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“He’s right. Witnesses in general would help dissolve further rumors and the presence of a woman would be helpful for those already with the narrative built in their head.” The blonde woman finally speaks up. She faces me and introduces herself as one of the college’s lawyers.
The director rubs a hand down his face. “Alright. I’ll pull her in today and update her.”
Eli taps his knuckles on the table. “We done then?”
The director glances at the lawyer and then the dean, who’s been silent the entire meeting. They all nod. Eli stands and tugs on the lapels of his jacket.
“Good. Be sure to direct any communication through me since I’ll be representing him if this escalates.” My brother’s authoritative tone leaves no room for arguments. I shake their hands and follow him out of the room.
Eli only waits till we’re halfway to my office, stomping across the sidewalk before turning on me. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Cut the fucking bullshit.” He snarls. “Are you fucking one of your athletes?”
I cross my arms, my own temper rising. “Didn’t we just confirm I wasn’t?”
His nostrils flare. “We said whatever we needed to to make sure you didn’t lose your job.”
Shaking my head, I laugh in his face. “Let’s not act like that wasn’t to save your own reputation. You and our parents only care what I’m doing if there’s a chance of me ruining the perfect family image you curated.”
Eli glares at me. “You forget how well you’ve benefited from that image. You can look down at us, think we’re shallow for caring, but you’re single-handedly one of the most well-paid athletes in the country for a sport that, frankly, people don’t give a fuck about.”
We stare at each other, the constant resentment of each other's lives thickening in the air. I was the star athlete, but Eli was the star student. I was off in the Olympics while Eli was graduating early and getting into college. Our parents pushed us to one-up the other on achievements that weren’t even comparable.
“I never asked you to be my lawyer,” I say finally.
He sighs. “You never have to. You’re my younger brother and even if you’re a goddamn idiot, you’re still family.” He pulls his keys and phone out of his pocket. “Call Mom, won’t you? You moved less than an hour away from us but haven’t visited her once.”
I clench my jaw. “It goes both ways, Eli. I have a job. What prevents her from visiting me? Besides hosting social events for every Mary, Joseph, and John in town.”
My brother shakes his head. “Just fucking call her.” He walks away, leaving me on the sidewalk with the familiar distaste of my family in my mouth.
No one understood the sacrifice of your life to commit yourself to a sport, especially at the level I competed. It’s one of the reasons that drew me to Sage. She knows. She understands that sometimes you have to sell a piece of your soul to get what you want.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sage
He looks up from where he's sitting on his couch when I fill his office’s doorway. I double-check behind me before quickly closing the door as I walk in.
“Sage…”
My stomach turns and I clench my hands together. “I didn’t tell them anything about us.”
Fallon runs his hand through his hair, the gray t-shirt rising to reveal the thin strip of skin it always does as he stands. But now I know how it looks under it all, how low and deep those lines run along his pelvis and to his beautiful cock.
“I know you didn’t,” he says softly.
I move toward him. I stop in front, unsure if he wants anything to do with me. Fallon pulls me into his chest and I wrap my arms around his waist as I push my face deeper into his hold.
“I’m sorry.”
He groans. “What are you sorry for, baby?”
My fingers dig into his back and I look up at him. “They think you… took advantage of me. I denied it.”
“That’s not your fault. Sage, no matter if it’s consensual. I’m still in a position of power over you, so there will always be an imbalance because of that.”
