Played, p.10
Played, page 10
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this. I’m sorry being with me is causing you problems.” He looks down and fiddles with the edge of the blanket.
I don’t like the sadness radiating off of him. I reach over, lift his chin, and wait until he looks at me. “Hey, now. It’s not. I’ve already got another job. I’d rather have you than any job out there. I’ve waited a long time for you.” His eyes get misty, and I worry I’ve overstepped. “I’m sorry, Avery. I thought you’d be happy about this.”
He sniffles and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. “I am happy. I just can’t believe you did this for me, for us.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel like some secret to remain hidden. It’s time you know that I’ll do anything for you. I know I haven’t proven that to you until now, but I will every day from here on out.”
He sits up and pulls me into a tight embrace, nearly cutting off my ability to breathe, but I say nothing. I hug him back and whisper, “I love you. More than you know.”
“I love you too.”
Epilogue
The last couple of years have been a whirlwind. While our team didn’t make it to another bowl game after Eric quit, we came close each year. The new coach was good, but he was no match for Eric. He’d even called Eric several times and talked over plays and strategies with him. Eric offered to help in any way he could, but we figured it was best if he stayed in the stands rather than on the sidelines. I didn’t mind. I loved knowing he was there cheering me on.
I’d moved in with Eric shortly after I’d been injured. Well, he took me to his place from the hospital, and I never left. I’d worried about leaving my dad alone so much, and I still tried to stop by when I could, but he found someone to occupy his time, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
And now, here I am.
“So, Avery. How does it feel to be one of only a handful of out, gay NFL players?” the blonde up front asks.
I plaster on a huge grin and try not to fidget behind the podium. “I’m just livin’ the dream.” Chuckles go around the room.
I hadn’t expected to be picked in the fourth-round draft straight out of college, but I couldn’t be happier. Until I met Eric, football had been all I could think about. Now I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted.
Eric stands off to the side with my dad, watching the interview. Both of them look at me with pride, but it’s the heat in Eric’s eyes I have to ignore unless I want to really make the news for having a boner during the interview. One look is all it takes, and I’m ready to jump him. He keeps telling me he’s old and can’t keep up, but I’ve seen no such thing. He’s ready every time I am.
He’s been with me through every step of the process, explaining everything as we go. He’s just as excited as I am. He’d been miffed I hadn’t gotten picked sooner, but I wasn’t lying. I’m living a dream few get to experience, and having Eric by my side only makes it better. We’d spent the two weeks leading up to the draft traveling across the country, stopping at different tourist traps, and enjoying the time alone because we knew things were about to get hectic.
It’s been the best two weeks of my life. And now, it’s even better.
“And what about your boyfriend? How does he feel giving up a promising coaching job to stand in your shadow?” someone shouts from the back.
We knew Eric would be brought up eventually. There’d been no big news conference or newspaper articles regarding his leaving after his first year. The university kept it all quiet, and the rumors around the school died down. If anyone asked, he told them he preferred working where he’d make a bigger difference, shaping young men and women in sports.
When we go out and someone recognizes him, he never hesitates to introduce me as his boyfriend. We don’t go into detail about where or how we met—it’s no one’s business but ours. Only a handful of people know Eric and I had been seeing each other throughout the school year. Most believe it didn’t start until the end of the season, and we never correct them.
“He’s never in my shadow. He’s the one in front, guiding me, pulling me up when I get low, and showing me what it means to be the best. When I wanted to give up, he said he’d support me no matter what, but he knew I had something special and encouraged me not to let go of my dream. I’m only here because of him.” The crowd oohs and ahhs, but my words are true. I owe Eric everything.
When I’d decided to go pro, Eric hooked me up with an agent. As soon as I’d received my invitation to camp, I made it clear I wouldn’t hide my sexuality or Eric, much to the chagrin of a few of the PR people, but that is one thing I will never compromise on. They could take their offer elsewhere if they didn’t like it. And that’s exactly what I’d told the PR people who wanted me to skirt away from any mention of being gay, to ignore any questions about it, or one had even mentioned claiming it’s a false rumor. I’d told them I’d skip the entire process if I had to deny who Eric was to me.
“And what about your…”—a reporter from one of the more conservative stations waves a hand in the air and scrunches up his nose as if he smells something bad—“sexual choices? How are they going to affect your playing? Aren’t you worried your teammates will be afraid to be around you in the locker room, or other players will wonder if you’re thinking about them in that way?”
The room erupts in chaos as people turn and yell at the reporter. Eric storms onto the stage and whistles into the microphone. The commotion dies down except for the occasional camera click and flashes going off.
“Let me tell you something, you homophobic pr—” I grab Eric and shake my head.
The head coach for the Chicago Knights steps forward. “Sir, your questioning is out of line, and if it happens again, I’ll have you removed, and you’ll be banned from further press conferences. As far as Avery’s sexuality, that is his business. None of the players have expressed concern, and they look forward to working with him. He is not the first, nor will he be the last gay NFL player, and while it’s taken longer than we’d like, we are working our way to being inclusive of everyone.” He steps back, and I move behind the podium again.
“Do you know how many people you come into contact with every day who are gay or part of the LGBTQ+ community? No? Do you know why? Because they’re people just like you. We work, eat, sleep, and love just like you do. We’re no different from anyone else. We just want to live our lives to the best of our abilities. I’ve never hidden my sexuality. I am who I am, and I’m not going to try to be something different to make others comfortable. And if I had to choose between giving up Eric and playing ball, hands down, I’d choose him. Every. Time. Thank you.”
I step away from the microphone and into Eric’s arms. He kisses me softly, and the cameras go crazy. People shout more questions at us, but we ignore them all.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Eric finally says as he leads me off the stage.
“Yes, I did. They need to know I’ll never compromise when it comes to you. I don’t have to play football, but I can’t live without you.”
He gives me another peck on the lips.
“Well, you certainly made a statement, didn’t you, boy?” Dad pulls me from Eric and hugs me tightly. “You’re just like your momma,” he says, voice gruff. “She’d be very proud of the man you’ve become.”
I choke back a sob. “I couldn’t have done it without you showing me what it means to be true to yourself. She gave me the foundation, and you built on it.”
We break apart and wipe our eyes when Billy, Jacob, and Emmett rush in through a side door.
“Damn, man! That was awesome! You put that fucker in his place.” Billy claps me on the back, grinning. The others take turns giving me hugs and examining my new jersey and hat.
“Let’s get out of here,” I finally tell them. “I’m ready to go home.”
“Better enjoy it while you can. You’ll be busy soon enough,” Eric says, pride shining in his eyes.
“Yeah, but I’ll always have you to come home to.”
“Always.”
I have no doubt I’m where I’m supposed to be, and Eric’s the man I’ll spend the rest of my life with. He may have resisted at first, but he’d played right into my hands. Now I’m never letting him go.
Five Years Later
“Eric, let’s go, or we’re going to be late,” Avery yells from our hotel room door.
“Keep your pants on, husband of mine. I almost forgot to grab the pie we got for dinner.”
It’s our first Thanksgiving at my parent’s house in Florida since Avery and I got together. His practice and game schedule is insane and keeps us busy. Avery met my parents a year into our relationship, and my family adores him almost as much as I do. I’ll never forget how nervous he was the first visit.
“Stop fidgeting. They’re going to love you.”
“How do you know? They could take one look at me and think I’m too young or not good enough for you.”
“Baby, that’s not possible. You’re too good for me.”
“That’s sweet, but nobody’s parents believe someone’s too good for their kid.”
I pull him in, kissing him until we’re both breathless, and his eyes glaze over. I love I’m the only one who affects him that way. I step out of the car, round the hood, and pull open his door. His trembling hand clasps mine in a death grip.
“Come on.”
He lets out a shaky breath and climbs out of the car, never releasing my hand.
My mom yanks open the door before I have a chance to knock and grabs Avery from me. She hugs him so hard I’m afraid she might have broken his rib.
“Welcome to the family. We’re so glad to have you here,” my mom whispers, still clinging to him.
Avery stiffens at first, then wraps his arms around her. He turns slightly, and a small smile graces his lips.
The memories of the past fade when Avery grabs my hand and tugs me out of our room. Normally, we stay with my parents when we visit, but my sister and her family are in town, too, and my mom loves having her grandkids close by. Plus, it gives us a chance to escape the craziness for a little while.
When we pull up outside, my mom’s waiting on the porch. She runs down toward the car before we’ve gotten completely out. “There’s my boys.”
Avery’s smile is brighter than the sun. He loves being part of a bigger family. It was always just him and his dad, but now he gets to be a part of mine, especially my mother. She’d told him she could never replace his mother, Rebecca, but she would take care of him like she’d birthed him herself. More than a few tears were shed that day.
“Hi Mom,” he says as he picks her up and spins her around.
“Alright son, don’t break the cook, I’m starving.” My dad pats Avery on the back.
Avery laughs and sets her down. “Good to see you, Pop.”
“You too, son.”
We walk in, and my sister’s kids run to the door. “Uncle Avery, we watched your game last Sunday.”
“Yeah, what did you think?”
“You were awesome!” The five-year-old yells while pumping his fist in the air. My sister and her husband have four kids now. Maybe they’re going for a football team.
Avery laughs and ruffles his hair.
They give me a quick ‘hi uncle’ while hugging my leg and take off back to the living room.
“It’s almost like I’m not even standing here,” I tell him.
“Is someone feeling neglected?”
“A little.”
He places a chaste kiss on my lips and whispers, “Don’t worry. I’ll make you feel very loved tonight when we get back to our room.”
My cock twitches and I look at my watch. “After dessert, we stay for thirty minutes, then we’re out of here.”
“Deal. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I’ve been lucky to lead the life I’ve had—a supportive family and living my dream of playing in the NFL—but none of it holds a candle to the love I’ve found with Avery. I only had to learn how the most important game was played.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to read Played. We hope you love Avery and Eric as much as we do.
If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review.
And as always, thank you to our beta readers who’ve stuck with us since the beginning. We couldn’t do it without you.
xoxo
B & J
About the Author
We’re two friends who shared a dream to write a book. Deciding two minds are better than one, we embarked on this journey together. When we’re not writing, we love spending time with our families and of course, reading.
Our books are a little bit dirty and a whole lotta sweet. They’re low-angst, contain explicit male-male lovin’, insta-love, possessive alphas who take what they want #caveman, and maybe a virgin or two. Our books are solely for entertainment, and we may take a few liberties along the way. You’ve been warned.
Also by B. Jaycox
He’s mine
Sullied- Book 1 He’s Mine Series
Dirtied-Book 2 He’s Mine Series
Saved-Book 3 He’s Mine Series
Stalked-Book 4 He’s Mine Series
He’s Mine Holiday-A He’s Mine Novella
Chasing devil’s mc
Zeus-Book 1
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B. Jaycox, Played
