“Do you love him, lady?”
“I do. He doesn’t know that yet, but I do.”
He nods. “Then you have to follow your heart, but he needs to remember that I loved you first.”
“You can tell him that when you see him.”
“I think I will.” He laughs. “Come on, let’s go say hi to your mom.” He stands and offers me his hand to help me off the couch. I fold the blanket I was using and clean up my mess before following him upstairs to see my mom before heading back to my apartment.
“You killed it!” I tell Griffin a couple of hours later on the phone.
“Thanks, babe.”
“I saw that interview too.” I toss that out there.
“I was hoping you would.”
“I’m excited that I get to come and see you this weekend. My game should be over around three on Friday, and my flight leaves at six.”
“Are you sad the season is over?”
“Yes and no. I hate that we lost more than we won, but we’re a young team.”
“You’ll get them next year.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t hold the strong appeal as it did when I was younger. I love it, don’t get me wrong, and the sport will always be in my blood, but I have no plans to pursue it after college.”
“You’re close to the team, though, right?”
“Kind of. They all know my family, or who my family is rather. They’re all fake as hell, if I’m being honest. I hate that. I just want to be me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is. But you. You and your team are kicking ass. I’m excited to get to see you play.”
“Me too. Although, I just hope I can focus knowing you’re in the stands watching.” He chuckles. “Did Karina decide if she’s coming with you?”
“She’s not. Not this time. She said she doesn’t want to be the third wheel.”
“Ollie will be around. You know he’s into her, right?”
“Oh, I know. She’s into him too, but neither of them has confessed yet.”
“I’ll have to tell him he needs to put it out there.”
“They’ll figure it out. We did.”
“I guess you’re right,” he agrees.
“Why do three weeks seem longer than five?” I ask him.
“I miss you too,” he replies.
“You sound beat.”
“I am, but I want to watch a movie with you.”
“We don’t have to. Get some rest. You pitched one hell of a game and with no relief. I know you’re exhausted.”
“Peyton, yes, I’m tired, but baby, I’m never too tired to spend time with you,” he says over a yawn.
“Good night, Griffin,” I say sweetly. “Just two more days and I’m hopping on a plane to see you. I need to pack anyway.”
“Okay. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too. Night.”
“Night.”
Ending the call, I get to work packing my bag. I’m skipping classes on Monday and Tuesday to stay and watch his game. It’s the first one I’ll be able to watch in person. Then I’ll fly home on Tuesday late afternoon. My grades are good, and I’m bringing what I need to study while I’m there for my finals in two weeks. I’ll get to spend three full days with him, other than when he’s at practice, and I can’t wait. Saturday night is his parents’ wedding anniversary, and we’re taking them to dinner. Other than that, he’s all mine.
“You about ready to head out?” I ask Karina. It’s Friday morning, and we’re heading to our game. It’s rare that we have games on Friday, but this is the last game of the season, and it’s almost as if it was added to the schedule as an afterthought.
“Yes. Five minutes,” she calls back as there’s a knock on the door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” I ask, walking past her room to get to the door.
“No. Why? Is someone here?”
“Yeah, well, I think so.” I laugh. “I’m pretty sure I heard a knock.” Pulling open the door, I stand frozen. “Am I dreaming?”
Griffin laughs. “You’re not dreaming.”
That pulls me out of my trance, and I rush him, jumping into his arms. He catches me with ease, just like I knew he would.
“Don’t mind me,” Oliver jokes.
“Hi, Ollie.” I lift my head and wave at him.
“Where is she?”
“In her room.” He nods and heads that way.
“What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t go all season and not watch one of your games. We decided late last night. We rented a car, and here we are.”
“But I fly out today,” I remind him.
“I know. I got ahold of your sisters, and they helped move your flight so that we could fly back together. Our flight leaves at nine now, and we’re having dinner with your family after the game.”
Hot tears prick my eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here.” I lean in and press my lips to his.
“What’s better is now we get more time together.”
“More than you think,” I confess.
“How so?” He steps into our apartment, shuts the door, and carries me to the couch, sitting down with me straddling his lap.
“I’m staying for your game on Monday. My flight leaves late Tuesday.”
“What?” he asks. His face lights up. “Fuck, Peyton. I feel like it’s Christmas,” he says, placing his hands on my cheeks and kissing me soundly.
“I want to see you play in person. You only have a few weeks left of your season, so it makes sense to make it happen this trip,” I confess.
“Great minds and all that.” He smiles.
“Ollie?” I ask.
“He’s staying here. His flight is early Sunday morning. He’s making his move.”
“Wow.”
“Yep.”
“I need to get going.”
“Come on. I need to watch my girl kick ass on the field.” Another quick kiss to my lips, and we stand just as Oliver and Karina come out of her room. They’re holding hands, and she’s biting down on her bottom lip, trying not to smile.
“Ready?” I ask her.
“Yes.”
The drive to the field is short. When we get there, Oliver and Griffin insist on carrying our bags even though we can manage on our own. Who says chivalry is dead? As we’re walking into the stadium, Griffin freezes.
“Coach?”
“Griff, Ollie.” He nods. “I thought I might run into you here.”
“Sir, you gave us the time off,” Oliver says, making him laugh.
“I did. I also figured this one,” he points at Griffin, “would be coming to see his girl. Our softball coach was coming and asked me if I wanted to tag along.”
“Coach, this is my girlfriend, Peyton Monroe,” Griffin introduces. He looks down at me. “Babe, this is Coach Hopkins.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I offer him my hand.
“You as well. This one tells me you’re a beast on the field. His words, not mine,” Coach says, pointing at Griffin.