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I was hanging on Harper’s every word. The way she commanded the room and created chemistry between her and Derek that made the conversation easy—it was something you couldn’t teach. It was pure talent.

“With Nolan’s mentorship as a coach, I think anything is possible.”

“None of that has to do with you?” Harper asked with a cheeky smile.

Derek blushed. “I’d like to think I’m a good leader for my teammates. I hope I am. If I do my job to help motivate the locker room, then you’ll see us back at the Super Bowl this year.”

Harper pressed on. “The critics have been talking about how they don’t see a clear leader out of the Bobcats’ locker room this season. What do you say to that?”

“I’d tell them that they aren’t looking hard enough. The leadership in the locker room has been learned from players past and the younger players are buying into our mission.”

By this point in the interview, I knew that Harper had knocked it out of the park. She’d sent this out of the stadium and into the parking lot. There were few interviewers that could make an athlete feel comfortable the way she was for Derek and I’d been around my fair share of them.

“Have you taken any time to think about your own legacy? You speak so highly of Nolan, and rightfully so, but you are a first-round draft pick with two Super Bowl championships and on the cusp of breaking countless records in the league. How do you reflect on that and what’s next for you?”

Derek let out a long breath. “I try to keep on an upward trajectory every season, always trying to take it one step further. But as for what happens next, I’m not sure yet. Maybe I’ll end up in your seat.”

“Good luck with that. I put up a good fight.” Harper and Derek exchanged a smile that had the green hands of envy wrapping around my heart.

“In all seriousness,” Derek continued. “I enjoy the reporting and media side of things. So maybe I’ll venture into that space when this is all said and done. Do a podcast or something like that.”

“I will absolutely tune in to your podcast, so you’ve got at least one listener,” Harper told him. “Derek, thank you for sitting down with me today and good luck going into training camp.”

“Thanks, Harper. It’s been a pleasure.”

When the camera finally clicked off, Derek let out one of his boisterous laughs. “Now that was an interview. It really is great to meet you.”

Harper stood up to shake Derek’s hand and I could sense the adrenaline rush fading as I watched her trembling hand slip into his. “Olivia told me not to let you off easy,” she told him, and I nearly choked because she had no idea what she’d just walked into.

Derek turned scarlet. “Did she now? Well, you sure didn’t. Thank you for asking me to do this. I feel honored.”

“I should be thanking you,” Harper told him as she packed up her notes.

Derek’s eyes slipped over to me, and the saccharine smile he gave me filled me with dread. “I heard this was truly all thanks to Jamil, though.”

Harper turned to me with the kind of happiness that reminded me of the first time you felt warm sunshine on your skin after a long winter. “He’s pretty great.”

My best friend’s eyes bounced back and forth between us like he was watching one of his favorite reality television shows.

“You owe Derek,” Harper added as she brushed past me out of the locker room.

“You sure do,” my friend agreed as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Like box seats.”

“Can’t you ask Olivia for those?” I asked, throwing the dig at him with a smile that told him I knew exactly what I was saying.

“Be careful, Edman. It looks like I may have just got my own ammo to use against you now.”

I have no idea what you’re talking about , I wanted to call after him, but the words died on my tongue, my eyes shifting back to Harper as we left the locker room.

Harper was floating in the clouds the entire drive back to her place, completely drunk on the feeling that interview had just given her.

“I think people will eat up being able to see Derek Allen in a new light. I feel like we got to see him from more of a leadership role than we normally do.” Harper’s fingers were flying over her keyboard as she constructed an email to her boss.

“I agree. That was a unique interview for him,” I told her. “And that was all due to you.” The complete look of elation on Harper’s face as she glanced over at me was almost contagious, as if I could get high on life by just looking at how happy she was.

A text popping up on my car’s entertainment system was the only thing pulling us out of this cloud of euphoria. My brother’s name was at the top and my blood ran cold. All traces of happiness sucked away.

Jordan: Are you home? Was wanting to drop by to see if you could help me get out of some trouble—

It was the first time I’d heard from him since he left rehab.

The rest of the message was cut off, but I could see Harper reading it out of the corner of my eye.

Without even opening my phone, I knew exactly what the rest of the text would say.

I’d gotten similar ones over the past few years since we both arrived in Chicago.

He would tell me that he owed money to a bookie that was coming around to collect, yet he didn’t have anything to give him.

He’d turn to me to help him get out of trouble.

My stomach soured as I thought about all the possibilities that must be swirling in Harper’s mind.

I’d worked so hard to keep this reality of mine from everybody else—not because I was ashamed of my brother, but rather because I dreaded the looks of pity I got when someone realized the truth of what was happening with him.

Only pulling up in front of Harper’s apartment seemed to save us from sitting in the awkward silence for longer than a few moments.

“Congratulations,” I told her as Harper reached for the door handle. “Being in that locker room today was like being one of the first people to witness the beginning of a star.”

A strange look crossed Harper’s face as she stared at me for a second before she said, “Hey, J, thank you.” Then she slid out of the car and walked back into her apartment triumphant, while I pulled away feeling more beaten down than ever before.

I barely registered that she’d called me by my nickname for the first time.