Days passed by in a blur. The news of Tee's trade had spread like wildfire, and the media was in a frenzy speculating about the reasons behind it and what it meant for his future. But amidst the chaos, we clung to each other, our relationship becoming the foundation that kept us grounded.

Teammates and friends reached out, offering moral support and assuring Tee that none of them sided with the coach's decision. There were moments of anger and frustration, moments where he questioned his worth and his place in the league. But I was there for each of those moments, reminding him of his talent and potential.

I was with Calia and Isaiah, enjoying a day of shopping in Maryland. The weather was nice, and we were in good spirits, browsing the stores and trying on various outfits.

Meanwhile, Tee was at the Commanders facility, meeting with the head coach of the Commanders to discuss his potential trade.

Isaiah had been unusually quiet during our shopping trip until he suddenly spoke up, a sly look on his face. "You know, Tee's definitely got it good with you," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance, though I was fairly certain I knew exactly what he was hinting at.

"You know, if you didn't have your connections with Terry, who knows where Tee would've ended up," Isaiah joked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "He might've found a team that doesn't appreciate his greatness."

Calia chimed in, rolling her eyes playfully at Isaiah's comment. "Stop it, they haven't even accepted him yet," she said, a hint of seriousness mixed with humor in her voice. "Don't jinx it."

Isaiah chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll keep my mouth shut," he said, still grinning. "But I'm just saying, if they're smart, they'll take him in a heartbeat and treat him right."

I raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "You do realize if he joins the Commanders, you guys will be rivals, right?" 

The thought of Tee playing for a that team was a surreal one. The Commanders had always been a strong competitor in the league, and the potential implications for the upcoming season were definitely intriguing.

Isaiah laughed, seemingly unfazed by the idea of competing against his friend. "Yeah, but it'll be fun. A little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone, right?"

Calia, ever the peacemaker, had seen enough and decided to step in. She grabbed a pair of underwear from the rack and threw it at Isaiah, aiming it right at his head. "Oh, would you shut up already?" she said, her voice laced with mock annoyance.

She then turned to him, her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. "Alright, enough chatting. Go try on some clothes or something," she spoke. "Stop bothering us and go shop in the men's area."

"Fine, fine, I'll leave you two alone," Isaiah relented, putting his arms up in surrender. "I'll go 'shop' in the men's area and leave you to your 'girl talk'."

We watched as Isaiah disappeared into the men's section, sighing in relief at his departure. "Thank goodness. Finally, some peace and quiet," Calia said, rolling her eyes fondly.

"I swear, sometimes I can't believe he's a professional athlete," I chuckled, shaking my head incredulously. "He's like a big kid." I nodded, a smile playing at my lips. "You know, sometimes I swear he's Terry's long lost twin or something. They both have the same mischievous energy and carefree attitude."

We continued our shopping, finally able to focus on the task at hand without the constant commentary from Isaiah. We tried on several outfits, comparing and critiquing each other's choices, our laughter and banter filling the store.

As we moved through the racks, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw that I had a missed call and voicemail notification. I knew it was likely from Tee, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Hold on, I need to check this real quick," I said to Calia, holding up my phone. She nodded, understanding the urgency, and continued browsing as I stepped away to a quieter corner of the store.

I listened to the voicemail, my heart racing as I waited to hear Tee's voice. After a few seconds, his voice came through, sounding calm and composed, but with a hint of excitement.

Tee's voice filled my ears, his words carrying a hint of anticipation. "Hey, so I just talked to the coach," he began. "They've agreed to trade for me, but there's one thing holding them back. They need to find a wide receiver to trade in return."

Terry.

My heart skipped a beat as I heard Tee's words, a sudden pang of worry striking me. Could it be Terry they were looking to trade? I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over me, my mind racing with possibilities and doubts.

I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath to calm myself. Part of me wanted to call Tee back immediately and ask him more about the situation, but I knew I had to keep my cool and trust that everything would work out.

As I walked out of the store with Calia and Isaiah, my mind still swirling with the implications of Tee's message, I pulled out my phone and dialed Terry's number. The phone rang a few times before he picked up.

"Averyyy!" Terry's cheerful voice came through the speaker, his usual carefree tone completely concealing any unease he might be feeling.

"Hey, Terry," I replied, trying my best to keep my voice casual despite the nerves fluttering in my stomach. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course, ask me anything," Terry replied, his curiosity piqued by my serious tone.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I prepared to ask the question that had been weighing on my mind. "I just got a call from Tee. He told me that the Commanders have agreed to trade for him, but they need to find a wide receiver to trade in return." I tried to keep my voice steady, but my unease was hard to hide.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Terry's surprise evident in his lack of response. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than before, a hint of uncertainty in his words. "Yeah, I heard about that," he said. "You think it might be me."

I couldn't deny it, the thought had crossed my mind, but hearing Terry say it out loud made the situation all the more real. "Yeah, that's what I was wondering," I admitted, my voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

I continued, trying to rationalize the situation. "I mean, they wouldn't just trade away a bad wide receiver for nothing in return. It just doesn't make sense. They must be offering someone valuable in return."

Terry let out a breath, his voice still quiet and pensive. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said. "But I can't lie, the thought of being traded is a little scary. I've been with the team for years, you know?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "I know," I sympathized. "But you gotta trust that everything will work out in the end. You're a valuable player, Terry. That's basically your home."

I glanced at Calia and Isaiah, who had been listening in as well, and noticed a few people around us, their phones subtly aimed in our direction. Realizing that we were being watched, I quickly said, "Hey, I gotta go. We'll talk more later, okay?"

Terry seemed to understand the situation and agreed to end the call. "Alright, we'll talk more later. Keep me updated, okay?"

"Will do," I said, ending the call and sliding my phone back into my pocket. Calia and Isaiah were watching me intently, their faces etched with a mix of curiosity and concern.

I turned to Calia, a mixture of confusion and irritation on my face. "Why the hell are people recording us?" I asked, noticing several people discreetly holding their phones up, blatantly trying to capture our conversation.

Calia shrugged, glancing at Isaiah, who was standing next to us. "It's probably him," she said, her tone half-teasing and half-serious.

Isaiah chimed in, seeming to notice the growing attention on us as well. "Yeah, let's get out of here before we end up all over social media," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

We exited the mall hurriedly, leaving behind the prying eyes of the people recording us from a distance. We made our way to Hannah's house, each of us anxious to catch up with Tee and discuss the latest developments.

As we entered Hannah's house, we found Tee and Jayden engaged in conversation, their voices low and hushed. They seemed to be deep in discussion, their expressions serious as they sat in the living room.

Our attention was also drawn to Terry, who was sitting on the floor nearby, cooing and playing with Jacoby, completely engaged in the adorable sight. It was a comical contrast to the tense atmosphere around Tee and Jayden.

I navigated through the room, making my way over to where Tee and Jayden sat. They both looked up as I approached, their conversation momentarily halted as they acknowledged my presence.

I settled down beside Tee, my legs draped lazily over his lap. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer instinctively.

Just then, Hannah joined us, sliding down beside Jayden and mimicking my action, her legs resting on his lap as well. The four of us were now seated close together, our body language a casual display of comfort and familiarity.

I noticed something different, my gaze falling upon Hannah's stomach. A small but noticeable bump was beginning to show, a first-hand evidence of her pregnancy.

The question slipped from my lips with the ease of familiarity, "So, when are you guys gonna find out the gender? Are you gonna wait till the birth or do one of those fancy gender reveal parties?"

Hannah chuckled, her hands resting gently on her growing stomach. "We're actually gonna find out in a few week," she replied, a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice.

"We're planning a small gathering with close friends and family," Jayden interjected, his eyes filled with anticipation. "It's gonna be a surprise reveal."

Tee chuckled, joining the conversation as well. "A surprise, huh? That's interesting." he said, his hand idly tracing small circles on my thigh.

I raised an eyebrow, a playful smile spreading across my face. "Let me guess, I'm the one hosting it," I added, joining in the lighthearted banter.

Hannah let out a laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Actually, I was thinking you and Terry could team up and host it for us," she said, the idea clearly already formed in her mind.

Calia chimed in, her voice laced with amusement. "A surprise party hosted by Terry and Avery? Sounds like it'll turn into a complete disaster"

I feigned offense, placing a hand dramatically over my heart. "Hey, we're not that bad!" I protested, but the smirk on my face betrayed my playful demeanor.

Calia gave me a knowing look, a smirk on her lips. "Oh please, you and Terry together? I love you both, but planning a surprise party is definitely not your strength."

The conversation took a lighthearted turn as Hannah chimed in, a curious gleam in her eyes. "So, the real question is... when are you two gonna add a mini Avery to the mix?"

I spun my head towards Hannah, my eyes wide with surprise. It seems as though the topic of starting a family had been brought up unexpectedly, and I wasn't quite prepared for it.

"Whoa, whoa, we just got together," I protested, my voice filled with slight panic. "It's way too early to be thinking about adding a mini-me to the equation!"

Tee's voice cuts through the conversation, a hint of excitement in his tone. "I don't mind," he chimes in, his arm still around my waist, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

I shoot Tee a disapproving glance, my eyes narrowing in mock annoyance. "You would say that," I retorted, my tone laced with playful reproach.

Adding to the lightheartedness, Terry chimes up, his voice filled with a hint of mischief. "I don't mind either," he echoes, clearly enjoying the banter and the playful reactions from us.

The room fills with laughter at Terry's words, his carefree attitude making the entire situation more humorous. Despite the weight of the conversation, the air remains light, and the playful atmosphere prevents it from turning too serious.

Calia pipes up, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You guys are hilarious," she chuckles, her voice filled with sarcasm. "Just imagine the chaos with a mini Terry and a mini Avery running around."

A small smirk tugged at the corners of my lips as I joined the banter once more. "Yeah, sure, as soon as he can actually find a girlfriend," I teased, casting a glance at Terry, who seemed unfazed by his lack of luck in love.

"Hey, my charm is legendary, everyone knows that," Terry retorted, his tone feigning offense, his eyes sparkling with humor.

Jayden chimed in, a smirk on his face. "Charm, huh? You mean the same charm that never seems to land you a girlfriend?" he teased playfully, joining in on the banter.

Terry feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart. "Ouch, hit me where it hurts, why don't you?" he exaggerated, playing up the dramatics for effect.

Tee chuckled, his arm instinctively pulling me closer against him, adjusting my position so I could comfortably rest on his chest. I fit perfectly against him, my head nestled against his shoulder, as we continued our playful banter with the group.

The familiar scent of Tee's cologne and the comfort of his embrace filled my senses, and I found myself relaxing into his chest, our previous discussion momentarily forgotten in the ease of our closeness.

Jayden speaks up, his tone serious now. "By the way, I talked to the coach earlier. I told him we should trade Olamide and that draft pick for Tee."

Terry's surprised exclamation fills the room, his voice loud enough to startle Jacoby, who releases a sudden, high-pitched cry. "THE PICK!?" he exclaims, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Jayden, unruffled by Terry's outburst, responds with a pragmatic tone. "Would you rather it be you?" he questions, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

His eyes widen further, his initial shock replaced by a mix of defiance and defensiveness. "No, absolutely not," he retorts, a hint of defiance in his voice, as if the thought of being traded was unbearable.

The room erupts in laughter, amused by Terry's vehement denial. Calia and Hannah chuckle, even Tee and Jayden can't help but join in, their shoulders shaking with laughter.

Hannah's voice cuts through the laughter, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Look at us," she says, a hint of sentimentality in her voice. "We're like one big, happy family now."

The group falls quiet for a moment, the weight of her words settling over us. Despite the laughter and banter, there was a sense of reality to her statement. We were all interconnected now, bound together by both friendship and the web of relationships that had formed.

Tee's voice breaks through the moment, a quiet whisper calling out to me. "Avery," he says, his tone soft yet urgent. I lift my head from his chest, looking up at him curiously.

He leans in and presses his lips softly against mine in a tender kiss. My heart skips a beat as the touch of his lips sends a warmth through my entire body.

The moment between Tee and me passes, and I go to scrolling through my phone, the conversation and laughter around us continuing. I mindlessly swipe through my phone screen, occasionally smiling at a picture or a funny meme that appears on my feed.

As I idly scroll through my phone, a particular piece of content suddenly grabs my attention. My eyes widen slightly as I see a familiar picture on my screen, my heart rate quickening.

"Oh you got to be kidding me."

@terry_25: remember why you started
Liked by thatkidjayden, teehiggins and 423k others.

@user1: heart of our team

@user2: i'm done if they trade you..

@averyshutupzz: SCARY TERRY

@isaiahsimmons: 🙎‍♂️

@user3: why would they get rid of our best player?
-@user1: same way bengals got rid of tee.