The Player | SPORTS ROMANCE | 18+

Chapter 1

TITUS REYES

I felt like I was on top of the world. Everyday had felt like that for the past year. Ever since I dropped out of my junior year of college to play professional American football. The fact that I was doing it with one of my closest friends, Denzel Brown only made it all that much better. And that wasn't even the best part about it.

The money and the comradery between my teammates were two of the best things that came from playing professional football, but it was the fame that I valued the most.

I had only been professional for a year but now, every room I walked into, everyone knew my name. It was materialistic, but I didn't need to wait in queues for clubs, and I didn't need to work hard to get women. They just flocked to me, hoping to become the girlfriend of the quarterback of the New York Eagles.

Coach had taken a gamble on me by making me quarterback my first season, but everything had fallen into place when the last quarterback retired after last season, opening up this spot for me. And I was proud to say that I didn't disappoint in the least.

The New York Eagles may not have won the season, but we had made it further than we had in years, and I liked to think that had a little something to do with me.

"How long does it take you to get ready?" My older brother, Tiberius groaned as he joined me in my room. "I know you're a bit shot now, but no matter how much you brush your hair or style your hair, I'm still going to be the better-looking brother."

"You were never the better looking brother." I snorted, sparing one more glance in the mirror to make sure I looked great before turning to face him. "Let's leave before mum and dad start drunk dancing."

He groaned and pulled a disgusted face. For dad's birthday party a few months ago, our parents ended up getting shit-faced drunk and grinding against one another instead of dancing. The sight had been so horrific that we were both now scarred for life.

We were hoping to avoid a repeat of that at mum's birthday party.

"Titus. Tiberius." Mum called out to us from where she was dancing in the living in a circle of her friends, all of them very drunk and tipsy. "You boys be sure to be good tonight. I don't want to get a call in the middle of the night saying that I need to pick either of you up from prison."

"Don't worry, mum. I'll make sure your golden boys stay out of trouble." Tiberius teased, slapping me on the back.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, boys!" Dad cheered as he walked into the living room with the biggest tray of shots I'd ever seen. "And Titus, don't you hurt yourself. If anything happens to you, that Coach of yours is going to kill us."

Tiberius and I chuckled before heading out the house before we got sucked in again.

Like the dutiful sons that we were, we had a great time celebrating mum's birthday with all our friends and family but now the cake had been cut and it was time for us to have a party of our own at the hottest new nightclub in town.

It wasn't hard to earn that title because there were only two other night clubs in town, and one of them wasn't even open some evenings.

Tiberius was driving and on the way toward the outskirts of town where the nightclub was located, we picked up Sienna, my brother's long-term girlfriend and from what I'd been hearing, his soon-to-be fiancé.

"Look who it is!" Adam, one of my old high school friends announced as soon as he set eyes on me. "It's the best quarterback in all of New York!"

"I wouldn't be able to say it myself without sounding full of myself, so thanks for saying." I laughed and pulled him in for a hug.