Marty is lifted into the air, placed on shoulders as we all huddle together, jumping and screaming, laughing, and crying. It’s a dream of every professional athlete to make it this far. To win it all. I can’t believe I’m standing here at home plate with my teammates, celebrating our win of the World Series. This year has been a whirlwind of excitement, and I am here for it. For this. This moment, this entire year will be forever etched into my memory. My first year as a Blaze player, and this is what we do. I can’t wait to see what we do in the next four years and the many years beyond that.
The Blaze, they’re my home. I feel it deep in my bones. I don’t know how long we’re here, standing at home plate slapping backs and passing out hugs. I look around, my eyes searching for Paisley, and I find her standing just outside of the dugout with tears streaming down her face. If it weren’t for the smile that joins it, I’d think something was wrong. Those are tears of joy. For me. For us.
I break away from my team and jog to her, lifting her in my arms and spinning us around. Her hands land on my face, and she kisses me. It’s a bruising kiss, laced with the taste of her tears.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Cameron.”
“We did it, baby.”
“You did it. The team did it. I was just lucky enough to be witness to it all.”
“You are a part of this,” I remind her. “You keep us healthy.”
“The World Series, Cam!” she says, ignoring my plea that this is her win too.
“Clean fucking sweep!” I spin us again. When we stop spinning, her forehead rests against mine. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her to marry me. I can’t think of a better ending to this day than that, but she deserves better than some blurted request for her future to be entwined with mine. Besides, I promised her dad I’d let him know when I got to that point. I won’t go back on that promise.
With my arm around her shoulders, we join my teammates once again in celebration. None of us are in a hurry to leave the field as we soak up this moment: the sounds, the smells, the emotions. I can guarantee that none of us ever want to forget this moment, from the veterans who have been here before to the rookies, like me, who are experiencing it for the first time. For so many of us, our dreams came true today. As I hold my girl in my arms, I realize that, yes, this was my dream. It’s a moment I will never ever forget, but the woman in my arms? She’s a dream I didn’t know that I had, not until the moment I laid eyes on her. Having her here with me, at this exact moment, it’s more than just a dream.
It’s my future. My forever.
Chapter 25
Paisley
It’s been a week since the Blaze won the World Series, and we’re still living on the high. Cam keeps dropping hints for me to move in with him, and it’s getting harder and harder to ignore him. It’s not just him that I’m ignoring. It’s my need to be next to him too. No matter how much time I spend with him, it never seems to be enough.
“What’s Cameron doing today?” Willow asks.
“He went with Henderson and some of the guys to the batting cages of all places.”
“Do they not get the meaning of the off-season?” She laughs.
“They’re machines. They still play, practice, and work out in the off-season. Not as vigorously as they do once the season starts, but they do it to stay on top of their game.”
“Damn. Being a professional athlete is no joke. How did you get him to go without you?” she asks.
“I told him you took the day off work to spend with me, so he would be home alone anyway.” I shrug.
“Aw, you missed me?”
“You know it.”
“So, when are you moving out?” she asks casually.
“What?” My brow furrows at her question.
“Come on, Paisley. You stay most nights at his place. It makes sense.” She nods.
“But we have this lease until the summer.”
“And I make more than enough to cover this place on my own.”
“I know.” I nod. “I don’t know what I want to do. He’s been asking me to, and I keep putting him off.”
“What does your heart tell you?” she asks.
“It tells me that I love him so much that it scares me.” It’s the first time I’ve ever admitted that out loud.
“I imagine that is scary,” Willow agrees. “To hand your heart over to another person, expecting them to hold and cherish it. That’s heavy stuff.”
“Right?”
“I imagine that holding back is just as scary.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, P. The way you feel about him, and he you, if you keep holding back, you might never know the depth of the love that you share. I know you love him. He knows that you love him, but denying yourself what you really want and not giving it your all, think of what you could be missing out on. That’s scary.”
“When did you get all philosophical?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I’m on the outside looking in. It’s easier for me to see it and to describe it than it is for you. I’m sure if I were in your shoes, I’d be feeling the same way, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that you’d be sitting right here telling me the same thing. To forget about my fears and take a leap into the unknown. If it doesn’t work out, you know you have a place with me always.”
“I feel like I’m just abandoning you.”
“It’s fine, Paisley. I know that neither of us had the expectations that we would be roommates for the rest of our lives. We both wanted to fall in love and one day start a family. Life comes at you when you least expect it, and sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “I love him so much, Wil.”
She reaches over and places her hand over mine, where I sit across from her on the couch. “I know you do. He loves you too. You’d be blind not to see it.”
I let her words take root, and excitement bubbles up inside me. I want to take this next step with him. “I want to take the leap,” I tell my best friend.
“Of course you do. And when he pisses you off, you can use your key to come stay with me.”
“Like he would let that happen.”
She laughs. “That man would go crazy not having you next to him.”
I don’t argue because she’s right. I feel his love for me deep in my soul. I’ll tell him tonight. “Maybe I’ll take a few things over while he’s gone,” I tell her.
“I’m down to help.” She smiles.
I know she is. Willow has been my best friend forever. She knows everything about me, and I her. I’ll always be here for her, just like she’s offered to be here for me. That’s just what you do for your best friend.
“So, what’s going on with you and Travis?” I ask.
She blushes. “I don’t really know to be honest. Nothing? Something? He asked for my number that night we all had dinner, and he texts me all the time.”
“Have you seen him again?”
“The first time since that night was during the World Series.”