23. Dane
Chapter 23
Dane
When I got back to the house, my father was waiting for me. He was seated in the den watching the Sports Channel on his big screen TV.
“Dane?”
“Yes, sir?” I replied out of habit.
He turned and studied me, making my face heat. I wanted to look down to make sure Lennox hadn’t left me a mess, but my military training kicked in. I stood straight up and looked him in the eye.
“I want to talk to you about Lennox.”
I folded my arms over my chest and stood my ground. “What about?”
My father tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Come sit down.”
I shook my head. “I’m good. I’ve been sitting for a while. What do you need Dad?”
He released a weighted breath as if he didn’t know where to start. And maybe he didn’t. I knew we’d blindsided them with our news.
“I know Lennox is quite the jokester, and you boys were quite close growing up.”
He hesitated, and I waited. Did he expect me to open up about us?
“Yes, we were.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the carpet before turning his attention to me. Still, he said nothing.
“Dad, what are you asking me?”
His tongue ran across his lips, stalling again. I hoped I never did this to Daniel.
“I’m going to bed,” I said, turning my back on him.
“Are you boys serious about each other? Or was that just a performance?”
I blinked several times before turning around to look at my father.
“We are. I think we’ve always been serious about each other. We just didn’t know what we were feeling back then was more than friendship.”
He seemed to accept that answer, and I thought we were done. But I was wrong.
“It could ruin both your careers if it gets out.”
Folding my arms back over my chest, I considered his words before I spoke. “There’s no issue for my career. I think what you’re really concerned about is Lennox’s.”
He sighed and rubbed his temples. “His career is more demanding of public perception. I just want what’s best for him. He could be Hall of Fame material if he keeps on performing at his current level.”
I stared at him. “And what does that have to do with me?”
I knew the answer before he said it. But I let him do it anyway.
“He doesn’t need the distraction or a relationship. With anyone.”
I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I might regret. This is the way it had always been.
“I think that’s his decision, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “It is. But he’ll listen to you, son. Be friends like you were, but save the relationship business for after he retires in a few years.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My chest tightened at the thought of losing him again.
“Here’s the thing, Dad. We’re not living during the time you played. Things have changed. It took a long damn time to find our way back to each other. Neither of us wants to lose that. Whatever Lennox wants is what we’ll do. But it’s his decision. Not yours. And not mine.”
I turned to walk away, but he stopped me in my tracks. “You could single-handedly ruin his career. Is that what you want, Dane? To ruin all his hard work and our legacy?”
There it was. The very thing that separated us when I stopped playing football before college. I knew I’d never be good enough to play professionally, but he couldn’t accept that and latched on to Lennox.
I didn’t turn around to look at him. “It’s his decision. Not mine. He knows what I want.”
He exhaled heavily, and I knew he was frustrated with me. But I didn’t care.
“Then let him get through camp without any distractions. At least give him that.”
I laughed and shook my head to myself.
Heading out of the room, I didn’t turn around when he called my name this time. I kept going until I reached my room and closed the door.
The next morning, I woke early and went out for a run before Daniel woke. Without thinking about where I was going, I hit the road and ran the same route we used to run. As my feet hit the pavement, I let my mind wander to everything I’d been pushing away.
I knew there was a chance that what my father had said was true. The Storm didn’t have an alliance of players like the Portland Pirates had, or an owner who protected them.
Lennox could be vulnerable to opposition, and god knows how much he looked up to my father. But one thing he failed to consider was Lennox was an adult. He could make his own decisions and didn’t need Roger Calloway to coach him any longer.
Just as I hit the third mile marker my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Lennox. If I hadn’t known he had another busy day, I wouldn’t have answered. But he did, and so did I.
Slowing to a jog, I pulled out my phone and accepted the call.
“Hey,” I huffed out.
“What are you doing?”
I laughed. “Running. What are you doing?”
Slowing to a walk, my breathing evened out quickly.
“Getting ready for breakfast.”
He was unusually quiet, and that worried me.
“What’s wrong?”
He exhaled. “Are you mad at me?”
I smiled to myself. “Why would I be mad at you? I almost get myself arrested every day. Javy is probably in jail in Tijuana right now. It’s a normal day.”
Lennox chuckled. “I’m going to make it up to you as soon as I get back to San Diego.”
“I know. We have a date, remember?”
“I do,” he rasped. “And I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” I said, hesitating a moment. “Listen, while I got you on the phone, I want to be transparent with you.”
“Okay,” he drawled out. “That sounds scary.”
I chuckled. “Well, it could be. My father thinks I need to leave you alone until you retire. He’s afraid I might distract you from your future greatness.”
“What the hell? That’s fucking ridiculous. And don’t you get any ideas in your head about that bullshit. We aren’t pulling back or slowing down. We’re full steam ahead until death do us part.”
I laughed. “You’re back on that shit again.”
“It’s not shit to want to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, Dane.”
“No, it’s not. But if this thing becomes a distraction, you’ll tell me, right?”
He sighed again. “You will never be a distraction to my fucking career. And I’m going to talk you into getting married.”
“We haven’t even had sex yet. You might decide it’s not for you.”
“Does that mean you’ve had anal?” he asked.
“Oh, fucking hell, Sanders,” I heard Evan say.”Take it somewhere else.”
“Says the man with the governor as a boyfriend,” Lennox replied to him.
I could see why they were friends, and I was glad he had someone when we weren’t talking.
“Hey, I gotta finish my run. You go dazzle and impress today.”
Lennox was quiet longer than he should have been. “Don’t you listen to him, Dane. This is our relationship, and we’re meant to be. You’ll see.”
I smiled at his rhyme.
“Okay, QB. We’ll talk later.”
Lennox interrupted my attempt to end the call. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I pulled the phone from my ear and ended the call.