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32

EMMETT

“ G et your ass over here and practice with us,” Cooper demands as I walk into one of our meeting rooms.

“I can’t even do this with you,” I roll my eyes, wanting nothing to do with his shenanigans.

Cooper stops, the other men nearly falling into him, and when his lips turn downward in a sad, pathetic pout, I can’t help but give in.

He’s never going to let me hear the end of it if I don’t.

“What are we doing?” I ask as I set my gear down.

“We’re practicing our next touchdown dance.”

“You haven’t gotten a touchdown in weeks.”

Silence. “You didn’t have to go there, bro. It’ll happen. Leo’s been kissing Owen’s ass.”

“Hey!” Owen yells across the room.

“You’re not including him?” I hook my thumb back toward Owen.

Owen scoffs. “He told me I don’t get any more lucky dances. He thinks having one lined up will make him get one.”

“And it’s true,” Coop shrugs.

“Alright. Anyways, what are we doing?”

I go along with whatever nonsense Cooper asks of me for about an hour before Leo peeks into the room, his eyes narrowing on me.

“It’s been weeks, man,” he hisses, and I know instantly what he’s referring to.

Leo got home Halloween night to all the women passed out in his family room. They had broken out a large air mattress that Briar had purchased just for movie nights, and were all cuddled up.

Leo thought it was adorable. He took a million photos.

But all hell broke loose in the morning as Briar trapped him in his room, demanding to know if he told me anything about Heidi.

Because the idiot can’t keep a fucking secret to save his damn life unless it has to do with Briar, he eventually caved.

She hasn’t had sex with him since.

I immediately feel bad. Not for my friend’s lack of sex life, but because I know I fucked up that night. I had to eventually go outside for some air, and when Leo had followed me, I told him what I said.

I got slapped.

I deserved it.

I know I did.

My plan was to originally stay in the cold and freeze, but when an eerie scream blew through with the wind, I decided that Halloween wasn’t the time to be outside in the dark.

“Fuck off, Leo!” Cooper teases, but with a middle finger, Leo runs off to wherever he was headed in the first place. He turns his attention back to me. “Let’s run it back!”

“I need you to stop moping,” Cooper whispers as he sets his lunch down at the table.

Shaking my head, I take a bite of my meal. “I’m not.”

“You are, and it’s making me sad. Heidi has already moved on, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Stop feeling so guilty.”

My head snaps up, and Cooper’s eyes grow wide. “What do you mean she’s already moved on?”

He shrugs. “I saw her on a dating app this weekend.”

“You’re dating?” I’m shocked, but I probably shouldn’t be.

Coop’s brows furrow. “Yeah? I have been for awhile.”

“I kinda thought you were starting something with Amara.”

Cooper nearly gags. “No. There’s,” he stops, thinking over his words. “There’s history there that we’re trying to sort out, but we’re not dating and never will. Oh but that reminds me actually. I matched with this gorgeous blonde woman and guess what?”

I sigh. “What?”

“She’s a casting director for some dating show. She asked me to be on it in the off season. I don’t know man, I think it’s perfect.”

“Cooper I mean this with the utmost respect. That’s the dumbest fucking idea you’ve ever had.”

The man rears back, his hand on his chest as if he’s shocked that that’s my opinion. “I hope you know that criticism turns me on and now I just want to do it more.”

Rolling my eyes, I take another bite of my lunch, trying to tune him out. But his words keep rattling in my head, and I can’t seem to take it anymore. “What did you mean when you said you saw her on the dating app?”

Cooper blinks at me slowly. “I’m not quite sure what’s confusing about that. She was on the dating app. I swiped past her.”

“So you didn’t match?”

“No but I’m sure I could have.”

“Not the point Coop.” He shrugs. “Did you, I don’t know, look at the profile?”

Cooper sighs. “Man. You need to figure your shit out. And if I’m the one telling you that?” He chuckles, and the sound of it makes me want to strangle him. “You’re in deep trouble. She’s moving on. But are you?”

I hate that he has a point.

A few minutes later Leo comes crashing in, setting his plate down on the table so roughly I think he may break the damn thing. “Are you good?”

He waves me off.

“The Thanksgiving party is next week guys. What are we doing.”

Emmett and I glance at each other. “Uhh, what do you need us to do?”

Leo’s Thanksgiving parties are infamous. Football players aren’t always able to go home for thanksgivings, and sometimes their families come to them but don’t really have a place. A lot of football players, especially rookies, don’t make a whole lot compared to other players, and the same goes for staff. Leo has been doing these big dinners for everyone involved with the team for years, and they’re always the best.

“I don’t even know what to do with the turkey this year.”

“What haven’t you done so far?”

He thinks, but I can’t really think of one single thing either.

“Maybe you could do a chicken?” I suggest.

Leo dramatically rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout. “I don’t know. I need to figure it out by tonight so I can prepare.”

“Briar doesn’t have any ideas?” Cooper asks, and I immediately kick him under the table.

“No,” Leo spits, his eyes narrowing at me. “Because someone decided to be a dick. She’s withholding all sex and turkey recipes.”

I throw my hands in the air. “I wasn’t trying to be a dick.”

“Impact versus intention, man,” Leo shakes his head. “Learned that one last year.”

“Why did you even say anything to me in the first place?” I feel like I’m going insane. I get that I shouldn’t have said anything. I stand by that I shouldn’t have. But I’m not sure why I’m the only problem here.

Leo tilts his head, his eyes level with mine as he says as calmly as possible, “I thought you’d actually be smart about it, Emmett. That you let her in a little, and that you’d take the opportunity to actually be happy for once in your life.”

The words hit me in the gut, and not only because Leo says is so sternly. The man is never stern about anything.

But he’s right.