In Love with The Rival

010

Morning Surprise

The following weeks unfolded like a whirlwind, with Joe and Emma meeting in secret, stealing away moments from their hectic lives filled with family obligations and game schedules. Each encounter felt more electric than the last, and their bond deepened with each shared laugh, late-night conversation, and, of course, spontaneous adventures.

One particular morning, Joe had stayed the night at Emma's apartment after a late-night movie marathon, both of them wrapped in the comfort of each other's presence. The sun filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the room. Emma stirred awake first, a smile creeping onto her face as she turned to see Joe still asleep beside her. He looked peaceful, his tousled hair falling over his forehead, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to gently brush it aside.

Just as she settled back into the cozy sheets, a loud noise interrupted the morning tranquility. The unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock made her heart drop.

“Travis!” Emma whispered urgently, recognizing her brother’s voice before she even saw him. “What are you doing here?”

The door swung open, and there stood Travis Kelce, her older brother, glaring as he stepped into the apartment. His eyes widened in shock as they landed on Emma and Joe tangled in the sheets. “What the hell, Emma?” he exclaimed, looking furious.

Emma felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. “Travis! You’re not supposed to be here!” she stammered, scrambling to pull the sheets up to cover herself and Joe.

Joe, still groggy and disoriented, blinked awake and looked between Emma and Travis, confusion evident on his face. “Uh, morning?” he said awkwardly, realizing the gravity of the situation as he sat up.

Travis’s expression hardened as he took a step forward, his arms crossing over his chest. “What’s going on here?”

“Travis, it’s not what you think,” Emma pleaded, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I—”

“Not what I think?” Travis cut her off, his tone incredulous. “You’ve got Joe Burrow in your bed! My little sister is dating the quarterback of the Bengals? The guy we just played against?”

Joe’s face fell, a mix of embarrassment and frustration washing over him. “Look, man, it’s not just about football. Emma and I have been seeing each other. It’s—”

“Seeing each other?” Travis scoffed, shaking his head. “This isn’t some casual fling, Joe. You’re on the opposing team. You know how this looks?”

Emma’s heart raced as she jumped in, trying to defuse the tension. “Travis, please. Can we just talk about this without jumping to conclusions?”

Travis threw his hands up in exasperation. “Talk about what? The fact that you’re putting yourself in a ridiculous situation? You know how the media will spin this, right?”

“I know,” Emma replied firmly, her heart pounding. “But this is my life, not just some headline. I really like Joe. It’s not a publicity stunt or whatever you’re thinking.”

Joe nodded, taking a breath. “I care about Emma, man. I’d never do anything to hurt her, and I’m not here to mess with your family. It just… happened.”

Travis’s gaze shifted back to Joe, assessing him with a piercing look. “You better mean that, Burrow. I know how you guys roll in the NFL. One wrong move, and you could make her life hell.”

“I get it,” Joe replied, his voice steady. “I wouldn’t want that for her either. She deserves better than that.”

Travis studied Joe for a moment, then turned back to Emma. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I will, I promise,” Emma assured him, relief washing over her as she saw the anger in Travis's eyes begin to fade.

Travis sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Fine. Just keep this on the down-low for now. I don’t need the whole world knowing about my sister's secret romance with the enemy.”

“Deal,” Emma said, a small smile appearing as she felt the tension dissipate.

“Good,” Travis replied, rolling his eyes as he turned to leave. “But if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I won’t be so forgiving.”

As the door clicked shut behind him, Emma let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She looked at Joe, who was still sitting on the bed, processing what had just happened.

“Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly. “My brother can be a little overprotective.”

Joe chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I noticed. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little freaked out, though.”

Emma smiled, her heart racing again but for a different reason. “I can’t believe this is how my morning started. Not exactly the ideal wake-up call.”

“Definitely not how I imagined my morning going either,” Joe admitted, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “But I can’t say I’m unhappy about it.”

Emma raised an eyebrow playfully. “Oh, really? You’re not mad that my brother just stormed in like the football police?”

“Nah, it was kind of entertaining,” he teased. “Plus, it’s nice to know I have an ‘in’ with the family now.”

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smile. “Just wait until Travis starts calling you for advice on his game.”

“Now that would be interesting,” Joe said, his voice filled with laughter.

As the tension from earlier faded, Emma felt a sense of relief wash over her. They had survived the first test of their relationship. The thrill of their secret romance bubbled back up, making the moment feel almost exhilarating.

“Want to grab breakfast?” Joe suggested, glancing at the clock. “I’m starving, and I think we could both use some real food after… all this.”

“Definitely,” Emma replied, her heart soaring. “Let’s do it. And maybe we can talk about how to handle the media when the time comes.”

Joe nodded, a serious expression crossing his face. “We will. We’ll figure it out together.”

As they both got out of bed and started getting ready, Emma couldn’t help but feel that whatever challenges lay ahead, they were in this together. And that made all the difference.