Page 17 of Man to Man Coverage (Rangers Football: Hard-Hitting #6)
Rex
W e spend the day snacking, talking, and snuggling on the couch while bingeing the Shrek movie franchise.
I have my head in Devlin’s lap, his fingers lazily combing through my hair, when the garage door flies open and Aggie’s nearly three hundred pounds of intimidating muscle pushes his way into the house.
“I fucked up,” he blurts, his movements erratic, his head swiveling around frantically. His eyes land on us, and I swear he looks like he’s on the verge of tears. “Devlin, I don’t know what to do.”
And then he stops, the air in the room suddenly thick as his eyes widen and he sucks in his breath.
I spring up and push back from Devlin, unsure how our teammate, his best friend, is going to react.
Aggie closes his eyes and turns his back to us, taking a couple of steps toward the door he pushed through seconds ago. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have burst into the house. I don’t live here anymore and I have no right. I’m so sorry.”
Devlin pushes to his feet as Aggie rambles, his eyes coming to me before he takes a few steps toward his best friend. “Yo, man, what’s going on?”
Aggie hangs his head. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that.” Devlin wraps his hands around the big guy’s shoulders and turns him toward me. “Come sit down and tell me what’s going on.”
He sits in the chair next to the couch and brings his eyes up to me. “Sorry.”
I shrug because I’m not sure what to say. We don’t know each other well—we’ve only had one burger together a couple of weeks ago, the day Jepson mouthed off to Deidre Scott—so I’m not sure how he feels about his best friend dating me.
Devlin sits next to me and slides his hand on my back to show solidarity. While his touch comforts me, I’m on edge while waiting for Aggie to disapprove in some subtle way.
His eyes bounce between us. “How long have the two of you been together?”
Devlin speaks for us, which I’m more than thankful for. Honestly, I don’t know what I would say at this point. “We started hanging out near the beginning of the season, playing WarCraft online, having dinner and stuff.”
He nods, glancing down at his hands. “So that’s where you’ve been at night. You couldn’t bring your boyfriend home because my loser ass was camped out in your basement. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Devlin sighs. “Because of the teammate thing. We were waiting to see where our relationship headed before telling anyone.”
“Even your best friends?”
“Even our best friends.”
“Well, your secret is safe with me, and when you decide to go public, you have my support.” Aggie locks eyes with Devlin. “I just want you to be happy, man.”
“I know you do, and I am happy.” Delvin lifts our joined hands to his mouth and kisses it. “Very happy.”
I fidget and then push to my feet. “I was just about to start dinner. Want to join us?”
“You cook?” Aggie glances up at me.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Me too. I made…” He trails off as a memory hits him.
Devlin stands too and offers Aggie his hand. “Why don’t you tell us what’s going on? It’s not like you to barge into anywhere except a defensive lineman, so what’s got you troubled?”
I lead us into the kitchen where Devlin and Aggie sit on barstools on the other side of the island. I grab a couple of seltzer waters out of the refrigerator and slide them across the counter.
Devlin smiles. “Thanks, babe.”
Aggie grabs the can and lets out a heavy sigh. “Well, I guess I’ve been keeping my own secret—one Rex kind of already knows.”
Raising my brow, I exchange a look with Devlin, who cocks his eyebrow in surprise. “You already know?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“Last night, Deidre and I spent the night together.”
Devlin’s eyes grow wide. “No shit? Does Declan know?”
Aggie’s head drops. “He does now. The whole family knows.”
“What happened?”
“Ellen attacked us with acid as we exited my building.”
As soon as he says this, I noticed the bandage on his hand. “Are you okay?”
Aggie looks at his hand. “Yeah.”
“Is Deidre?” Devlin prompts.
“She had to be rushed to the hospital. They let her go an hour later, but only after we got into a huge fight and she kicked me out of her room.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what to do. I’m in love with her, but how can I expect someone like her to deal with the shit in my life?”
“Where’s Ellen?”
“Jail.”
“Good,” Devlin nearly snarls, the look on his face pure disgust. “I hate that crazy bitch.”
I’ve only heard rumors, but judging by the look on my lover’s face, they are all true. “What did Declan say?”
Aggie shakes his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been avoiding his phone calls all afternoon.”
“More importantly, what did Deidre say?” Devlin says in a gentle tone.
“She’s angry.”
“I think she has a right to be angry, man. She’s not the kind of woman to allow a personal attack slide—specifically a physically brutal attack. Is she angry at the situation or you?”
“Both.” He runs his hand through his hair.
“I don’t know. I told her I can’t risk her safety, and she called me out for pushing her away for a bullshit reason.
We all know I don’t deserve someone like her, but I thought I’d worked through that.
I was ready to give her everything I have and take anything she will give me, hoping we could build something together.
We had an amazing night and started the morning perfectly, then Ellen ruined it and I’m back to questioning my whole existence and self-worth again. ”
“You’re scared,” I say from a place of intuition.
I might not know Aggie, but I know what it feels like to be scared of being vulnerable and accepting another person’s love—filled with the knowledge that you aren’t and never will be good enough for them.
That’s how I feel about Devlin. I’m nowhere near his league and yet he says he loves me.
He looks up and nods. “Yes.”
Devlin wraps his hand around the back of Aggie’s neck. “Deidre is an amazing woman, Ags. A scary-ass ball-buster to anyone who crosses the people she loves. If there’s a chance she loves you too, you can’t let her go.”
“How do I fix this?”
“Go to her.” I shrug. “Tell her you’re scared. Be honest about your feelings.”
Something in Aggie’s brain switches on because his whole demeanor changes. He nods, checks his watch, and pushes back from the countertop. “I’ve got to go.”
“Are you going after her?” Devlin arches his brow, a wry smile on his beautiful face.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Devlin slaps his palm on his back. “Don’t take no for an answer.”
Aggie stands up and offers me his hand. “Thanks, Rex, and sorry again for barging in. Take care of my best friend.”
I blush. “I will.”
“See you guys next week.”
Devlin tilts his head toward the door and winks at me. “I’m going to walk him out.”
“Okay.”
I busy myself with pulling salad vegetables out of the refrigerator and chopping them up into bite-sized pieces. Devlin comes back a few minutes later and locks the door behind him, sliding up behind me at the counter to wrap his arms around my waist. “You okay?”
“Yeah. That went better than I expected.”
“You expect backlash?”
I shake my head. “Honestly, I don’t know what to expect.”
“I know my friends have our back, and I’m pretty sure the organization will too, even if they don’t want to deal with the inevitable press.”
“Do you think we can avoid it?”
“Which part?”
“The press.”
He shakes his head. “Not if we win a championship ring, baby. Look at Declan’s personal life.
They talk about him on every Sunday football sports network because he suddenly has a five-year-old child that he's never acknowledged. Scandalous. And Deacon got his fair share of press coverage when he announced his engagement, and he’s not even playing anymore. ”
I sigh and mutter under my breath because I’m unsure if I want him to hear me. “Tell me it’ll be worth it.”
Devlin gently turns me around to face him, cupping my face in his large hands. “It’ll be worth it. I love you, so fuck anyone who doesn’t support us.”
“I love you too, but I’d like to stay in our little bubble for as long as possible, if that’s okay with you.”
He kisses me softly and then lets me go, giving me an almost curt nod as he turns away. “If that’s what you want.”
I watch him walk out of the kitchen and know I’ve messed up. He thinks I want to deny my love for him, that maybe it’s not strong enough to shout it from the rooftops, but that’s not it at all. I’m overwhelmed by the enormity of what I feel for him.
Me? I’m nothing.
I’m nobody.
The press won’t give a shit about me, but Devlin could lose more than I think he realizes. Plus, I like our bubble and I don’t want external pressures ruining what we have between us.
I finish making the salad and am about to sear the tuna steak when Devlin comes back into the kitchen, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He stares at me, his beautiful eyes a gray color, and then smiles softly. “I know this is all new for you, so we’ll take as long as you need.”
“I do love you,” I say quietly.
“I know.”