In Love with The Rival

003

The Next Morning

Joe woke up groggy, the events of the previous day still swirling in his mind. He rubbed his eyes, stretched, and reached for his phone out of habit. As he scrolled through his notifications, something made him pause.

There, in his Instagram DMs, was a message from someone he hadn’t expected to hear from—Emma Kelce.

His heart skipped a beat as he opened the message.

“Hey, this might be random, but I think we bumped into each other yesterday at the stadium. I just realized who you are after seeing you on the field. I wanted to say hi—officially this time. :)”

Joe stared at the screen for a moment, a mix of surprise and excitement coursing through him. Of all the things he thought might happen after the game, this wasn’t one of them. Emma had reached out first. He wasn’t sure what to think, but the small smiley face at the end of her message seemed to soften the awkwardness.

He read the message again, unsure of how to respond. She’d been casual, friendly—like she wasn’t thinking about the rivalry or the complications. Maybe this didn’t have to be as messy as he’d thought.

Joe took a breath and started typing.

“Yeah, I remember. I wasn’t sure if you recognized me or not, but I figured bumping into people is a common thing at Arrowhead, especially when it’s Chiefs vs. Bengals. Sorry about that, by the way. Hope you didn’t spill anything on your coat. :)”

He hit send, wondering if it was the right balance of casual and friendly. He didn’t want to come off as too eager, but it also felt impossible to pretend he wasn’t excited that she had messaged him. Minutes passed, and he kept glancing at his phone, waiting for a response.

His phone buzzed.

Emma replied almost immediately. “No worries, all clear on the coat! Haha. I’ve gotta say, I didn’t even realize who you were until I saw you out on the field. I’m guessing this is a bit of an awkward situation, huh? My brothers might have some thoughts about me chatting with the Bengals QB.”

Joe chuckled at the message. She was direct, and he appreciated that. He could imagine the reaction if Travis or Jason found out, but at the same time, it didn’t feel wrong. It wasn’t like they were doing anything that would stir up trouble... yet.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” he typed back. “The rivalry’s no joke, but I don’t think we’re breaking any NFL rules by talking. Unless your brothers have their own code of conduct I should know about?”

Emma replied with a laughing emoji and then, “Trust me, they’re protective, but they’re not unreasonable. I think they’d be more annoyed that you guys beat us last night than about me DMing you.”

Joe smiled, leaning back against the headboard of his bed. For some reason, the banter with her felt easy, natural, like they’d known each other longer than a few messages and a quick encounter at the stadium.

“Fair point,” he sent back. “Tell them I’m sorry about the game, but I can’t exactly apologize for doing my job.”

Emma's reply came quickly: “No apology needed. You were pretty impressive out there, I’ll give you that. But next time, the Chiefs are winning. Just so you know.”

Joe felt a wave of warmth wash over him. She had spirit. He liked that.

“Deal,” he replied. “But I can’t make it easy for you guys. Can’t wait for the rematch.”

---

A Week Later

The conversation had continued over the following days, and Joe found himself looking forward to their chats more than he expected. Emma was witty, sharp, and surprisingly down-to-earth for someone who had grown up in the world of football royalty. The rivalry between their teams faded into the background whenever they talked, and it was becoming harder for Joe to ignore the butterflies he felt whenever her name popped up on his screen.

He hadn’t told anyone about their messages—not his teammates, not his friends. This was something he wanted to figure out for himself, without the noise of outside opinions.

Then, one afternoon, as he was preparing for practice, his phone buzzed with another message from Emma.

“I’m in Cincinnati next weekend visiting some friends. If you’re around, maybe we could grab coffee? No pressure, of course. Just thought I’d throw it out there.”

Joe blinked, reading the message twice just to make sure he hadn’t imagined it. She wanted to meet up. In person.

His heart raced at the idea, but that same little voice in the back of his head reminded him of the potential complications. Travis and Jason weren’t just any players—they were well-respected veterans, and Travis, in particular, was practically a Kansas City icon. But then again, Joe wasn’t a guy who shied away from challenges.

After a long pause, he typed back, “I’d love to. Let me know when you’re free, and we’ll make it happen.”

He hit send, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. He didn’t know where this would go, but he was ready to find out.