank everybody for coming out to help me celebrate being voted to represent CEBL in the all star game."
The room broke out in claps and cheers. "I have a lot to be thankful for great friends, great brother, and my wonderful girlfriend Dr. Crystal Evans."
Miranda eyes widened that girl never told him the truth. She quickly masked her face.
"And with all of my family and friends here I thought what would be a better moment than to ask the woman I love Crystal, Crystal Amore Evans will you marry me?"
" yes yes Of course I will marry you." She exclaimed jumping up and down.
Ben slid the ring on her finger and she hugged him before kissing his lips excitedly.
Crystal looked at the ring on her hand and grinned.
Miranda walked over and they both hugged looking at the ring. She was so excited for her.
"Congratulations." Miranda smiled.
"I can't believe it." Crystal professed.
"Congratulations." Curt told Ben hugging him.
"Thanks man."
"I know you're a grown man and everything, but I have to ask. Are you sure because not to long ago you were hooked on a woman named Miranda. You don't think it's too fast."
"No Curt, Miranda and I never had a relationship or even went out on a date. It was just an attraction. I've been dating Crystal for some time now and I love her." Ben explained.
"Okay just making sure. I'm always going to look out for you." Curt smiled.
"I know little, big brother." Ben laughed.
"I wish mom and dad was here."
"Me too. She would have been thrilled."
Scotiabank Arena
"We welcome you to the Scotiabank Arena, as we get ready for the All star game. Hi everybody Kenny Smith, Marv Albert, and Darryl Williams. And we are just moments away from the starting tip off. " the Commentator spoke.
The game started and Miranda sat beside Crystal and Curt. She had grown close to Curt over the past events she had been too. He was really sweet and super funny.
They all watched Ben make shot after shot maneuvering around the court.
The game was up in their favor 112 points while the other side had 100.
Ben had the ball again and he was doing excellent tonight. 26 points , 8 assist, 4 steals he has been phenomenal.
Miranda watched the clock as there was only 5 minutes left on the clock. She watched him move for the basket and was bumped while turning. It didn't look good at all.
Ben hit his knee and fell to the floor. He groaned in pain.
The crowd gasped and Miranda stood up to look.
"It looks like a knee." The Commentator stated. "That doesn't look toogood I think he's hurt. He's hurt."
"Generally guys don't get up from injuries like this. I hate to say it, it doesn't look like he's going to get up." The other Commentator added.
"Ben baby get up." Crystal yelled. " Come on baby get up."
Later at the hospital the doctor came to give him the news.
"You've suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament. Which is one of the four ligaments critical to the stability of the knee."
"With some hard work and a little bit of luck you will be back by training camp." The doctor smiled.
Ben sighed and turned the other way in the bed.
"Training camp? Were in the middle of contract negotiations. I got to have him back by the playoffs." His manager Brian stated.
Everyone stepped out into the hallway to finish the conversation while Ben tried to get some rest.
"Look you need to prepare yourselves for the possibility that Ben's career could be over." Coach Jones said sadly.
"His career could be over?" Crystal repeated in disbelief.
"If rehab doesn't work. There is no way he can play in the CEBL on an unstable knee. He needs to began rehabilitation immediately and I mean aggressively." He advised.
Ben got out the car while Crystal handed him his crutches.
"Be careful baby." She pleaded as he stood.
"So I have a physical therapist coming by the house tomorrow." Brian started.
"I hope he's good." Crystal said.
"She." Brian informed. " Bella Goldsmith Tim said she specialized in sports injuries.
"Oh Bella Goldsmith. She's the best in the league." Ben replied walking slowly with the crutches.
"They call her the miracle worker." Brian professed.
"Good." Crystal replied smiling lightly. She hated the idea of a woman working with him.
"Okay Crystal take good care of him."
Crystal nodded and opened the front door so Ben could get in.
A few days later Crystal walked into the home gym to find Ben and his physical therapist. The woman was on the massage table with him bending his leg.
She was rubbing up and down his thigh whispering.
"You really want to stretch this good." She informed.
"Hey baby." Crystal greeted.
"Hey this is Bella Goldsmith the miracle worker."
"I don't know about all that, but Hi." Bella greeted sticking her hand out.
Crystal shook her hand and replied Hi as well.
"Bella." She smiled.
"Crystal his fiancé." She responded quickly.
Bella began working again and Ben winced a little.
"So I have a romantic dinner planned for us then you can do what ever you want after okay?"
"Okay." Ben agreed staring at Bella moving his leg.
"Well I will leave you guys to it." Crystal spoke softly.
"Yeah that feels good like that." Ben groaned as she stretched the muscles out.
Crystal quickly turned back to look at what she was doing.
"I can do this for you, but then you have to do it on your own." Bella told him rubbing his thighs.
Crystal stared walking towards the door she couldn't take to much of this. When Ben let out a moan she left the room quickly pissed off.
"Miranda if you could have seen this girl."
"Bella Goldsmith is one of the most respected women in the league. I actually met her before."
"Uh if I hear that one more time. Look some woman have gaydar. I have ho-dar and I don't care how respected she is. He's up in the family room and the job is basically yours."
"Nelson already cleared it with the Rattlers."
"You're not staying?" Miranda asked sitting her purse and duffel bag down.
"Charity event. Good luck." She waved walking out.
Miranda took a deep breath walking upstairs. She was nervous as hell to have a ball players career in her hands. She helped a lot of patients recover, but never a ball player. What if she wasn't qualified
She walked into the family room and watched him playing the game.
"Not good." She shouted stalking over.
"Hey Miranda." Ben smiled looking back at her. "I didn't even know you were here."
"Having your leg bent like that while you're sitting at home is the worst thing you can do for a torn PCL did your doctor tell you that. Matter of fact you're a physician you should know that."
"Yeah." Ben said nonchalantly looking her up and down.
"And where's your ice pack?" Miranda asked grabbing a pillow.
"Let's get this up." She stated lifting his leg slowly. She pushed the pillow under his leg and he groaned.
"Is that better?"
"Yeah, that's a lot better." Ben smiled widely. "Crystal told you the job is full time right?"
"Full time, live in, and I took a leave of absence from the hospital so we are good to go."
"Hey Ben." Curt smiled walking in. "Miranda." He greeted.
"Hey." Miranda smiled.
"You look beautiful."
"You are to kind." Miranda blushed waving her hand at him. She meant to asked him if he did his own eyebrows or got them done.
Miranda got to work and they did stretching exercises for three days she didn't want to overexert his knee before it healed.
"So when will this knee be working again?" Ben asked curiously as Miranda held his leg up straight.
"Well you got to give it sometime to heal." She replied.
"Ouch it hurts." Ben shouted.
"I seen you take a elbow in the last game and you can't take a little deep tissue." She asked firmly pushing his knee to the right.
"You didn't tear your knee." He complained.
"Wow who knew Dr. Benjamin Warren is big ole baby in real life." Miranda giggled and stretched it further.
"Ahhh." Ben groaned.
"Okay okay just relax." She said as she gently massage his knees.
Ben relaxed at her gentle touch. Strangely enough she calmed him.
"Hey have you heard from Crystal. I have been trying to reach her all day." Ben asked pulling out his phone.
"Last time I checked she went shopping." Miranda shrugged.
Her phone went to voice-mail again. So Ben left a message. "Hey baby it's me. Call me."
"Hey can you cut that up?" Ben asked looking at the tv.
Miranda walked over and grabbed the remote handing it to him. She took a bag of ice and wrapped his leg up with an elastic wrap bandage.
She listened to the tv as the news anchor began to talk.
"So you think the Rattlers might not resign Warren."
"No and the last thing they need to do is pay someone to sit on the bench for half a season. They might not resign him at all. Franchises want to win championships."
Miranda looked over at him sadly. She didn't understand why he was doing this to himself.
Ben cut the tv off and threw the remote. Taking a deep breath.
Miranda stood awkwardly grabbing different things.
"You okay?"
Ben nodded breathing heavily.
She didn't want to over step, but she spoke again anyway. "Ben don't listen to them. You are Dr. Benjamin Warren and I'm Dr. Miranda Bailey. You will be back by the playoffs if I have anything to do or say about it. And one thing that you should know upfront is that I'm always right."
Ben smiled weakly. Sitting up off the massage table.
"Thank you." He said genuinely.
"No problem. Let's go up stairs and I'll make you a sandwich." She suggested.
The next morning. Ben woke up in bed alone. He turned towards his night stand and saw Crystal's engagement Ring Box and a Note.
Ben read the note a dozen of times. He was devastated at what he read. His fiancé was leaving him.
Curt was pissed. He walked up the stairs looking for Miranda.
"See I knew there was something about that girl. Coming in here pretending to care about my brother, but all she really cared about was herself."
"Well he doesn't need her and he doesn't need you."
Miranda stood looking confused as he approached her. Curt handed her the note and Miranda eyes swept across. She gasped reading it.
"I swear I had no idea about this." Miranda said instantly irritated.
"You're leaving to?" Curt asked.
"I'm leaving, but I will be back." She responded walking down the stairs.
Miranda droved the 30 minutes to her house and pulled into the driveway. She slammed the door and rushed inside.
"Have you lost your damn mind?" Miranda growled. She looked Crystal up and down as she had rollers in her hair, a pink dress on, with cheetah print heels.
"I take a leave of absence from my job to help your man who you just dumped and you don't even give me a heads up.
"I'm sorry, but how do you think I feel? I was really starting to like him." Crystal pouted standing up.
"That's all you have to say? And with a note?" Miranda asked.
"It was better that way. You know he would have only tried to change my mind."
"Why Crystal? Why did you do it?" She asked getting frustrated. "Why?"
"Because I want to be some body and that's not going to happen being the wife of some has-been players with a bullshit contract. You wanted to know now you know."
"You can't possibly be this messed up."
"You do you and I'll do me okay."
"I been watching you do you your whole life. Using people, hurting them discarding boyfriends like old shoes.
"Well we all can't be Saint Miranda Bailey." She shrugged.
"You got problems." Miranda voiced walking out.