"Pierre knocked him out," Collette says flatly.
"You punched Cap?" Fish's eyes are wide.
"He's been lying to all of us," Pierre says. "Sneaking around with my sister."
"So, you knocked him out?" Bouch looks between Pierre and Emmett. "Jesus."
"Someone want to explain what the hell is going on?" Nelly asks.
I take a shaky breath as I kiss his temple, silently pleading for him to wake up.
"Fine. You want the truth? Here it is."
And I tell them everything. London. The one-night stand. Not knowing who each other was. Me coming to New York for the job. Finding out he was the captain. Trying to stay away. Failing. The first kiss. The sneaking around. The charity gala. Vegas. Thanksgiving. Christmas. The party. New Year's Eve. All of it.
"We were going to tell you," I say. "In summer. When the timing was better. But someone took photos at the game yesterday and now the whole world knows."
"You've been lying for months," Felix says, his voice is cold.
“Babe,” Harper says it as a warning to tread carefully.
"We weren't lying."
"You kept it secret. That's lying," Felix adds.
"We were protecting ourselves!" I scream. I'm crying again. "From exactly this! From you all looking at us like we did something wrong!"
"You did do something wrong," Pierre says. "You're a team employee. He's the captain. There are policies."
"I know about the policies! But fuck them right now. All I care about is him and if he’s ever going to wake up.”
"You could lose your job, Jo,” Felix adds.
“I don’t care. I love him.” My tears fall onto his face.
“You love him?” Sully asks.
I look up at his best friend. “That’s what the photo online is of us declaring our love.” His face softens.
“Fuck, guys, they love each other,” Fish says.
“Stay the hell out of this, Fish,” Pierre warns him.
“Yep. Sorry,” he says, holding up his hands and moving out of striking range.
“You think you know what love is after such a short time?” Pierre scoffs.
"I expect you to trust that I know what I'm doing. That I know my own heart. That I wouldn't risk everything for someone who wasn't worth it."
"And he is?" Pierre gestures to Emmett. "He's worth your career? Your reputation? Your family?"
"Yes."
The word hangs in the air.
"Then you're an idiot," Pierre says.
"Pierre …" Issy says sternly.
