bet on it - odell beckham jr.

chapter twenty-eight

"i love you." i repeat. "i don't ever want you to question what you mean to me, ira. i love you. i didn't realise what love really was until i met you. yeah, i'd love to move here, and have a family. but, it only matters if you are with me. i'll do whatever you want, be whatever you need. i know it's sudden, and the future is uncertain, but i can promise you one thing. you'll always be the woman for me." her eyes fill with tears as she grabs me tighter, her head falling against mine. "you don't have to say it, it's alright. i know it's real sudden, i just wanted you to know how i feel."

"i love you too."

"say that again."

"i love you too, odell." she smiles, pulling me back towards her. "now, please–"

"not here." i enclose her in my arms before turning and running through my house. "i need you in my bed, so that i can take this slow and stare into your eyes the whole time i'm inside you."

i drop on her onto my bed, my heart racing. i smirk, reaching down and tugging the condom off. "no more of those, i need to feel you properly."

"odell, you shouldn't. you do know that birth control sometimes fails."

"i'm counting on it."

i slide myself back inside of her, except this time, without no barriers. she doesn't say anything else, except my name, for the rest of the night.

☯︎

"i still can't get my head around this being your place."

i grin up at her to where she's perched on my kitchen island, her hair tousled from a very sleepless but fulfilling night, wearing nothing over her gorgeous body except my t-shirt, my name and number plastered on her back, with the giants logo standing out on the front.

"it's nice. isn't it?"

she glances past me to the full wall of windows which face the river, before nodding her head. "better than nice, it's beautiful. like a picture of heaven."

"no, you are the picture of heaven." i smack a kiss to her lips, making her giggle again, prior to turning my attention back to the omelettes that i've been cooking on the stovetop.

"it's just so pretty, everything here. how far away is the airport?" she asks, dousing me with a batch of reality.

"like, 45 minutes."

disappointment drowns me, knowing we have to go back. i would love nothing more than to stay just like we are right now. all alone, together in this big house, with nothing to do but to spend our time with each other.

"our flights at 2, so–" she glances up at the clock on the wall, looking back at me. "we should probably shower after we've eaten."

"yeah." i look glumly back at my breakfast. i don't wanna go back to new york, she'll go back to her place, and i'll go back to mine. and that means i won't get to spend every night with her, like i have for the past four.

"you guys leave again on thursday." she blinks, as she now begins to push her food around on her plate.

"what do you mean, you guys? you're coming as well."

"no." she shakes her head, before glancing up at me. "i don't go to cleveland."

"why?"

"just, because." i know there's more to the story, and i'm about to pry when realisation washes over me.

there is no better place to tell her about the bet than right here and right now. because for one, we're out in the middle of nowhere together, and she has nowhere to take off to if she gets pissed. plus, i would have the entire flight to convince her that while she may have started out as a bet, she's turned out to be something way better than that. "ira, there's something i should tell you."

"there's something i have to tell you too." she rushes on, interrupting me. "you've been so honest with me, odell. so i need to be honest with you about a few things."

"i'm listening."

"okay," she swallows, pushing her plate away and meeting my eyes. "when i told you about my family situation, i wasn't completely telling the truth."

"no, how so?"

"just–" she holds a finger up to my lips. "i told you that my dad traveled a lot, and cheated on my mom the entire time." i nod, as she takes another deep breath. "what i didn't tell you, is that my dad is–" her eyes close. "my dad is omari copeland."

"omari copeland," i repeat, before understanding gets to me. "wait, the omari copeland?"

she keeps her eyes closed. "one of a kind."

"holy shit, ira. he's like a legend in the nfl." she nods. "the omari copeland is your father. the all-star player, touchdown record holder, recently inducted into the hall of fame omari copeland?"

"yeah."

"so that's how you knew what was wrong about my catching? you grew up around all the greats."

"yeah."

all my excitement dies, as the reality of everything she's told me comes crashing back down. "that's the asshole who left you behind?" my wonder turns to anger, at the knowledge that while he may have been one of the greatest football players to have ever lived, he's also one of the biggest scandals i know.

"yeah."

"that's why you're not going to cleveland, because he coaches there. and that's why you said you would never date a football player, because of how he treated you. and your mom." she nods again.

"fuck." i blow out my breath, shaking my head. "wow. does coach know, mr. ellis?"

"no one knows." her eyes fly open and she tilts her head at me. "and i don't want anyone to know, ever. i wanted this job based on my own accord. not his."

"right." i reach, squeezing her hand. "i get it, your secret is safe with me." she scoots off the island and i lean back in my chair, feeling her settle herself onto my lap.

"good, thank you. that's it, all i have. my big dark secret."

"that's more than a dark secret, baby. he's a pretty famous guy."

"that he is." she nods, before reaching out and placing her hand on my shoulder. "except, i was wrong to ever try and loop you into the same category as him. he's an dick. but, you odell–" her eyes meet mine, and her lips smack softly against my cheek. "you're amazing, and i should of never doubted you. i love you." the pit in my stomach grows. "so, what did you wanna tell me?"

i swallow hard, her eyes staring intently into mine. now is my moment to come out clean and to tell her the truth before she finds out on her own. except, while i try to make a valuable sentence, i can't. it makes total sense as to why she never wanted anything to do with a professional athlete.

her dad—biological or not—but the dad who raised her had let her down. he broke her heart, and made her feel like she wasn't good enough. i don't wanna be the bigger asshole right now.