34. Ella
Thirty Four
Ella
If testosterone had a smell, it would be whatever this was.
Indianapolis during the Combine felt like someone dropped a protein shake into a cologne factory and set it on fire.
Every guy looked like a Greek statue in joggers, and every agent wore a suit costing more than anything I’d ever owned in my life. The air practically buzzed with ambition, thick enough I half-wanted to swipe at it to see if it would stick to my fingers.
Hunter navigated the chaos like he owned the building. Broad shoulders cutting a path, head high, calm in the storm while I was over here drowning in a sea of NFL hopefuls and testosterone fumes.
But now that I knew him so well, I could see the deliberate way he avoided contact, how he twisted out of people’s reach and anticipated their movements.
“This feels like wolves sniffing each other’s stats,” I muttered as we passed a cluster of guys comparing their wingspans like this was something normal people did.
“You’re not wrong,” Hunter said without missing a beat. “Except they’re sniffing paychecks.”
I snorted so hard I almost tripped over my own feet. “God, you make this sound so romantic.”
Out of nowhere, a squeal split the lobby like a fire alarm.
“Eeeeeeellllaaaaa!”
Before I could even turn, Hailey slammed into me, all five-foot-nothing of pure excitement. She hugged me so tight I saw stars, and her familiar scent filled my nostrils.
“What?! What are you—” I wheezed, laughing into her hair. I couldn’t believe she was here! I hadn’t seen her since she moved out, since her and Colt’s schedules were so crazy.
She pulled back just far enough to give me a look that could’ve powered the entire city grid.
“Oh, babe. I think there’s a lot we’ve got to talk about these days.” Her eyes slid past me, up, up, and up some more, until they locked on Hunter, who was standing there like a six-foot-six caution sign in human form.
I opened my mouth, but words? Nowhere to be found .
How could I possibly explain everything that had happened between us?
Hailey didn’t wait. She dragged me half a step closer, like we were about to dissect the meaning of life right there on the marble floor.
“You and Hunter? Hunter fucking Rhodes?” she whispered it like a secret and a scandal all at once, then grinned so wide I thought her face might crack. “That’s a plot twist I did not see coming.”
Behind us, Hunter made this low sound, less ‘man’ and more ‘predator who doesn’t appreciate commentary,’ and his hand landed on the small of my back. Heavy. Warm. Possessive.
And it stayed there. Every. Single. Time. Someone’s gaze lingered too long. Which, in this testosterone circus? Every five seconds .
I should’ve been annoyed, but nope. My brain was basically clapping like, Oh. Okay. So that’s what territorial looks like in public. Noted.
Of course, Hailey noticed — because she notices everything — and her grin turned wicked.
“Well, damn. No wonder you’ve been MIA. You’ve been out here starring in your own prestige drama.”
“A prestige drama?” I laughed, trying to keep my volume down. We already attracted enough attention as it was.
“Yeah. Think The Crown , except, like, rated XXX.” Her eyes flicked toward Hunter, who was currently radiating touch-her-and-I’ll-end-your-bloodline energy without even trying. “He’s got that whole royal menace thing going on. Stoic. Powerful. Looks like he could crush nations … or headboards.”
“Hailey,” I hissed, feeling the heat shoot straight up my neck. This was a turn of events I hadn’t seen coming. More often than not, the roles were switched, and I would rib her nonstop.
“What?!” She held up her hands like she was innocent, which was a joke in itself. “I’m just saying, if this was a Netflix special, I’d binge it in one night.”
Heat scorched my face, but before I could form a comeback, she went in for the kill.
“You know what’s crazy? I sure as hell didn’t see this coming, and I thought I knew both of you to a certain extent.
I mean, we lived together, and I went to high school with Hunter.
” She tilted her head thoughtfully, her lips pursed.
“Well, maybe Colt saw it. I’ve never asked him, actually, and that’s the only way he would’ve told me.
But I definitely didn’t think Hunter would ever be in any type of relationship. ”
I glanced past her, and sure enough, Colt was hanging back like always, quiet and unreadable, one massive hand curled around Hailey’s bag like it was nothing but air. His gaze cut to Hunter, then to me, and I swear there was the smallest flicker of Knew it .
But Colt would never say this out loud.
“I have news, too!” She shot me a sly look, and my eyes immediately darted down. First, I looked at her left hand — no ring — then at her stomach. Was she …
“Oh my God! Stop it. Not that! I finally figured it out. I know what I want to do with my life!”
I blinked. “Shut the fuck up!”
She beamed, looking both sheepish and triumphant. “No, really! Turns out all the floundering was necessary. Like … soul-searching chaos.” She raised an eyebrow. “But I’m done wandering, Ella. I found my thing.”
I widened my eyes dramatically and clutched her forearms. “Okay, spill.”
Hailey leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with joy.
“Teaching. I’m going back to school for my degree.
I want to be a high school teacher. Maybe history or English; I don’t actually know yet.
I love the idea of guiding kids, helping them figure stuff out, and maybe being the kind of teacher who makes learning actually exciting. ”
Giving her arm a gentle squeeze, I met her gaze. “This is really fucking cool, Hailey. I’m so glad you took the time to find something you’re passionate about. You’re gonna be so good at it, I just know it.”
She bounced on her toes, radiating this contagious energy that had always left me feeling both exhausted and inspired. “I will be good at it. I finally feel useful. Like I’m doing something that matters , you know? Something that belongs just to me.”
I nodded, my heart squeezing a little. She’d been adrift for months, unsure of anything — except maybe texting me at 2 a.m. about everything and nothing. Now, finally, she had her thing. Seeing her light up like this made all of those frantic messages worthwhile.
Just then, Hunter’s gaze landed on me. It was flat, intense, and calculating, like he was scanning my every reaction. He didn’t move, speak, or even flinch when Hailey gestured wildly and nearly hit his shoulder. I felt my cheeks heat up.
We were halfway to the elevators when it happened. A sports reporter intern was beelining straight for Hunter, mic in hand, eyes big and starry. She was cute with shiny waves, glossy lips, and doing the hair-twirl giggle like it was a sport of its own.
“Hunter Rhodes?” she chirped, bright enough to power the lobby. “Mind answering a couple questions for my coverage?”
A muscle in Hunter’s jaw jumped. “Sure,” he said, low and reluctant, coming to a halt only because I slowed him down. He looked like he’d rather eat glass, but the poor girl was just trying to do her job.
I told myself I wasn’t the jealous type. Told myself this was fine, normal, part of the deal.
But then she laughed — at what, I had no idea, because I knew my man, and he isn’t the funny kind — and laid a hand on his arm. That’s when it hit, like a sharp, barbed-wire twist low in my stomach.
Hunter grimaced, shook her hand off, turned around, and walked away mid-sentence. He just pivoted, strode up to me, and cupped my jaw in front of everyone, their mother, and ESPN.
Then he kissed me, but it wasn’t a peck or a polite, yet appropriate Hey babe .
No, he hit me with a full-mouth, melt-your-spine, flashbulbs-popping kiss that had my toes curling inside my sneakers.
When he pulled back, cameras were still clicking, and his mouth brushed mine when he said, low and dark, “You good now?”
My brain was soup. “That was … aggressive.”
And then he grabbed my hand like we hadn’t just become a trending topic on TikTok.
As we headed for the elevators, the noise of the crowd faded behind us. The hallway smelled like polished floors and anticipation, and the adrenaline from the kiss still thrummed in my chest.
By the time the doors slid shut, I was clinging to the small, private bubble we’d carved out.
Sinking onto the soft, plush bed in our room, I was still trying to reboot my nervous system when Hunter tossed something at me.
A Combine guest badge. Front-row access. With my name printed right there like I belonged.
“Don’t fall in love with me in compression shorts,” he said, deadpan, though the subtle curl of his lips gave him away.
I arched a brow. “Oh, that ship sailed miles ago, Robot Boy.”
He stilled for half a beat, eyes locking on mine like I’d just said something significant. Then a real smile, slow and lethal, spread across his face.
I swallowed hard because in this second, I knew: tomorrow, the world was going to see Hunter for what he wanted them to see.
A machine. A future franchise player. A name.
But I was the only one who knew how human he felt under my hands.