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“Why not? I’ll be 21 by draft time. That’s the same age as most people going into the draft.”
Cage looked at me concerned.
“You get that running backs aren’t what NFL teams are looking for right now, right? If you get an injury, you could fall far.”
“I get all of that. But the iron’s hot now. I may as well use it.”
“That’s true,” Cage said not as excited for me as I hoped he would be.
“And, I get that you had the chance to go #1 in the draft but chose us instead…”
“Hey, I didn’t go pro because I was injured.”
“You don’t have to bullshit me. I know you were feeling better in time to make it. And even if it wasn’t last year’s draft, you could have made it this year.”
“But I didn’t want that.”
“Yeah, you wanted to be with us.”
“I did.”
“And now I’m choosing to go pro instead of doing what you did,” I said lowering my head.
Cage put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder.
“Nero, I made the decision that was best for me. I needed this. What’s more, I wanted this. But because I chose this for myself doesn’t mean you have to.
“The world is big. You should explore it. I can hold down the fort. I’m here so you don’t have to be,” Cage said with a smile. “You hear me?”
I felt a tear on my cheek that I quickly wiped away.
“I hear you.”
“Good.”
Cage let me go and rejoined Quin. I watched them get comfortable in each other’s arms.
“There’s probably something else I should tell you now that we’re talking about stuff.”
“What’s that?” My brother asked.
“I, ah, I think I want what you have?”
Cage twisted his head confused. “What I have?”
“You know, Quin,” I said vulnerably.
“Bro, Quin’s taken,” he said with a smile.
“You know what I mean.”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“Come on,” I said not wanting to explain myself.
“You need to say the words,” Cage told me no longer hiding what he knew.
My chest hurt looking at the two caring faces staring back. Taking a deep breath, I gathered myself. This was it. I was going to say it out loud.
