“That’s how you wanna play it?” he confirmed, and as much as it broke my heart that things had come to this, I nodded.
“Yeah. That’sexactlyhow I wanna play it.”
With one bob of his head, he walked away. After closing the door, I released a shaky breath and looked back at Eli. Her tears hadn’t fallen yet, so that was a good sign.
“I can’t come between the two of you,” she said. “I know what I said, but that was just me talking my shit. You love football and your team. I can’t come between that.”
“Fuck the team.” I headed in her direction. “Do I love football? Yes. Would I love to play my last two years with the Demolishers? Yes. But do you know what else I love?” I cuppedher cheeks and tilted her head. “You. If shit gets bad between me and Isaac, I’ll take that L. I love him like a brother, but I will not let him come between me and the woman I know is my wife. I’ll get traded and play for another team. I’m valuable as fuck, and ain’t nobody touching me in the league. If you stand firm and choose me, I promise I’ll choose you too. But you gotta let me, bae, and you have to trust that choosing you is what I want to do.”
“Only if you’re sure,” she said softly. “I don’t want you to lose your team and best friend over me, but if you choose me, I promise I’m gonna choose you too.”
“You know how I grew up. That shit traumatized me. It made me feel like love wasn’t worth the gamble. You made me realize that it is. I want to love someone so much it rewires my brain, brings peace to my heart, and calms my nervous system. I want to love someone so much the thought of losing them scares me. I’m not going to deny myself of that for Isaac or anyone else. The key to my future, beyond football, is tied to you. I love you, Eli.”
I wasn’t expecting that to make her cry, but it did. She lifted her arms and tried to climb up me, and I wasted no time picking her up and holding her close.
“I love you,” she muttered against my neck between kisses. “I’ve never had a love like this before.”
“Me either,” I confessed, fighting back my own tears. “I’ma protect it, us, with my life, bae. I swear.”
I carried her back to bed and held her. No sex. No words. Just us holding each other and letting our hearts sync as they accepted the fact that they were tied for life now.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Eli
It wasthe first game of the season, and despite there being a clear disconnect between Falcon and Isaac, the Demolishers were in the lead. Usually when I came to games, I would share a suite with Senior. This season, it looked like I’d be sharing the suite Falcon had gotten his aunt and uncle. I was cool with that.
I’d talked to them and his cousin, Andre, a few times over the years. They were cool people. More than anything, I could tell they wanted to be closer to Falcon, but he was guarded with them like he was guarded with women. Apparently, that had changed lately, because his uncle Jake mentioned having drinks with him a few nights ago.
During halftime, his aunt Veronica struck up a conversation with me by asking, “Sooo, those rumors about you and Falcon breaking up were just rumors, huh?”
I’d forgotten all about that. The plan was for rumors to spark last month and for us to announce that we’d broken up officially after their first game. Since we were together for real,that wouldn’t be the case. I didn’t know how much he wanted to share with his family, so instead of telling them the complete truth, I said . . .
“Yes, they were definitely just rumors. We’re very much together.”
“Ooh, that makes me so happy!” she said, pulling me in for a warm side hug that I happily returned. “Being with you has softened my nephew. I know he’s started coming around more because of you.”
“You think so?” I asked.
“I know so. He had this thing about love and getting close to people, but now that he’s opened himself up with you, his family is getting the overflow of that. He actually called to talk to me last night for no reason at all. And last Sunday, he joined us for dinner. That might not sound like a lot, but it was the first time he’d joined us for dinner that wasn’t a holiday since he went to college. The most we used to see Falcon was at his games. This means so much to us, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you.”
“Aww, I love that, but I can’t take credit for it.”
“You can, and you will. What’s going on within my nephew is the power of love, and that’s because of you and your power as a woman. Embrace that.”
Her words brought tears to my eyes as she pulled me into her arms again, and seeing as I hadn’t had a motherly embrace since my mom died, I relished in it.
We continued to talk, and Jake and Andre would join in our conversation here and there. By the time the game started again, I felt even more comfortable around them and happy to be here. As happy as I was, I thought my heart was about to stop when Falcon took a hard hit.
So hard he didn’t move for seconds on end.
I jumped out of my seat, watching powerlessly as they stabilized his neck, rolled him over, and started trying to move his arms and legs.
Having seen enough, I rushed out of the suite and down to the field. By the time I’d made it, I was out of breath, but nothing mattered to me more than making sure my man was okay. He was up on his feet, and to my surprise, Isaac picked him up and carried him off the field. Even though I wasn’t fucking with my brother right now, I respected him carrying Falcon off the field.
Coach tried to tell me I couldn’t follow them to the locker room, but I wasn’t trying to hear that.
