Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Jett

At first, it feels like coming to Monty's party is a mistake.

There are too many people.

There is too much noise.

I would much rather be at home relaxing instead of being stuck in a suit at this place.

Thankfully, I know pretty much everyone here. Monty kept the party to mostly the players and their families, along with the team's support staff. The people I don't know, don't approach me. Whether that's from the look on my face when we make eye contact or from the way I move through the crowd, I'm unsure. I know I look like I'm a man on a mission though I'm not.

Unfortunately, if I get too still, I know I'll overthink everything. Or worse, I'll zone out and then lose track of any conversations completely.

When I eventually make my way to the kitchen, I spot Bellamy and Aries with their partners. I also see Monty wrapped around someone unfamiliar.

Who is he?

He feels important. What a strange thought.

"Jett! Come meet my brother," Monty yells at me from across the space.

I stride over to the group. I give greetings to my teammates, then softly greet Finn and Raymond. I know how sensitive the pair can be to some of the other larger players. Given that I'm taller than their men, I don't want to scare them.

Hell, I scare pretty much everyone with my size. It's not like I can change it of course.

It's just burdensome.

When my eyes trace over the man Monty is still holding on to, I feel this sense of curiosity. Kind of like when they release new information about a train design, or a new documentary comes up on the history of trains, and I find myself engrossed in the topic for hours. It's rare that I get uninhibited time like that to enjoy things. When I do, I go all in.

I've got that same feeling running through me right now.

"Jett, this is Micah and his friend Danny."

I hadn't even noticed the other guy in the background. My focus was too much on the man named Micah.

He's smaller than me.

Much smaller.

Yet something about him is powerful. There's a confidence there that seems unflappable. It reminds me a bit of Bellamy and Aries.

I'm not sure how someone of his stature can pull it off. He does though.

Monty squeezes his brother tighter to him. I give a forward tilt of my head to acknowledge them both, though they miss it when Micah pushes Monty.

"Ease up, brother. The game is over. Let the adrenaline drop."

"It's hard. Did you see that first half? I was on fire. We got lucky this was your first game and Coach made those calls."

Aries shares how I made the call to put Monty in the position, to which I have to validate my reasoning. Not that they doubt me at all. I've more than proven myself.

I do it because knowing Monty, he needs the praise after such a strenuous game.

Conversation shifts once Monty gets called away to play host. I only halfway listen as everyone goes over what Micah does for a living.

My brain is too overstimulated. I ache to slip my thumb in my mouth and disappear into a corner where no one can see me.

It was impossible, but I can dream, right?

With my brain elsewhere, I miss when Bellamy and Micah step out of the circle.

It's only when Finn asks me a question about trains that I register how our group has gotten smaller.

I glance around briefly, then have him repeat the question. The second time he says it, Aries groans.

"You've done it now, Little One."

While I know he is mostly joking, a small part of me feels ashamed that I go off on these tangents. I feel bad that I bore people so much with useless train facts that they dread having conversations with me.

But Finn doesn't seem bored or exasperated like most people do. He's curious.

I can tell by the way he looks at me and the smile he wears while he nods for me to go on.

So of course I do. I explain to him about how I was only four years old when I got my first train set. I tell him about how my mom worked really hard to save up for it and how it was my favorite toy up until I was way too old to be playing with trains. I share about how when I got my first job, I saved up money for months to get an elaborate electric train set. It took up our entire dining room table, which Mom hated but dealt with. She knew how fascinated I was, so she didn't complain… much.

Besides, with her work schedule, I ate alone most nights. Nothing soothed me quite like watching my train go round and round the various tracks I made as I ate cold leftover pasta straight from the bowl.

I tell him about how I became fanatical about trains once I had my NFL contract. Money was no longer an issue, and as soon as I took care of my mother, I went all out setting up my own train collection in my house.

None of the guys have been by to see it in person, but they've seen pictures before. When I pull out my phone to show Finn, I realize the rest of the group is watching with amused expressions.

Even the man named Micah is smiling.

Once I show off my impressive setup, Finn asks, "How often do you go on rides?"

I shake my head as I tuck my phone away.

"I've never been."

Raymond frowns. "What do you mean you've never been? If this is your favorite thing in the entire world, why would you not go?"

I fight the urge to squirm under their attention.

Telling them the truth isn't really an option. I can't say ‘I've always dreamed of my first trip being with someone special' or even more appropriate ‘I wanted my Daddy to take me on my first trip' instead.

"Going alone didn't feel right. And I've never met anyone who likes trains as much as I do."

It's then that Micah speaks up. "If you could go on any train ride, which one would you choose? I'm sure you have the routes memorized."

There's nothing malicious in his tone.

If I had to guess, I would say he's being nice since it's the first time he's met everyone. Monty said he was a good guy. He made us swear we would be on our best behaviors so as not to scare him away since the two brothers rarely see each other.

I think through his question carefully before replying.

"It's impractical, but I've always wanted to go on the California Zephyr ride. It originates in Chicago and has one of the longest paths across the US. It's also said to be extremely beautiful."

"Have you given thought to international trains? I know it's a big thing overseas, right?"

I nod rapidly, excited that someone has a bit of train knowledge to share with me. Even if it's something common, it's better than the blank stares I tend to get.

"I always figured when I eventually made it overseas that I would just use a train as my preferred method of travel. Why bother with a car or a plane when the entire continent is connected by rail line?"

Micah hums as Bellamy chuckles. "As much fun as this train talk is, I think I need to steal Finn away for a moment."

I watch him give Raymond and Aries some kind of look, then the other pair also claims they need to step away. Left alone with Monty's brother, I'm unsure what to do. We haven't known each other for very long and all of our buffers just disappeared.

"Are you thirsty?" Micah asks me after a few tense seconds of silence.

I evaluate myself to see if the question is valid. Hydration is forced upon us during the game and shortly after. We sweat a lot on the field and needing to replace electrolytes is key to maintaining form.

Since finishing up my last drink in the locker room, I haven't had much else though.

Eventually, I nod to which he smiles softly.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Water is suitable," I tell him, not even chancing a glance at the rows of liquor I'm sure are behind me.

Micah nods, then eyes me from head to toe. "Stay here and wait for me. I'll be back in just a minute."

My body freezes at his tone.

It was so gentle and commanding, I can't help but do as he says. I'm frozen, a mix of want and need and confusion swelling within me.

Could Micah be… dominant? Is he interested in me?

I throw away the silly idea the second he returns with a sealed bottle of water for both of us. Before I can accept my own, he unscrews the lid and hands it over.

"Careful. It's full to the brim."

I slowly bring it to my lips and take a sip. The cold refreshing water slides down my throat, easing some of the scratchiness I feel there given how little I talk normally. The times where I do ramble on and on tend to affect me vocally. It doesn't help that I have a deeper than average voice as well.

Micah drinks his own water, then casually leans on the counter beside me. His entire body is facing mine, his attention clearly on me.

I glance around, still unsure why he's locked on to me when he could be anywhere else. He could be with his friend Danny or his brother. He could have taken off with any of the others. He knows them better than he knows me since they spent time in the stands together.

And yet he stayed with me.

"Is there anything you like outside of trains? I think they're fantastic, but I would love to get to know more about you," he says.

"Trains are my favorite thing to talk about. I enjoy other things as well, though."

"Like what?"

"I like structure and efficiency. I'm really good at keeping routines and following instructions. The best days are when things go exactly how I planned them."

Micah furrows his brow. "That's not exactly what I meant, Jett. I was thinking more like fishing or hiking or taking naps."

I grin, unable to stop the amusement at his teasing. "Taking naps for fun? I'm not sure I've done that in ages. Not since long before joining the NFL."

He's still smirking at me as he says, "Well, that's such a shame. I bet a nap would do you good every once in a while."

I shiver uncontrollably at the sultry tone his voice has taken.

Before I can say anything in response, my phone begins to beep, signaling my alarm. I pull the device from my pocket and shut it off. Turning back to face Micah, I see his smile has vanished.

"Is everything okay?" he asks casually.

I nod, then shake my head, then nod again. "That was my alarm for me to go."

There's a pause between us then. It's like we're on the edge of something. I just can't figure out what.

"I have a feeling the alarm has something to do with all the order and structure you enjoy. Correct?"

"Yes. It's part of my schedule," I admit.

"Can I walk you out to your vehicle?"

I'm sure I look completely shocked because it's exactly how I feel. Which is truly odd for me. Emotions don't usually come so abundantly when I'm with someone.

Especially not someone that I just met.

"I wouldn't mind."

His cheeks lift as the corners of his mouth curl into a wide smile. "Great. Let's get you home and away from this chaos. You've got a routine to stick to."

Looking back, I should have realized in that moment how important Micah would come to be in my life.

For him to get me so easily and for us to connect so comfortably — I had no other choice but to become his.