Chapter 53
Amir
From my place in the backseat, I stared out the window. The sun was coming up, casting orange light across the freeway. Most people drove in the opposite direction toward their jobs, so my path was free and clear.
“You visiting or coming home?” the driver asked.
His accent was much like my parents’, and it brought me a sense of comfort. After this season, it would be nice to go see them. They were generally the ones who made the trip, but after the year we’d had, my family could use the change of scenery.
No doubt my parents would get on my ass for how Mal’s Farsi had lapsed, so I decided I’d have to start practicing with her again.
Sometimes, I got so busy that I didn’t think about how culture could be lost if I didn’t give myself reminders of it.
That was why they’d moved—to be a bit closer to home.
A piece of that home was in me, and it was in Mal.
If I didn’t keep it alive, it’d fade away, and that would be a tragedy.
“Visiting a friend,” I replied.
“You didn’t bring any bags with you.”
“It’s a quick trip.”
My grip tightened on my phone. This schedule the team had me on was brutal.
There were appearances planned, just like I’d feared, but at least they’d agreed—albeit reluctantly—that I didn’t have to sacrifice Remi on the altar of public relations.
It was a small relief, which was all I could ask for at this point.
I hadn’t seen him in too long. There was that away stretch, then Oli took over for him. I would’ve gone to the bar yesterday, but regardless of how ‘agreeable’ Renshu was being, I wasn’t allowed to go near Remi.
After thirty minutes, we pulled off of the road. The driveway turned to gravel, crunching beneath the tires rhythmically. When we parked next to the Jeep, I unlatched my seatbelt and pushed the door open.
“Have a good visit, sir.”
“Thank you.”
With a smile, I shut the door. I waited for him to turn around, then I looked at the house. There was a light on through the front window, and the curtains were open to let in the budding sun.
I was nearly to the door when it opened. Trav stood there, head cocked like Tessa’s beside him. I thought about the idea that dogs and their owners somehow resembled each other, and I saw the merit in it. I could imagine them both running to the window when they’d heard the car pull up.
“Amir,” he said, that Texas drawl coming through. “Did I know you were coming?”
“I don’t know. Did you?”
“If you told me, I completely forgot.”
I breathed a laugh, then clapped him on the arm. “It was sort of impromptu.”
“A text would’ve sufficed.”
“Probably, but it’s been a while since I’ve gone somewhere without anyone knowing.”
“I can appreciate that.” He stepped to the side and waved his hand with a flourish. “Come in.” We both headed past the living room into the kitchen. Without having to be asked, he grabbed a mug and poured coffee into it. “What would you do if I wasn’t up yet?”
I eyed the nearly empty carafe. “I just had a feeling you would be.”
Tessa nudged my fingers, so I turned my attention to her.
The way her tail wagged made her entire body shake.
I’d never understood how Trav had the time for baseball, his online content, his boyfriend, and an active dog.
Then again, the guy never stopped moving.
They were the perfect companions for each other.
He nodded toward the back door, and I took the coffee from him before I followed.
“Think fast.”
I nearly dropped the mug when he tossed a mitt at me. There was a grin on his face, like it wasn’t six in the morning and my life wasn’t falling apart all around me.
Setting the coffee on one of the steps, I pulled the glove on. “Do you always have some of these accessible?”
“You don’t?”
“I have a couple, but not just lying around.”
He jogged further into the backyard. When he tossed a ball in the air, I readied myself for some shenanigans. He wouldn’t catch me off guard with that arm, that was for sure.
“When management was on your ass, did you ever feel afraid?” I asked.
With a knowing smile, he threw the ball. The thud of it in my glove grounded me in its familiarity.
“Not for me as much as for those counting on me,” he replied.
“Did it feel like you were failing them?”
“Sure, all the time. I may not have had a family to take care of, but there are real consequences behind what I do.” A thoughtful expression came over his face after he caught the ball.
“People have literally told me that my videos saved their life. When I had to step back, I thought about that a lot. How many people didn’t have that moment of clarity because I wasn’t there? ”
“That seems unfair. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Does that matter? These are human beings, and every day, some of them leave this world because they think nobody sees them. In my eyes, I have a responsibility to be that one who finally does.”
“My thing doesn’t seem like such a big deal when you say that.”
“Everything is a big deal to someone,” he countered. “This is the mission I took on in life. You may have a different one, but it’s no less important. Are they threatening to drop you after the season?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, they’re fighting to keep me.”
“Good. They’re smarter than I gave them credit for.”
“One less thing I have to worry about. Although, sometimes the price tag makes you wonder what you’re selling.”
“You just have to decide what your honor is worth.”
“That sounds like something Remi would say.”
“He’s good with his words. I almost believed him in that video, but I recognize excuses when I hear them.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “He backed me into a corner.”
“What are your options?”
“Sue him, tell the world he’s crazy, or convince him there’s a fairytale ending in here somewhere.” I threw the ball extra hard, and he lifted a brow when he caught it.
“Okay, so option one is management’s choice, option two is Remi’s, and option three is yours.”
“Sort of. They want the love story because of optics.”
“Ah, I’m sure Remi would love that.”
“And therein lies the paradox of this entire thing.”
“I know your situation is different, but my greatest regret is not going after Roman. I would’ve rather fought with him through all of that anger and fear than suffer alone.”
“I’ve been trying. Remi isn’t lost, though. He doesn’t need me to guide him through the hard things. He knows how to navigate those more than anyone, and when he doesn’t, he has a guy a lot cooler than me to walk with him.”
“Then maybe he needs someone to sit with him in hell.”
“Until when? No matter how epic you make it sound, this isn’t that simple. Eventually, we have to get back up and face the real world.”
“I know. It just helps you figure out how you feel.”
“I know how I feel. I love him, and I want to fight for him, but I don’t have a fucking sword.”
“Then make one. Better yet, use your damn fists and get your hands dirty for once.”
With a groan, I stared down at the ball. “Is love supposed to be this hard? It feels toxic at this point.”
Trav surprised me by laughing. “Just because it’s a little toxic doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
“Toxic is bad, right?”
“As a concept, I guess, but real life is messy. A battle isn’t a straight line, Amir. Sometimes, you have to find the true enemy hidden behind a thousand guards.”
“The true enemy,” I repeated quietly.
The back door opened, and I expected to see Roman. Instead, there was a procession of men. Big, incredibly handsome men.
“Uh, Trav,” I said, eyeing them uncertainly. “Don’t tell me you and Roman have taken to orgies.”
He burst into laughter and came up beside me. “Nah, these are my friends.”
“I didn’t know you had those.”
“I’m a popular guy.”
There were three of them, all looking at me with open curiosity.
The tallest one had ghostly pale skin and hair as dark as night, along with eyes that were a brighter blue than Avery’s.
Another was all olive skin, a beauty so effortless it felt ancient, as if he should be swinging a sword in a gladiator match.
The third had sharp features and ultra-curly brown hair that fell over his shoulders.
His inquisitive eyes were what made my skin feel like it failed to hide what lay beneath.
“Amir, these are West, Kai, and Brooks,” Trav said, pointing them out in order.
“Oh, shit!” West exclaimed far too loudly. “You’re that guy who’s dating Remi.”
“Uh, was dating Remi,” I corrected. “You know him?”
“Yeah, I saved him from that douchebag ex of his.”
“We did,” another guy chimed in as he came down the steps.
“Mostly me, budino.”
With a heavy eye roll, he slung his arm around West and smiled at me in a warmer way. “I’m Linc.”
Before I could respond, four others came out of the house. It was a fucking zoo in this place. Next time, I’d definitely have to call ahead.
My eyes bugged out of my head when I recognized two of them. “Oli? What the hell?”
He lit up with a grin and wrapped me in a tight hug. “Hey, base bro.” He pulled back and leaned against Dean, who gave me a chin-up. “When I told you about guys’ weekend, I wasn’t actually inviting you. Not that I mind, of course.”
“This is where guys’ weekend is at? How do you even know each other?”
“Most of us went to college together. What about you?”
“I’m here for Trav.”
Brooks gasped dramatically. “Trav, you dirty dog. I knew there must be intermingling with all those balls being passed around.”
A smaller blond guy cackled around a vape. He introduced himself as Tilian, and I found out that he was with Brooks. The last one, I recognized from Trav’s videos.
“You’re Sen,” I said, holding out my hand. “It’s an honor to meet you. Really.”
He shook it with a kind smile. “You too. Trav talks a lot about you.”
“Good thing I’m not shy.” I turned our hands so I could see the ring on his finger. It was black with a band of stone around it that looked like moss agate. The green lines reminded me of the forest in a mysterious way. “That’s amazing.”