CHAPTER
ONE
Liam
Why am I standing on a rooftop in the middle of winter, freezing my balls off?I did not sign up for this. I thought coming to some posh wedding meant we would at least be, you know, comfortable. I’d take the heat and humidity of New Orleans over this.
I came up to New York City for one of my college teammate’s weddings. Brandon had been my roommate when I transferred to Michigan after I left Walker. He and his new wife live in New York since he plays for the Titans, so they got married at some fancy hotel in Midtown during a bye week.
Coming up here also gave me a good excuse to escape a little drama of my own. Last week, I’d broken it off with someone I had been seeing because I needed to stay focused on football right now. Too bad for Sabine, she’d thought our relationship was more serious than it was ever going to be.
Her texts have been coming in more frequently over the last few days, including two today, so, yeah, I’ll probably have to change my number when I get back from New York. I have a feeling Sabine won’t leave me alone otherwise.
Trying to warm myself up, I take a hefty gulp of my Macallan 18. Sure, there are heating lamps placed strategically around the rooftop with a glass wraparound to cut the wind, but it’s still fucking cold. It was only supposed to be a short cocktail hour up here, and then we’d go to the main dining room for dinner, but I’ve been standing in this same spot, under one of the heaters, for close to an hour. If I had been better prepared and maybe worn a thicker coat, I wouldn’t be acting like a pussy about the whole thing.
Glancing around, I take in the all-white wedding theme. Even we, the guests, were asked to wear white. It almost feels like we’re in a white-out blizzard … inside a snow globe … that you can’t get out of because it also started snowing about ten minutes ago.
Fuck, I’m trapped in this snow-globe world and starting to feel claustrophobic now.
A few of my old college teammates from Michigan are hanging around, but almost everyone brought a date, except me. They’ve tried to include me, and I can carry on a conversation with the best of them, but I’m just not feeling it tonight. I’ll probably duck out after we eat.
They’re great guys, but I miss my guys from Walker. We’re on our own paths now, too, but we try to see each other now and then. Especially Archie Griffith. He’s my best friend and the one I talk to the most.
My friends are either in the league now, too, or will be soon. And they’re all falling in love. Not only are they falling in love, but they’re getting married and—in Archie’s case—having babies.
I pull out my phone because, now, I really miss them.Damn, I’m feeling sappy.I take a quick selfie and send it off to Archie, Beck, and Casey.
Liam: Wishing you guys were in NYC with me this weekend.
Beck: Aren’t you at a wedding?
Liam: Well, yeah, but it’s kinda boring.
Casey: Dude, I can’t travel right now. We had a game today. You know this.
Archie: Sorry, buddy. I have a game tomorrow, and Emma is studying this weekend, so I’m on baby duty. Heading down to the ranch for a bit so Em can have a quiet house.
Liam: You guys suck. You should have come with me.
Casey: You love us.
Liam: Unfortunately. Assholes.
Archie: Have a good time. Maybe get laid or something. One of the bridesmaids?
Beck: Text us later. Charlie just got here and says hi.
Liam: Tell Little King I said hey.
Beck: Soon-to-be Linson.
Casey: Still a King right now.
Liam: Fine. I’ll send you pictures of all the fun things I’m doing in New York. Without y’all.
Archie: Fun things to do... you mean pussy, right?
Liam: Any girl I meet in New York tonight will strictly be a hookup.
