Page 58 of First Down Promise

I straighten, not that it does much when Dane still has an inch on me. “What’s your point?” I reply.

“He lets us stay over when we shouldn’t drive. He knew someone would make sure Abby got home okay after the party. He knows if she needs anything, we’re there for her...”

“So? None of that has changed,” I scoff.

“What are you going to do? I’ve never seen you get serious about anyone. Are you suddenly a relationship kind of guy now? Because you can’t mess with Abby, just to leave her high and dry if it doesn’t work out.”

I clear my throat. “I know that, Dane.”

“So, how long, Josh?” he asks, unscrewing the cap from his water bottle. “How long have you been lying to Pete?”

“Cut that shit, dude.” He stares at me with his signature unamused expression, and I know better than to enter a staring contest with him. “Since the game in Wisconsin last month.” He continues silently judging me, but he breaks away after a moment to take a sip from his water bottle.

“I think you wanted me to find out, and you were too much of a pussy to tell me,” he says, screwing the lid back on. My jaw shifts, but after years of playing with Dane, I should have expected his bite.

“I deserve that.”

Dane runs his hand down his face. “So, you’re having sex with her?” he quietly asks, but I don’t answer because he already knows. “Of course you are. You’re cooked. We’re cooked as a team.”

He reaches down to adjust the weight and pauses, placing his hands on his knees. “You crossed a line, Josh,” he whispers.

I cross my arms over my chest and huff. “No, I finally feel like I’m where I should be. I know the Pete thing isn’t ideal, but he wants her to be happy.”

“The Pete thing? Dude, you fucked his sister. Actively fucking, I bet. You’ve had all of bye week with her.” Something on my face must give me away because Dane scowls at me.

“We waited. It’s not like the first thing we did.” I sound defensive, but I genuinely took it as slowly as I could. She didn’t want to wait long either, though.

“Without too many details, what happened in Wisconsin? I’m assuming it was after the game?” Dane asks.

“Oh, come on, you love the details,” I tease. “Fine. Yeah, I invited her to my room.”

“You’re going to cost her the squad,” Dane snaps. “And what’s stopping them from replacing you with the new tight end? He’d be cheaper.” My breath catches for half a second.

“They’re not going to do that. Pete and I are magical on the field,” I argue.

Dane laughs. “Right, ‘cause sleeping with his sister won’t impact your performance on the field?”

“We’re telling him after the season. That will give us time to recover and come back stronger.” I put my hands on my hips. “Abby doesn’t like the squad and wants to resign after the season ends.” She was already miserable at Week Five’s home game, but no one else noticed.

“So, she’s not moving back to Wisconsin? She keeps waffling on that,” Dane asks. My chest aches at the thought.

“I don’t think so. If she did, I could split my time here and in Wisconsin.”

“You guys sure have a lot of good ideas on paper,” he deadpans. “You’re so dumb, but Pete’s not,” he adds under his breath. “He’ll notice if she’s being different. Be fucking careful.”

Just then, my phone chimes from my pocket with a notification from the camera that overlooks the front of the house. Pete and Coop are walking up to the front door, and Pete’s Mercedes is parked behind Dane’s SUV in the driveway.

“Pete’s here.”

“This will be fun,” he says, and purses his lips.

I roll my eyes. “Shut up.”

This is the first time I’ve seen Pete since our last game a week ago, and I’ve only had sex with his sister a few times since he left—no big deal or anything. But Pete doesn’t have the instinct to know if something is going on, even if it is right under his nose.

“Hey, guys,” I greet as I open the front door.

“Dude, I’m hungover as shit. Too many cocktails on the flight home,” Pete says and pulls his sunglasses off, but I avoid looking him in the eye. “How’s bye week been treating you?” He brushes past me with Coop following him.