Page 94 of Forecheck
“How do you know?”
“I just sat down with my bosses. They told me they’re not shopping me, and that I can stay in Detroit for my whole career if I want.”
My sister’s relief was audible as she sighed deeply into the phone, the sound echoing through my truck speakers.
“As for Nate,” I said, “it’s nice that he cares enough to come check on me. I haven’t seen him in a while. Maybe Berkley and I will take him to breakfast.”
“You’re a pain in my ass,” Kenzie said, then hung up.
Before I headed upstairs after pulling into the garage of my building, I checked my phone for the first time since I’d gotten home from dinner with Mitch the night before.
My lock screen was bogged down with notifications. Some were from Warriors, others from college friends and teammates.
But the bulk were from my family, increasing in hysteria the longer they’d gone unanswered.
The most recent had come from my mom about thirty seconds ago.
Mama: You little shit.
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me, and I typed out a response.
Me: Sorry! Everything is good. Not being traded. I’ll call you later. Love you!
Mama: Yeah yeah love you too you brat.
When I walked into my condo, Nate and Berkley sat companionably at my kitchen island, talking over coffee.
Berkley was in her leggings from the day before and one of my t-shirts. A cursory glance told me she wasn’t wearing a bra, and considering how wet she’d been for me when I’d stripped her bare yesterday, I’d bet good money she didn’t have panties on either.
The thought had blood rushing dangerously to my cock. It was grossly inappropriate to pop a boner with my brother in the room…even if my brother had more notches in his belt than I did.
“The prodigal son returns,” Nate said wryly.
“You guys blew everything out of proportion,” I said, waving him off and moving to make my own cup of coffee. Mug in hand, I leaned against the island across from them, meeting their expectant stares. “So I went incommunicado for a few hours. Big fucking deal.”
Nate snorted. “A few hours? Bro, you were MIA for overfifteen.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “That’s what Kenzie said. But I wasn’t dead in a ditch. I was here with Berk.”
Nate nodded sagely, eyes widening in understanding. “Sex fest. Got it.”
Unperturbed by my brother’s correct analysis of how we’d spent last night and this morning, Berkeley narrowed her eyes on me.
“Well?” she asked, gnawing at her bottom lip in a way that had my mind spinning back to the incredible head I’d received that morning.
Fuck, there wasn’t a thing about this woman that didn’t turn me on, and I’d simply have to resign myself to living life with a perpetual halfie where she was concerned.
A quick glance at my brother had the heat in my veins cooling. He must’ve come right from the hospital, because he still wore his deep blue scrubs with the yellow University of Michigan logo and “Dr. Jean” embroidered on the pocket over his left pec.
Thinking of the fact that my brother willingly surrounded himself by blood and guts all day had my dick calming considerably.
“I’m staying.”
“That’s great, bro,” Nate said in that stoic way of his. The gleam in his eye was the only outward indication that he was happy for me, and he reached across the counter for a fist bump.
Where my sister was wide open with her emotions, Nate played everything close to the vest. On that spectrum, I supposed I fell somewhere in the middle of the two.
I turned to my girl, a smile slowly unfurling on her face as our gazes met and held. “You’re staying.”
