Page 162 of Drop Three

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for what you’ve been through. But I will say, the guy you were then is not someone I wanted to be with my sister. Although Navy never listens to anything I say and has always done what she wants, it just didn’t sit well with me.”

“You know I tried to stop it, right?” I ask him.

“Yeah, I’m sure you did. And how did that work out for you?”

I laugh under my breath. “Impossible.”

Cal pats me on the back again. “Navy always follows her heart. If she chose you, then that means something pretty extraordinary.”

Fuck.He’s a good dude.

“But after everything you did for me when I was locked up, man. I could never betray you like that. You were there for Penelope when I couldn’t be, you helped me get my spot back on the team, and you visited me every week. Not to mention the way you advocated for me with Leggins and the media. You saved me a lot of extra strife. You don’t know how much that meant to me, man.”

I remember as soon as news broke that I was accepted back on the team, keeping my contract intact—insanity happened. Every news reporter in town wanted to get the scoop on the “professional ball player turned jailbird.”

Cal hired a team of security and paid off every news station in town.

He nods. “And I would do it again. Just like I know you would do the same for me.”

In a heartbeat.

“You’re okay with this?”I ask him, reconfirming before I make Navy my whole damn personality.

I fucking hope he is.

Cal nudges my side. “I have been, man. I was waiting for you to grow some balls, that’s all.”

We chuckle and I feel so goddamn light.

The feeling of Cal’s acceptance is freeing. He’s been the obstacle in the way of making Navy mine in every way imaginable, and to have his blessing means everything.

It means a happy fucking future with the woman who I can’t wait to make coffee for every morning.

The woman who is the eye of my storm.

I’ve put in the work on myself and finally see the reward from it.

“She means everything to me,” I tell Cal honestly.

“Have you told her that?” He grins.

“Not how she deserves, but I will.”

“So I’m guessing that means things didn’t work out with her and Briggs?” Cal asks me, ready to see his life flash before his eyes.

I snarl. “Fuck no. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Try to behave,” Cal says, looking at me like I’m gonna do something stupid.

I have no intention to.

Briggs is, was, my friend.

Maybe he still could be once I get the thought of him kissing Navy out of my head. But for now, I don’t see that happening any time soon.

“I’m a saint,” I tell him like he needs convincing.

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