Chapter 44
Elle
I’ve finally settled onto the couch after a long day of wedding things with Vi and Sadie when my phone rings. Archer’s name flashes across my screen. Not unusual but I know he planned on being out with the guys tonight.
“Hello?”
“Ellie Jellie!”
Oh boy. That voice does not sound sober.
“Archer?”
“Nope! It’s Tyson!” The voice singsongs and then hiccups.
“Hi, Ty, where’s Archer?” I say trying to hold back my giggle.
“He’s here. He’s singing.”
“Uhm, what?”
“He’s singing a song about your—” Tyson’s cut off and a new voice replaces his.
“Hello Elle, this is Coach Pierson. We are out celebrating DJ’s engagement.”
“DJ is engaged?!” I try to contain my squeal. “Oh that’s so exciting!”
“Yes, it is.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “However, some of the guys, Archer and Tyson included, started earlier and are now suffering those consequences, do you think you could come pick them up?”
“Oh absolutely, where are you guys?”
“The Old Mill Brewery.”
“I’ll be right there Coach!”
“Thank you, and Elle? It will be nice to formally meet you.”
“You too, Coach.” We hang up and I throw real clothes on before driving to the brewery.
I shoot a text to Sadie, asking her if I can drop Tyson off at her place or if he needs to stay at ours.
Sadie spilled the beans earlier that she and Ty have been ‘seeing’ each other.
I was not shocked. I’m, in fact, incredibly thrilled.
My hopes of us becoming couples that go on vacations together and spend the holidays together is looking increasingly possible.
I pull into the only empty spot in the brewery’s parking lot and got permission from Sadie to drop Ty off at her place.
Making my way in I pass a group of linemen who are crowded around a shuffleboard table, arguing good-naturedly over who’d cheated. Near the back wall, DJ is beaming telling anyone who’d listen about his engagement. Archer is in the thick of it spending quality time with his teammates.
I can’t help but smile.
DJ spots me first. “Elle!” he shouts, waving so hard I’m afraid he might knock over his glass. “You made it! We’re celebrating, I’m engaged!”
“I heard!” I weave my way through the crowd toward him “Congratulations, Deej. That’s amazing.” The last part of my sentence is a wheeze as he picks me up and crushes me in a bear hug.
“Isn’t it?” Ty says, slinging an arm around DJ’s shoulders as soon as he puts me down. “Whole team’s been toasting to him all night. Coach even bought a round. Which, for the record, is historic.”
“Coach bought a round?”
He’s leaning against the bar, pint glass in hand, looking relaxed.
Coach Oliver Pierson is the type of man that just exudes charisma.
You know he’s the man in charge when you see him, however tonight he’s donning jeans and a simple henley, he looks like one of the guys.
Coach smiles and nods “Evening, Elle. Nice to formally meet you. I’ve been trying to get your boys to behave, but unfortunately, they started earlier than I was able to get here. ”
He earns indignant responses from both Ty and Archer.
Coach raises his glass again, catching the team’s attention with his booming voice. “Alright, listen up! Before this turns into karaoke night again—”
The players whoop. “No promises, Coach!” someone shouts.
He continues smiling. “To DJ and to all of you. You’ve been playing your hearts out this season. I’ve never been prouder to coach a bunch of grown men-children in my life. Now, let’s make it to the post season!”
The Wolves crowd cheers.
I smile at Archer. “Time to say night-night, go do your rounds.”
DJ is hugging everyone in reach, Cameron shouts something about “wedding colors,” Coach finishes his drink and starts to organize cabs and Ubers for his boys.
I do my best to steer Archer and Tyson toward the door, when I hear Coach call after them, “Bell, McCreary — hydrate tomorrow! And Elle? You’re doing the Lord’s work. ” A loud laugh escapes me.
Outside, the cold air is a relief. Tyson zips his jacket halfway and shivers dramatically. “Why is it colder every time I leave that place?”
“Because you’re sweating beer,” I say while unlocking the car.
Archer chuckles. “She’s not wrong.”
Tyson calls shotgun. “No chance. Archer’s up front. You get the back seat, sir. I feel like you need the child lock on.”
“Fine,” Tyson says, climbing in. “But I get to pick the music.”
“No,” Archer and I say in unison.
The drive is quiet for exactly thirty seconds before Ty starts talking again.
“You know what’s crazy?” he says, leaning forward between the seats. “DJ’s engaged. That’s wild. I mean, he picked his person. Do you think it will turn out better than—” Ty shuts his mouth before he can finish the thought.
Archer snorts. “Yes, as a matter of fact. I do think it will turn out better than my last engagement.”
An uncomfortable giggle escapes me. My eyes dart between Ty, the road before finally settling on Archer. Who, to my surprise, is grinning.
“Arch, I’m sorry man, I —”
“It’s okay.” Archer turns his grin at him, “You’re my best friend, you are in fact allowed to say I told you so. You tried to tell me a couple of times that we weren’t compatible in the long run.”
“And you still didn’t listen.” He grins. The car lulls to a comfortable quiet with only my music playing in the background.
“Does anyone else want Taco Bell?” Ty suddenly blurts, popping the little bubble of peace we had.
“Hey, I’m a professional athlete, I do not put that poison in my body.” Archer says, mock offended. Tyson snorts. “So that’s a yes.”
Archer groans, rubbing his eyes with his palms.
“Yes. I do in fact want Taco Bell.”
I can’t help but smile as I pull into the Taco Bell drive through. Both men place their orders, and I place mine and Sadie’s go to orders as well.
I pull up to Sadie’s apartment; she clearly was watching our location and was waiting to meet us.
Ty leans between the seats, his Taco Bell bag swinging dangerously close to Archer’s head.
“She’s so pretty.” He sighs happily as he admires Sadie coming toward the car.
“I will make sure to thank you both in our wedding speech.”
“Out,” Archer says, laughing.
Tyson salutes sloppily, I undo the child lock, and he about falls out of my car.
Luckily Sadie was able to catch him and their Taco Bell bags.
Thank goodness she works out, or she would have been flattened by the wide receiver.
I drive us the rest of the way home while Archer shares the story of how DJ proposed.
I pull into the garage of our building and start the Herculean task of getting Archer up to our place.
Listen, I consider myself to be in halfway decent shape, I work out three to four times a week and I try to eat healthy most days. However, I do not think there is any workout regime I could do that would prepare me for corralling a drunk pro-football player that is over a foot taller than me.
By the time I manage to get Archer into the apartment I am sweating, my muscles are aching and I feel like I just ran a marathon. Meanwhile, Drunky McDrunkface, is munching on his Taco Bell singing the praises of the bastardization of Mexican food.
Realizing there is no real point in showering before I have to drag Archer to bed. I plop down next to him and enjoy my food and Baja Blast.
“You know, I’m glad Cassie cheated on me.”
I nearly choke on my Cheesy Gordita Crunch.
Unphased by my near death experience Archer continues, “If she didn’t cheat on me, I would never have had a shitty start of the season and you never would have reached out to me and I wouldn’t be enjoying Taco Bell on the floor of my apartment right now.
” He says as he leans against the couch.
“I’m really fucking happy she cheated on me Elle, because it meant I got to re-meet you. I love you.”
I’m pretty sure my heart just grew three sizes. “I love you too.” I say as I kiss him softly.