Page 10 of Curveball: The Baby and the Grump

“What?”

“TV. Want to watch it? I don’t care what.”

She glances up at me, her mouth ever so slightly open as she processes the information. “Not today. Sorry. I can’t really stay that late today.”

“But tomorrow?”

It’s pushing my luck, but the reaction is exactly what I’m hoping for.

“Okay,” she says, almost uncertainly. “I’m still on nights, but I could come by in the morning after I drop Matt off.”

“Okay,” I say, letting myself smile for the first time in days.

Even after she leaves, I find myself hoping for tomorrow to come quickly.

CHAPTER 8

FREYA

ONE WEEK LATER

Ikiss Matt on top of the head as I grab my bag and sling it onto my back. He glares up at me from his corner of the sofa. “Where are you going, Freya? You’ve been out every day this week. Have you got a secret boyfriend or something?”

“Matt,” I say with a disapproving shake of my head. “No. I’ve just taken on some extra responsibility at work. It keeps me busy.”

“It sure does,” he says, folding his arms and sinking into the cushion with a pout. “I never see you anymore.”

“Honey,” I reply, an ice shot of guilt burrowing into my heart as I brush my hand over his head.

He huffs defensively. “I just like it when you’re home, that’s all. And you’re always at stupid work lately.”

“I know. I wish I didn’t have to go to stupid work either, but I don’t have a choice.” I kiss him on top of the head again and he mumbles a protest. “You’ll be asleep by the time I get back, so you’ll barely have time to miss me.”

It’s a wrench to leave him, but I promised Jackson that I’d swing by. I’ve gone to see him before my shift every day this week. I know I should probably let it drop, but he needs somebody. He might be rich and a superstar and all that stuff, but it’s also clear that he’s lonely. This is a guy who has everything in the world that he could possibly want, except any meaningful human connection.

We’ve been watching TV lately, nothing serious, but still fun. Friends hanging out and laughing. I have to say it’s good for me too. My whole life for years has just been work and caring for other people. It’s good to have some “me time” where I can just relax.

I’m sure his connection to me won’t last very long anyway. After all, I’m just a nurse. I’m nothing nearly special enough to catch his attention. But if I can make him feel even just a little bit better, just for a couple of weeks, then I’ll feel happy that I’ve done my job.

I jump in the car and start the engine, trying not to glance back at the window because Matt more often than not watches me leave. It turns out that Jackson only lives twenty minutes away from us, and the route I take lets me avoid the worst of the traffic, so it’s not a strain to get there.

Just like Matt, Jackson must have been watching from a window, because he opens his front door before I can even knock on it. “What have you brought today?” he asks instead of saying hello, looking at me expectantly.

I shrug my backpack off my shoulders and shake my head. “Nothing much. Just some leftovers.”

“Right. Come in.” Though his face doesn’t look remotely like he’s enjoying himself or wants me here, I’ve begun to learn that his harsh words aren’t at all reflective of who he is on the inside. He might look grumpy, but the way he takes my coat and offers me anything I want prove that the face is just a mask for the kindness.

I don’t know how he manages to live his life like this, but I am certain that there’s a genuine person underneath all this grump. He’s softening every day too, actually talking to me like we’re friends now rather than me showing up being an irritation. At least, I hope that’s what this is, anyway. It’s what it feels like to me, so I’ll take what I can get.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asks as we wander into the kitchen.

As I put my tub into the fridge, I squint dubiously at him. “Haven’t you watched every baseball movie that could ever exist by now?”

He shrugs. “Nearly. I haven’t got round to the romcoms yet because I think they’re stupid, but I guess I’ll have to if I’m going to be a completionist about it.”

I don’t know why hearing him say this crushes me. But it does.

“We don’t have to watch anything if you don’t want to,” I say mildly, trying not to show my disappointment. “I’ve got a couple of hours before work, so I guess it’s not really enough time to watch a movie anyway.”

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