Forbidden Fruit (Travis Kelce)

Locker Room Talk

Travis

The locker room was buzzing with the usual pre-practice energy. Guys were joking around, music was blaring. I was lacing up my cleats, focused on the upcoming practice, when suddenly everyone's phones started buzzing all at once.

"Hey, what's going on?" one of the guys, Isiah, asked, looking at his phone. His eyes widened. "Holy shit! Arianna Jade sex tape!"

A chorus of surprised exclamations followed as the guys started looking at the video. My stomach dropped. Arianna Jade was Patrick's sister in law. 

I had never met Arianna in person, but I had heard enough about her from Patrick to know that this wasn't just another scandal. This was personal.

"Put the phones away," I said firmly, my voice cutting through the noise.

Some of the guys looked at me, surprised. "Come on, man. It's all over the internet," one of them protested.

"I said, put the phones away," I repeated, my tone leaving no room for argument. "That's Patrick's sister. Show some respect."

Reluctantly, they complied, but the murmurs and whispers continued. I could feel the tension rising in the room, everyone waiting to see how Patrick would react when he found out.

The door to the locker room slammed open, and Patrick stormed in, his expression thunderous. He didn't have to say a word for us to know he was pissed.

"If I see anyone looking at that video," he began, his voice low and dangerous, "I will make your life hell. Don't push me."

The room fell silent. Patrick wasn't just our quarterback; he was our leader. When he spoke, we listened.

Patrick's eyes scanned the room, landing on each of us in turn. "I mean it. This is my family we're talking about. Show some damn respect."

The atmosphere in the locker room shifted. The guys knew better than to push Patrick when he was like this. Phones were hastily shoved into lockers, and the usual locker room banter died down.

"Alright, let's get out there and focus," Patrick said, his voice still tight with anger. "We've got a job to do."

As we filed out onto the field, I couldn't shake the image of Arianna from my mind. I had seen enough glimpses on the screens to know what had been shared. Arianna, completely naked on top of Zach LaVine, her body exposed for the world to see. It was a private, intimate moment that should never have been made public.

The injustice of it all burned inside me. The media was already painting her as a reckless, promiscuous woman, while Zach was getting a free pass, still the golden boy in everyone's eyes. It was so unfair.

During practice, I kept my focus on the drills, but my mind kept drifting back to Arianna. I wondered how she was holding up, what she was going through. I didn't know her, but I felt a strange protectiveness over her, maybe because of my bond with Patrick. She was family by extension, and I knew I needed to be there for Patrick, and by extension, for her.

After practice, I found Patrick sitting alone on the bench, staring out at the empty field. I walked over and sat down beside him.

"You okay?" I asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

Patrick sighed, rubbing his temples. "No, not really. This is a nightmare for her. And seeing the guys... it just makes it worse."

"We'll get through this," I said firmly. "She has you, and now she has us. We're all here for her."

Patrick looked at me, gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks, man. It means a lot. She's coming here to hide out until the media dies down. She'll be here later this afternoon."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "How's she holding up?"

"Not well," Patrick admitted. "She's really depressed. I hate that the guys are treating it lightly when this isn't something she wanted public. It's killing her that people are seeing her like that."

"That's messed up," I said, feeling a surge of anger on her behalf. "She doesn't deserve this."

"No, she doesn't," Patrick agreed. "She needs a safe place, somewhere she can heal without being hounded by the media."

"She'll get that here," I promised. "We'll make sure of it."

Patrick nodded, looking relieved. "I knew I could count on you. Just keep the guys in line. Make sure they don't spread this any further."

"You got it," I said.

As I left the stadium, I couldn't help but think about how this one video had turned Arianna's life upside down. The thought of her facing this alone made my chest tighten. I felt so bad for her, she was innocent in the situation.