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Before it became too obvious that Adam was struggling, I jumped to his rescue, determined not to let this interview go off the rails. A good reporter not only had to find a story to tell, but they had to make sure the story was delivered properly.

“Adam, you have been such a steady presence in the sports world. Between your mentorship of young athletes and your celebration of sport. Have you considered settling into a job that realigns you with the community?”

The color returned to Adam’s face quickly as he discreetly let out a breath between his lips. “Are you asking me if I should take your job, Harper?”

A surprised laugh burst out of me, and I rushed to cover my mouth with the back of my hand. A mischievous gleam was the only sign that Adam knew what kind of a comment he’d just delivered.

“Maybe not my job,” I joked back. “But I do believe the sports industry could use your analysis of the game. I think the industry is better off with both of you still in it to some capacity.”

The deep appreciation on Adam’s face would go down as one of my favorite moments in an interview to date.

The rest of the conversation continued off without a hitch.

Both men shared their favorite moments within their careers while discussing tips for those coming up to retirement about how best to handle it.

The amount of vulnerability they displayed was touching and by the time I called for the interview to wrap, I felt the three of us had developed a bond that hadn’t been there before.

“Derek wasn’t kidding when he said you are talented,” Nolan told me as the three of us stood up from our chairs in the living room and walked over to the kitchen where Nora had poured everyone a glass of wine.

“That’s very kind of you,” I told him as I accepted my glass from Nora.

“Don’t let her fool you,” Jamil jumped in. “She’s too modest for her own good. If there’s one thing she’s excellent at, it’s hunting for a good story.”

Jamil stood across the kitchen, looking at everyone but me.

I flashed him a confused look, hoping to catch his eye, but he turned to ask Nolan a question about the upcoming training camp instead.

My heart clenched from the rollercoaster of emotion that Jamil was sending me on.

His words were a compliment wrapped in barbed wire.

If I didn’t figure out what had gotten into him soon, I feared that I would simply bleed out.

“What exactly is going on between the two of you?” I started at the question before realizing that Nora had sidled up next to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked her, my eyes still locked on the side of Jamil’s face. I desperately wanted to grab his attention and see one of those smiles that he saved just for me.

“Jamil’s attention seems to be centered around you lately.” Nora spun the stem of her wineglass between her fingertips as she waited for my reply.

“I don’t think much of anything will happen between us,” I told her with my eyes still cast toward Jamil, sadness washing over me as I realized my words could very well be the truth. “There are things in both of our lives that we’re preoccupied with.”

“Are you talking about Jordan?” Nora asked me, her voice hushed.

My eyes snapped to hers. “You know about Jordan?”

Nora’s eyes filled with sadness as she, too, looked over at Jamil who was deep in conversation with her husband and Nolan.

“It’s been weighing quite heavily on Jamil lately. Between Jordan walking out of treatment what feels like every other month, as well as asking Jamil for more money to gamble with .?.?.” Nora trailed off with a sigh. “I’m not sure how he deals with it all.”

Gambling.

The pieces started to fall together—treatment, his complicated relationship with his brother, his frustration, and his concern over his well-being.

My heart broke for Jamil and his family.

Addiction was a terrible beast that took hold of a loved one, its claws sometimes sinking so deep that it never let them go.

Other times, people had to fight with everything they had to get out of its grip.

The worst realization was when your loved one didn’t even try to get better—broken promises and meaningless words.

My boss came to mind. This was exactly what he’d be looking for. The best player in the league dealing with an older brother who was in rehabilitation for a gambling problem.

I finally understood why Jamil had been trying so hard to stay out of the news. He didn’t want reporters looking too closely, fearful that they’d take advantage of Jordan’s situation for a few clicks or a moment of reporting triumph that would only wreak havoc in his family’s life.

Are you willing to do that?

Are you willing to ruin whatever relationship you have with Jamil to climb a ladder for a company that would replace you without a second thought?

“I will say,” Nora continued, oblivious that I was still reeling from what she’d told me.

“I’ve never seen him happier than these past few months.

Even right after spring training, I remember him coming back from Florida with an extra pep in his step and now it makes sense if that was where the two of you had met. ”

“I’m sure that was just a coincidence,” I told her. “He had a great spring training and with the season starting, I’m sure he was just excited to get back at it.”

Nora cocked an eyebrow at me. “Sure, we can go with that.”

Before I caught sight of him, I could feel Jamil coming closer.

My body somehow tuned to his, like it was an extension of my own.

He’d stopped a few feet away and even that distance felt like an ocean.

Whatever was going on inside his head was a mystery to me, but I was going to make it my mission to find out.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked me. Nobody else in the room caught the lack of warmth in his words. I held his gaze, wanting him to convey to me what was wrong. He tore his eyes from mine, his lips pressing together tightly.

“Yes, I am.” I grabbed my bag from the counter and turned to thank Nolan and Adam. “You two were amazing. Thank you for agreeing to do this. The message the two of you had will resonate with so many people.”

“You have a gift,” Nolan told me. “I think your future is quite bright.”

I walked over to give him a hug first before turning to Adam. “I was serious when I said I think the industry could use you. I left some people for you to contact with Nora. If that’s what you want.”

Adam reached out to pull me into a hug. The tension I’d witnessed in him during the interview nowhere to be seen.

“I really appreciate that. I think I’ve sat around at home long enough.

By the end of the month, I think I’ll run out of home improvement projects to do around the house, and I need to get out of Nora’s hair. ”

“Thank you both again. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

“We’re planning on making it to a game in the near feature,” Nolan told me as he cuffed Adam on the shoulder. “We want to watch Jamil in action this season. Especially since he’s somehow managing to top his performance from last season.”

Jamil ducked his head and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I think that’s our cue to leave before Adam starts listing off statistics around my performance again.”

I followed behind him as we left the Steels’ home. When Jamil walked around to the driver’s side and didn’t bother with opening my door, I knew I hadn’t been imagining it all.