Page 107 of Little Do You Know

“Babe, can you please just sit down? You’re starting to stress me out,” I say, and Sebastian looks at me in shock.

“How are you not already stressed? The draft starts in thirty minutes! I could end up anywhere or nowhere at all,” Bash rambles, running a hand through his hair. You can’t tell anymore, but he spent forever in front of his mirror this morning, tediously combing his hair to tame it.

He’s wearing a white button-down with a black tie, nearly identical to Owen, except he’s wearing a green button-down instead. I stand up off the couch and reach up to fix Bash’s hair.

“It’ll be fine. Everything happens for a reason, but the local station will be here any minute. You could at least try to look a little less nervous?” I encourage him, and he shakes his head.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Sebastian lets out a shaky breath. “Can we tell them not to come?”

“You’re not going to be sick; they’re already on the way.” I straighten his tie, patting his chest reassuringly. “Bash, please sit down with me. It will be a long day if you pace the entire time. I could use your help on my assignment, which’ll give you something else to think about for a little bit.” I need him to stop pacing.It’s making me anxious, and one of us has to stay calm.

“Okay,” he agrees reluctantly, sitting on the couch. “Thank you.”

Bash ends up doing the assignment for me to try to stay calm while I rest my eyes as the news station sets up all the cameras and lighting in our room. The cameras will record during the draft, and if one of them is drafted today, they’ll do an interview afterward. He nudges me awake a few minutes before the draft starts, and his hands shake.

I grab his hand, threading our fingers together. Sebastian smiles faintly at me. “I love you.”

“Who wouldn’t?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Owen rolls his eyes. “And you all call me the narcissistic one.”

“It’s starting!” Mom announces, setting the charcuterie board she’s painstakingly been rearranging on the coffee table.

“Whatever happens, I’m proud of both of you,” Dad says, looking at Bash and Owen with a smile.

Sebastian is gripping my hand tightly, but I don’t complain. I can’t imagine how terrifying it is to have a bunch of suits decide your next move in life. We’ve talked about the future and doing long distance in case he has to move far away. I signed up for summer classes and a heavier course load in the fall to graduate earlier, but I’ll still have a year and a half left, depending on how everything goes. I might not need a degree for my career, but I want the expensive piece of paper.

The first few teams pick, none of us taking our eyes off the television as the first few drafts are made. The air in the room is tense when it comes to the Carolina Panthers. They take almost the entire time allotted, and I hold my breath as they prepare to announce the name of the player they’ve selected.

“And the Carolina Panthers first-round draft pick this year is…Sebastian Walker of Duke University,” the announcer says, and Bash stares at the television in shock.

“That’s me,” he says, turning to me in disbelief.

“That’s you! You did it!” I cheer, throwing my arms around him excitedly.

“Did that really happen?” Sebastian asks as my mom hugs him next.

“It did, son. Congratulations, you earned it. You’re going to be a Panther.” My father is beaming proudly with tears in his eyes. Over the last few months, Sebastian has leaned heavily on my parents. It’s been nice seeing him not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I know we are still waiting for Owen to get drafted, but I’m glad everyone is so excited for Bash.

We all quiet down because there’s a different kind of tension now. They won’t be on the same team if he’s drafted tonight.

However, the smile doesn’t dim from Sebastian’s face the rest of the night until the first round ends and Owen’s name isn’t called. I hug Owen, who has a disappointed look on his face while the camera crew returns to interview Sebastian.

“You okay?” I ask my brother as we watch Sebastian get miked up.

“There’s always tomorrow. I’m glad Sebastian was drafted; he deserves it after all the work he’s put in.”

I bump his arm with mine. “You deserve it too. There are multiple rounds for a reason. If you were picked tonight, there wouldn’t be a possibility of you being rookies together.”

“Thanks, Lia. I really appreciate it,” Owen says, exhaling as he loosens the collar of his shirt.

“Of course, dude.”

Solid arms circle my waist, and I jump in surprise. “Are you done already?” I ask, turning to look at Sebastian.

“No, I need you for a second,” he says, pulling me with him to where the reporter is waiting. “This is my girlfriend, Thalia, and she is one of the most important people in my life.”

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