The End Zone (Atlanta Lightning 2)

I got off the couch and went to the side of his bed. “You don’t have to apologize to me about that.”

“Have you eaten today? You can go and get some food, or if you want to go home and sleep in a bed, I can give you my keys.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” I teased.

“No. I probably would’ve been a little sad if you’d left. I might’ve even cried. Shh. Don’t tell, though.”

I chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to make Darren Edwards cry. I’d have the whole city of Atlanta against me.”

Mia cleared her throat from behind me.

“Go away,” Darren joked.

“Hey, I made it so your…you-know-what could stay.” She closed the door and then stood on the opposite side of the bed from me. “Why didn’t you tell me? You know you can always come to me with anything. That’s what big sisters are for.”

“Of course this is a trap.” Darren sighed. “This wasn’t a thing for me, Mia. It’s not like it was with Anson. It’s not something I knew and tried to hide. It’s something I didn’t expect, and it surprised the shit out of me. I’ve never been into a guy before. We started talking and then kept talking more and more. I didn’t realize what was happening until my days didn’t feel whole without saying good night to him. We’re just figuring out what it all means from there. I just know I want him, Mia, and I’m not willing to give him up.”

“Jesus,” I cursed softly. No one had ever spoken about me like that before. No one had ever wanted me that completely. Even when I looked back at my marriage with Bobby, I couldn’t imagine him saying he wouldn’t give me up.

Darren glanced at me and winked.

“This is so crazy…” Mia said. “Hearing you talk about someone like this.” I appreciated that she said someone rather than a man. “We’ll find a way to make this work.”

“Uh-oh,” Darren replied.

“What?” I asked.

“We’re in trouble now. She’s relentless when she has something in her head. There’s no one I’d rather have on my side, though.”

Mia ignored him, pacing the room and talking as she went. “One worry is timing…you’re going to be a free agent, you busted up your arm, and now you’re gay.”

“Not gay,” he replied.

“Bisexual, sorry. You’re right. I’ll do better. I know in some ways, it seems like it should be a good thing that you’re on the same team as Anson, but—and I know it’s a shitty way to put it—that’s a lot for one team to take on. It’s still a topic of conversation for Ans. Not that we don’t want it to be, but…there’s a fine line. Just by being out, he’s changing lives, but that’s not how teams are going to look at it. Suddenly, there are two queer players on the Lightning? It’ll be a thing.”

“Do we really have to do this right now?” Darren asked.

“What, you’re too busy?”

“I think I love you,” I told her.

Darren flipped me off. “You’re not supposed to take her side.”

Yeah, but he already liked me. I wanted to make sure his family did too.

“Did you have to break your arm right now?” Mia asked, ignoring us.

“Um…wasn’t in the plan, sis. Thanks.”

I watched them tease each other back and forth for a moment, loving seeing this, being involved in this part of his life now. I’d been around them together before, but I saw them through my friendship lens. This was different.

She sobered when she said, “You might get traded, D…” and my heart dropped.

“I’m the best fucking quarterback in the league!”

“Who just broke his radius, shattered his ulna, and has a secret boyfriend.”

When she put it that way… “Then we lie. We hide it. I’m not fucking up his career.”

“Angel…” Darren said just as Mia agreed, “At least until after we get him signed would be appreciated.”

Jesus, how had all this happened? We were in a similar situation to the one Anson and West had been in, only Darren just got injured.

“That’s not up to you. You’re my sister and my agent and I love you, but this is between me and Jeremy. We’ll let you know what we want to do.” He groaned and closed his eyes. He looked exhausted. “I can’t do this right now.”

I hated that he had to do it at all. “We’ll talk about this later.” I wanted her to like me, but not to his detriment.

Mia nodded, but I could see she was still running through options in her head. She had a laptop with her and sat on the couch, doing whatever it was she was doing, while I stayed with Darren. We talked, and I tried not to touch him because we were a secret and what if this was too much for him?