33. Emerson

"Avery said she got them."

"Cool." I ran a hand over my face. I still had no idea if I was doing the right thing. "And you're cool with me selling them?"

Chris shrugged. "You're giving the money to her, so yeah, I'm okay with it. Though she might hate you for it. She has a thing about selling her stuff."

My stomach sank. That was my worry. Though my perspective was a little different. Chris thought that she didn't want to sell them. In reality, she was afraid no one would buy them. But he was right. She might hate me for making the decision for her. Because Gi was stubbornly independent and hated vulnerability.

I sighed. "If they sell, then she'll see that her art is valuable. That people enjoy it. And if that happens, then it'll be worth it, even if she hates me."

We only had a short time left anyway. August was creeping up on us too quickly. She hadn't found an affordable place yet, but as much as I hated the idea of her leaving, the auction would give her the cushion she'd need to move back to New York and get her life back on track.

Time wasn't my friend these days. Not at home, and not on the field. With each passing day, my time with the Revs was running out and Gi was getting closer to moving out. Since I was on the road as much as I was home, I spent every free moment while I was in Boston with her. Watching TV, talking, making dinner, making her come with my tongue or my hand or my dick. Any way and anywhere I could.

The mixture of emotions I felt was overwhelming. Trying to enjoy the time with her while holding a piece of myself back. Trying to keep myself at the top of my game so maybe Beckett Langfield would see me as an asset while trying not get my hopes up that I'd get the honor of putting on the blue pinstripes next season. It was a tightrope.

"When are we telling her?" Chris's question jarred me back to the visiting team locker room at the Bandits' stadium in Denver.

"What are we telling who?" Kyle asked.

"Gi." Chris hardly looked at him as he scrolled on his phone. "Emerson got Wren to list some of her artwork in an auction next week. I had Avery and a moving crew get the rest of my crap out of the apartment, and while they were there, they picked up the paintings." Chris dropped his phone onto his chair. "We should let Wilson know that a bunch of us are going. It's a day game, but they like to know when we do cultured shit so they can promote that we aren't just dumbasses who can hit a ball. Plus, I think Asher and I are going to leave a day later for the all-star game."

I nodded. Not that I was going to the all-star game. That was Chris, Asher Price, and Mason Dumpty.

Chris moved across the room to his fiancée's father's office.

"So…" Kyle shook his head and dropped into Chris's chair. "When are you going to tell him?"

I pressed down hard on the knuckles of my left hand and relished the way they cracked. "Tell who what?"

He snorted. "There are things men do for friends. Paying for drinks at the bar, maybe giving them a ride to the airport, if it's a normal hour and you've got nothing else to do. You might water their plants while they're on vacation…"

"I'd do any of that stuff for anyone."

He rolled his eyes. "That's true, but still. Even if we use you as the bar. Setting up an art auction to sell her work? That's I'm sleeping with her and my dick isn't the only thing enjoying it kind of shit."

Heat crept up my neck, and I let out a growl.

"And you're testy." Kyle was entirely too happy about my issues.

I sighed and hung my head. "Do you want to lie to him?"

Kyle shook his head. "Hell no."

"Then don't ask me a question you don't want to know the answer to."

Because somewhere along the way, vague answers and omissions had turned into lies and actively hiding shit from my best friend. Although I hated it, I wasn't willing to give Gi up yet, and I couldn't apologize or be remorseful if I wasn't sorry. So hopefully Chris would never find out. If he did? Then maybe it would be far enough down the road that I could fake an acceptable reaction.

"For the record, we aren't telling Gi about this until we get there." I had been forced to tell Chris and Avery. When Wren texted to tell me she needed to get them over to the auction for presale photos, I was in Minneapolis, so I had no choice but to ask for their help.

"Oh, this is going to be such a shit show." Kyle laughed. "Can I come?"