“I got you,” I said as I pulled out of the garage and headed toward the restaurant, which was luckily only a few minutes away. The ride was quiet as we both vibed out to the sounds of Coco Jones. We didn’t need words—just her hand in mine and a few stolen glances at each other. The silence said everything we were both thinking. We had each other. Whatever the night had for us, we were going to face that shit together, make the best of it, and fuck each other senseless when we got home.

We arrived at the private Valentine’s Day dinner spot a few minutes later, despite the traffic. I valeted my whip and then escorted Phileigh inside like the beautiful trophy she was. The dinner was being hosted at a luxury rooftop restaurant. The vibes were cool. The place was decked out with velvet, candles, and expensive-looking glass furniture. Phileigh seemed impressed as we made our way up the elevator to where the rest of the team was. The elevator doors opened, revealing a few of my teammates and their spouses. Their eyes immediately gravitated to us.

“KB!”

We were greeted warmly at the entrance. A few players clapped me on the back, but all eyes were on Phileigh. Everybody wanted to know about the beautiful woman on my arm, especially since I hadn’t brought anyone around since the breakup with Ari. Phileigh smiled shyly, shaking hands, giving them the quiet confidence that drew me to her. Cam’s wife, Elli, waved us over to a table where several of my offensive linemen were already seated with their ladies. Cam and Elli stood and greeted us both with a hug.

“Y’all look amazing,” she said. “And glowing, especially you, Phileigh.”

Phileigh smiled shyly, and I squeezed her hand. She was clearly unsure how to respond. Cam and Elli were the only two people here who knew our secret. I was about to step in and change the subject, but Phileigh muttered something about skincare, redirecting the conversation all on her own. Elli winked at us as she returned to her seat. I nodded at Cam as a small token of respect for them keeping our little secret. Cam nodded back as he pulled Elli in close and whispered something in her ear.

“Yo! Kellon, you trying to break the internet tonight, huh?” Javier, one of my teammates, called out with a smirk, holding up his phone and showing the post I’d made before we left. It already had thousands of likes and comments and had already been reshared by Hollywood Tea Room.

“I just thought I’d let the people know.” I shrugged.

“I respect it. It’s good to have you back in the club,” he said, referring to the unofficial club of players who were taken.