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I go down the steps to the front entrance, and a lot of fans are just now coming in. I watch families and smile at every Landry jersey I see, then scowl at the Nilsen ones, although it’s always weird seeing people wearing my brother’s jersey.
“Kyleigh?” a man says softly from next to me. He’s shorter than I was expecting, with thinning dark hair and a kind smile. “I’m Ron.”
“How did you know it was me?”
He looks at my jersey. “It’s my job to know.” He nods toward an elevator. “Let’s go.”
I follow him to the elevator and down a long hallway. He doesn’t say much except how exciting the first game of the season is. He doesn’t say anything about the fact my brother and boyfriend are ruining everyone’s big night.
He opens a door for me, and I step into a small room with a couple of tables and chairs. Rowan is on one side. Conor on the other. Neither is looking at the other.
Rowan’s gaze drifts up, and instead of his usual smile, he looks like a scolded child. Coach Buford must have done a number on them.
“Thank you, Ron.” I give him a weary smile.
“My pleasure.” He shuts the door behind him when he leaves.
I stand with my arms crossed, my gaze drifting from one to the other. “Hello, boys. And I say boys because you’re acting like twelve-year-olds on a playground.”
“He tried to take me down,” Rowan says louder than necessary.
“You’re embarrassing me by acting all cute with her.” Conor nods at me.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“Okay. For the next five minutes, neither of you can talk. You’re both going to listen. Understood?” Neither of them says anything. “I’ll take your silence as a yes.” I slide onto the table. “Conor.”
He glances up, but the annoyed expression on his face tells me I might not get anywhere with him. And I realize I won’t—unless Rowan isn’t in the room.
I hop down from the table. “Actually, Rowan, I need you to give us a second alone.”
“No.”
I set my gaze on him, trying to convey nicely that he needs to do what I’m asking.
“Is this how your relationship works? It’s a dictatorship?” Conor adds his two cents, and this is exactly why Rowan needs to go.
I walk across the room and put my hands on Rowan’s shoulders. “This is a brother-and-sister thing. Wait outside, and I’ll come get you when I’m done.”
He looks at me as though he’s trying to see if he should listen to me or not. Ultimately, he kisses my cheek and walks out of the room.
Once the door is shut behind him, I go over to a chair by Conor and sit, crossing my legs. “I’m not sure how much clearer I have to be, Conor. I love him, and he loves me. And I get that you’ve seen a side of him I never did. I understand that when you were in college, both of you,” I lean down to grab his attention, “bothof you never had a serious relationship and probably took advantage of being the big guys on campus.”
He rolls his eyes. His own reputation isn’t exactly squeaky clean.
“But he’s not that guy anymore. He’s sweet and kind and caring. Especially with me. Neither of us thought this would happen. We thought we’d…okay, you’re not going to want to hear this, but we used each other for sex. But during that, a friendship formed, then our hearts got caught up in it.”
Conor scowls at me, arms still crossed. “You’re in no place for a relationship.”
“I agree with you. I wasn’t in a place for a relationship. Finding Mom crushed me on a level I never thought was possible, but Rowan built me back up. He allowed me the freedom to explore what makes me happy. I’m even sketching again now. You think I’m all broken pieces that he’s taking advantage of, but he’s been picking up the broken pieces slowly, putting them back in place. And if you’d spend any time around us without being so bitter about us, you might see that for yourself.”
His eyes don’t stray from the carpeted floor. “I get that I’m overprotective, but I’ve heard guys say so much shit in locker rooms about the girls they’re seeing. The idea of my sister being the subject of some of those conversations.” His hands clench into fists. “Some of them discard the women and…I just know that if he hurts you, I’m going to destroy him.”
I smile at him, although he hasn’t looked at me yet. “What if he doesn’t?”
“Doesn’t what?”
“What if he never hurts me? What if we get married and have kids and are happily married until we die hand in hand at the same time? Well, I get to die one minute before him, so I never have to live on this earth without him.”
