The All-Star Antes Up
Page 72
That made his dilemma worse. If Miranda agreed to wait for him, she wouldn’t allow herself to start another relationship. Since Luke had no idea what their long-term prospects were, he didn’t feel right asking her to put her love life on hold.
He slammed the seat cushion so hard he felt the blow vibrate up his arm.
“What the hell’s the matter with you, Archer?” Luke muttered to himself. He stood in his own foyer with his head thrown back and his hands shoved in his pockets, curbing his anger to a manageable level. He didn’t want to go in and confront Trevor. He wanted to go back to Miranda and forget about his brother’s betrayal. He’d never before hesitated to do what needed to be done. But Miranda’s words echoed in his mind. Trevor was not a teammate or a coach. He was Luke’s brother, and Luke loved him. That complicated things.
Taking a deep breath, Luke walked into the quiet, tidy living room. It was empty, but the sliding door to the terrace was open, letting in a draft of chill October air. As Luke passed the coffee table, he noticed that the glass top had been wiped to a sparkling clean. Ron was thorough.
Luke stepped out onto the tiles of the terrace and slid the door closed behind him. Trevor sat slumped on one of the rattan sofas beside the glowing embers of the fire pit.
“Go ahead. Rip me a new one,” Trevor said, not moving.
Luke sat across from him. “You knew you were screwing with my career.”
“Yeah, I suck.”
Luke sat forward and laced his fingers together between his knees. “No, you have a lot going for you, Trev. Now get off your ass and use it.”
“Says the legend-in-his-own-time billionaire quarterback.”
Luke kept his expression neutral, but his anger surged. “I’m not here as some yardstick for you to measure up to. Live your own life. If you do that, I’m here for you.” He waited, hoping his brother would respond, but Trevor made no comment. “But when you betray my trust, I draw the line. It’s time for you to leave.”
“I’ll remove my noxious presence in the morning.” Trevor’s words were slurred. He must have had a hell of a lot to drink.
“Tonight. You tell my driver where you want him to take you. Once he drops you off, I’m done.”
Trevor levered himself upright. “It’s the middle of the night. Where am I supposed to go?”
“This is the city that never sleeps.” Luke gave it another shot. “Why, Trev?”
“Because I heard from your alma mater today, and their answer was no.” Trevor glared at him. “I’m so crappy that not even your all-powerful influence at the University of Texas, where they worship the ground you walk on, could get me a job.”
“I’m sorry, bro.” Luke had told the dean at UT he’d appreciate the search committee giving Trevor a good, long look, but not to hire him if the fit wasn’t right. Maybe he should have been more insistent.
His brother sagged back again, his head angling upward so he was looking at the sky. When he spoke, his voice was low. “Sometimes I hate you.”
Trevor’s words slammed into him like Rodney D’Olaway’s massive shoulder.
“No, I hate how you make me feel,” Trevor said, correcting himself. “Like a loser.”
Now pure rage boiled up in Luke, scalding hot. “So you want me to blow the season so you can feel better about yourself?” He huffed out a snort of derision. “Stop playing the victim.”
“You should try being your brother. Ma and Dad are so in awe of you that they can’t believe you’re their son. I’m just the average kid they had to help with homework and college applications while you were off becoming a superstar.”
“Ma and Dad think I’m a mistake, a jock in a family of brains.”
Trevor shook his head. “You’re dead wrong. When I was fourteen, I overheard Ma talking to one of her friends. Ma said you would succeed at whatever you went after, whether it was a Super Bowl ring or getting elected president of the United States. The best thing she could do was to get out of the way.”
Luke’s worldview tipped and spun. All those years of thinking his parents favored Trevor because he was more intellectual had been wrong. But his parents had been wrong, too. He’d needed them as much as Trevor had, in a different way. “You get your digs in about my lack of a PhD.”
“It’s my one puny weapon in a losing battle.”
Soul-deep weariness rolled through Luke. “It’s not a battle. We’re on the same side.”
Trevor made a sound of disbelief. “You’re the most competitive human being I’ve ever met. You have to beat everyone.”
That was like a pair of cleats stomping on his chest. “Have I ever done anything but help you?”
“Why shouldn’t you? You won’t miss what you give to me.”
“So I don’t give you enough?” Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Trevor sat up, only to drop his head in his hands. “I don’t know what I’m saying.” He raised his gaze to Luke. “I’m out of here.”
He pushed himself up from the sectional and stumbled to the sliding door, fumbling to get it open. Luke leaned back and scrubbed his palms over his face. Miranda would probably want him to let Trevor stay until morning, but Luke was too pissed off.
And hurt. Yeah, it hurt to know his brother dismissed what Luke had done for him over the years. It hurt to hear that Trevor thought they were competitors. It even hurt to find out that his parents thought he hadn’t needed their help.
He slammed the seat cushion so hard he felt the blow vibrate up his arm.
“What the hell’s the matter with you, Archer?” Luke muttered to himself. He stood in his own foyer with his head thrown back and his hands shoved in his pockets, curbing his anger to a manageable level. He didn’t want to go in and confront Trevor. He wanted to go back to Miranda and forget about his brother’s betrayal. He’d never before hesitated to do what needed to be done. But Miranda’s words echoed in his mind. Trevor was not a teammate or a coach. He was Luke’s brother, and Luke loved him. That complicated things.
Taking a deep breath, Luke walked into the quiet, tidy living room. It was empty, but the sliding door to the terrace was open, letting in a draft of chill October air. As Luke passed the coffee table, he noticed that the glass top had been wiped to a sparkling clean. Ron was thorough.
Luke stepped out onto the tiles of the terrace and slid the door closed behind him. Trevor sat slumped on one of the rattan sofas beside the glowing embers of the fire pit.
“Go ahead. Rip me a new one,” Trevor said, not moving.
Luke sat across from him. “You knew you were screwing with my career.”
“Yeah, I suck.”
Luke sat forward and laced his fingers together between his knees. “No, you have a lot going for you, Trev. Now get off your ass and use it.”
“Says the legend-in-his-own-time billionaire quarterback.”
Luke kept his expression neutral, but his anger surged. “I’m not here as some yardstick for you to measure up to. Live your own life. If you do that, I’m here for you.” He waited, hoping his brother would respond, but Trevor made no comment. “But when you betray my trust, I draw the line. It’s time for you to leave.”
“I’ll remove my noxious presence in the morning.” Trevor’s words were slurred. He must have had a hell of a lot to drink.
“Tonight. You tell my driver where you want him to take you. Once he drops you off, I’m done.”
Trevor levered himself upright. “It’s the middle of the night. Where am I supposed to go?”
“This is the city that never sleeps.” Luke gave it another shot. “Why, Trev?”
“Because I heard from your alma mater today, and their answer was no.” Trevor glared at him. “I’m so crappy that not even your all-powerful influence at the University of Texas, where they worship the ground you walk on, could get me a job.”
“I’m sorry, bro.” Luke had told the dean at UT he’d appreciate the search committee giving Trevor a good, long look, but not to hire him if the fit wasn’t right. Maybe he should have been more insistent.
His brother sagged back again, his head angling upward so he was looking at the sky. When he spoke, his voice was low. “Sometimes I hate you.”
Trevor’s words slammed into him like Rodney D’Olaway’s massive shoulder.
“No, I hate how you make me feel,” Trevor said, correcting himself. “Like a loser.”
Now pure rage boiled up in Luke, scalding hot. “So you want me to blow the season so you can feel better about yourself?” He huffed out a snort of derision. “Stop playing the victim.”
“You should try being your brother. Ma and Dad are so in awe of you that they can’t believe you’re their son. I’m just the average kid they had to help with homework and college applications while you were off becoming a superstar.”
“Ma and Dad think I’m a mistake, a jock in a family of brains.”
Trevor shook his head. “You’re dead wrong. When I was fourteen, I overheard Ma talking to one of her friends. Ma said you would succeed at whatever you went after, whether it was a Super Bowl ring or getting elected president of the United States. The best thing she could do was to get out of the way.”
Luke’s worldview tipped and spun. All those years of thinking his parents favored Trevor because he was more intellectual had been wrong. But his parents had been wrong, too. He’d needed them as much as Trevor had, in a different way. “You get your digs in about my lack of a PhD.”
“It’s my one puny weapon in a losing battle.”
Soul-deep weariness rolled through Luke. “It’s not a battle. We’re on the same side.”
Trevor made a sound of disbelief. “You’re the most competitive human being I’ve ever met. You have to beat everyone.”
That was like a pair of cleats stomping on his chest. “Have I ever done anything but help you?”
“Why shouldn’t you? You won’t miss what you give to me.”
“So I don’t give you enough?” Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Trevor sat up, only to drop his head in his hands. “I don’t know what I’m saying.” He raised his gaze to Luke. “I’m out of here.”
He pushed himself up from the sectional and stumbled to the sliding door, fumbling to get it open. Luke leaned back and scrubbed his palms over his face. Miranda would probably want him to let Trevor stay until morning, but Luke was too pissed off.
And hurt. Yeah, it hurt to know his brother dismissed what Luke had done for him over the years. It hurt to hear that Trevor thought they were competitors. It even hurt to find out that his parents thought he hadn’t needed their help.
