Page 24 of Marrying My Brother's Best Friend

We attended games together, and Zane made sure to tip the paparazzi each time we went out for a date or drive through town. Regardless of the chaos of the past week, I was having the time of my life with Trevor.

I can’t hold back the chuckle that rushes out of me as I admire him. Trevor’s laughing, too, and he takes a moment to wink at me when he glances my way.

The crowd quiets again, and he doesn’t look away from me until the interviewer, Jeff Spooks, continues speaking. “Before we wrap it up for the day, I’d like to ask both of you a brief question about the recent rumors surrounding your relationship…I mean, we all have to admit it was quite sudden and it took the media through an uproar.

“One minute, you were America’s playboy, known for your lavish parties and extravagant dates with almost every beautiful woman out there. Next thing we know, you’re married to the gorgeous Gracie Holt and we have never heard of her before now.

“It’s been quite a frenzy in the media since you two announced your marriage and I guess what I’m wondering here today is…How exactly did you two keep this under covers while dating and why did you decide to make your relationship public only now?”

Trevor’s smile widens before he reaches for my hand and links our fingers tight. I try ignoring the fire that lights up inside me and focus on the interviewer while smiling.

“Gracie and I have been in love for as long as I can remember,” Trevor says, and I feel his eyes on me even before I turn to look at him. “She’s always had my heart, and it took a lot of convincing to get her to accept my life here in New York, but I’ve always known she’s the one for me, no questions asked.”

“Yeah,” I whisper now, and let the grin creeping up my lips take over. “I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can recall. It’s almost as if it was meant to be.”

The crowd cheers for us and my heart does a speedy dive that makes me flush.

“We’ll call it a wrap for today, guys,” Jeff announces as the show comes to an end, and the crowd explodes in cheers that make the moment even more magical to me while we’re lost in each other’s eyes.

The crowd starts chanting, “Kiss, kiss!” and I know there’s no avoiding the moment.

Trevor leans close to me right then and presses a kiss to my lips for the cameras. The thud in my pulse doubles and the echoes around us fade into the distance, so it’s just the two of us existing in that moment.

Chapter 14

Trevor

Some days later, the media frenzy subsides, and it’s easier to get around my activities without the rush of the paparazzi trying to get a bite from me each time I step outside of my Manhattan Penthouse.

I haven’t heard from Billy since the news broke out, and it’s my first time at practice since then. A few of my teammates whisper amongst themselves when we take a three-minute break, and I spot Billy with a few other guys across the court while I’m bouncing my ball on the ground and trying to hold my cool.

Joe, another team player, walks over to me and nudges me in the shoulder a little. “You okay, man?” he asks, eyeing me casually before gulping from his water bottle.

My glare stays pinned on Billy, and Joe notices this before he shakes his head. “Billy’s not the guy you should go around spilling secrets to,” he says as he glances from me to Billy, then back to me again. “He’s uncontrollable when he’s drunk, and you never know who he yaps all of your secrets to, man. Don’t be too hard on him.”

Just then, Billy’s head whips over in my direction, and the smile on his lips dwindles.

The other players he’s with laugh and jeer at him while poking his shoulder, and he doesn’t take his eyes off me the entire time.

A shadow falls across his expression and hints at guilt, but I’m too pissed to consider it. All I hear is the hilarious trickle of laughter filling the air, taunting me till I grit my teeth hard.

The twist in my muscle tightens, and I clench my jaw hard before tossing the ball to the ground. Billy heads toward me right then, and I march toward him, too, ignoring Joe’s warning not to cause a scene.

“Let it go, man, it’s not worth it,” Joe says while trying to pull me back, but I continue till I’m facing off with Billy. The pound of adrenaline through my temples is all I can focus on for some time. I can nearly taste the sour feeling of anger on my tongue.

“What are you looking at, man?” I challenge Billy, letting my building annoyance get the best of me. Joe tries to stop me again, but I push his hand aside.

“Trevor, I didn’t mean for it to…” Billy starts speaking, but I don’t give him the chance to say a thing before I shove my hands in his chest to push him back a bit.

“Dude,” Billy calls out. “I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t mean to tell anyone, I just got wasted and…”

“Next time, don’t go telling my business to the press, got it?” I say, and Billy’s about to reply when our coach blows a whistle to distract us.

“Game time, guys,” he announces, cutting into our fight before he claps twice to gain our attention.

We gather around in a circle to resume the game, and once the ball gets to me, I start my crisscross dribble, dodging every player till I make it to the net and land with a slam dunk.

My ankle twists as my weight lands on the ground, and a searing ache slices through me right then. A hushed silence fills the air as I drop to the ground, roll over, and clutch my leg with both hands.

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