Page 30 of Protecting Player #73
“A player?” I finish for her.
“Well, yeah. But I think it’s because he never found a woman who could match his energy. Keep him wild while also earning his devotion.”
Blinking rapidly at her outlook on our relationship, I never expected this to be Alex’s response.
“I…don’t know what to say. I was prepared for you to be mad at me, or disappointed, telling me I’m making a mistake.” Though I don’t think I could have lived with that kind of divide between us.
Shaking her head, she says, “Brea, your entire life, you’ve known what you wanted. From your style to your profession to the college you attended. You’ve always walked your own path, always made things happen. There’s nothing you haven’t achieved that you didn’t set out to do. So when you tell me that T.K. Weston is the man you’re going to marry, I know you’ve had more arguments with yourself than anyone could ever have with you.”
Tears return, but for an entirely new reason now. “Thank you, Alex. I didn’t know that’s how you saw me.”
“From the day you were born, Brea, I knew you would be someone special, and you only prove me right, time after time.” I nearly bawl like a baby from the sincerity in her words and her eyes.
“Does this mean you’ll come to the wedding this weekend?” Her jaw drops. “I have a dress picked out for you and everything. T.K. has purchased a suite in the stadium for everyone to enjoy, then afterwards we’ll go to the hotel and have a ceremony in one of their ballrooms.”
“What about Mom and Dad?” Alex asks. I duck my head in shame. I want them there, but I’m not sure if they’d approve,and they have the ability to talk me out of it. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them there,” she promises. “I might have an idea about your contract, too.” Her sly smile hints at it being sneaky. She explains that we need to draw up a consensual relationship agreement between T.K. and me and forward a copy to the team's lawyers and human resources department before we’re officially married. That is the essential step in the plan.
As our waitress drops off our fries, shakes, and donuts at the table, I shoot T.K. a text, filling him in on Alex’s suggestion. He agrees to work on it once we’re both home, so it’s one less thing for us to worry about. Betty spends a few minutes talking with us, and we update her on our lives, since we haven’t been in since graduation in the spring.
From the first bite of a crispy, salty, hot fry dunked in my shake, I nearly come undone; it’s that good. Each bite only gets better and better, too.
“You sure you haven’t had sex, little sister, because you are enjoying that like a pregnant woman.” She laughs at me, and I pause. We haven’t had sex, but there are other things, like T.K. coming inside of me on an almost daily basis. “Oh my god!” she squeals. “You haven’t, but he’s gotten it in there, hasn’t he?” I nod slowly. “You stay right here; I’ll be right back.”
Alex runs from the diner, and I watch her cross the street to the twenty-four-hour pharmacy, realizing that she’s gone to buy a pregnancy test. When she returns, I’m practically dragged into the bathroom to pee on the stick.
Chapter 21
T.K
Friday night lights were some of the best nights of my life in high school. The buzz of the crowd, the bright lights, the setting sun, and chanting from my teammates. I lived for them, but nothing compares to a stadium filled with over 60,000 people. It doesn’t even matter that we’re in enemy territory and that most aren’t our fans; it’s the enthusiasm, the desire to witness two teams clash on the gridiron that wires my heart.
A hush settles over the locker room when Coach walks in. The hum of the overhead lights dims, the creaking of shifting bodies on the benches pauses, and my pounding heart stops when he makes eye contact with us one by one.
He doesn’t shout about winning, doesn’t boast about our accolades; instead, he speaks from the heart about what our team is made of.
“I want you to take a second and look around this room, really take a moment to look at each other. These men are not just your teammates. They are not just your friends. They are your brothers. Your family. The ones who’ve bled with you in practice, who have won with you, and yes, lost with you. I’ve watched you all push each other when you felt like you wereon your last leg. I’ve watched as you lifted each other up and celebrated the victories.”
He pauses to glance around, making sure everyone registers what he’s saying.
“It’s that bond, the one you’ve spent years cultivating and building with each new rookie, each new seasoned player who’s joined the roster, and it’s that bond that makes us dangerous.”
Damaris’ eyes are on me, and I glance up to meet his stare, nodding to acknowledge that I feel his presence.
“I don’t care about the names on our jerseys tonight, I care about us. About our ability to work together and show this Vegas team, this fan base, that the last time we met wasn’t who we are. Tonight is about showing them we’re more than winners. We’re more than the Portland Settlers; we’re family, and we’re going to do the damn thing!”
Cheers ring out through the room as everyone stands, energy buzzing through their veins like a drug.
“If you think they’re big, be bigger. Think they’re fast, be faster. They’re tough, but we’re tougher. Football isn’t solely about talent. It’s about being knocked down and getting up with fire in your eyes. It’s your heart, it’s your grit, it’s your ability to bounce back and be stronger, fiercer.” Then he whispers, “Do you have it?”
“We have it.” The chorus blankets the room.
“I didn’t hear you. I asked…Do you have it?” His shout echoes.
“We have it!” the team erupts, and I taste victory already.
“I want to hear you as we emerge from the tunnel. I want you to carry every bad practice, every loss, every weight and sacrifice with you, and I want you to unleash it on the Fortune. Let them know they’re in for the fight of their life tonight because the Settlers don’t fucking settle!” It’s like a warrior’s battle cry.
“Tonight is more than a game. It’s a moment…your moment, so we own it. Every snap. Every second of play. No regrets. Own. It.” Coach pauses for a second, then shouts, “Now let’s go show them who the fuck we are!”
