Page 77 of The Fake Out

He set the fork down and shifted, his focus drifting to something just over my shoulder. “We have a game in New York on Tuesday, and then I’m taking a couple of days off.” Popping his knuckles, he cleared his throat. “I’m going home for my sister’s graduation and party. And I, uh…” He paused, his expression uncertain. “Want to come?”

My heart stuttered in my chest, and my eyes shot wide. “To the graduation?”

“The game…” He sighed. “Zara’s going, and she’d love for you to come with her. She won’t mention it to Chris…”

Oh. Not to meet his family. Just go to the game. I fought the way my shoulders wanted to slump and swallowed back the disappointment that shouldn’t have hit me over a possibility that didn’t even exist two minutes ago.

“But yeah. After, I’d love it if you came home to my mom’s with me for a couple of days…” He ducked his head and used his fork to toy with the manicotti in the dish. “Unless you don’t want to.”

How badly I wanted to go wasn’t even rational. Because people having flings didn’t hang out with one another’s families. I’d only met Jake’s parents once in the almost two years we’d dated.

“You don’t have to,” he said, his cheeks going pink.

I reached a hand out and put it over his. “Em, I’d love to.”

His eyes shot to mine. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

His answering smile burrowed its way into my heart. I gave him a soft smile in return. All the while, my emotions were in overdrive, because everything about this moment made it feel like we could have more.

Emerson: Did you and Mila get here okay?

Me: She lives in the city.

Emerson: She’s from Kansas.

Me: Yeah she grew up there - what’s that have to do with anything?

Emerson: I thought we were just stating Mila facts. I don’t see how living in the city has anything to do with you two getting to the ballpark…

Me: You think you’re funny.

Emerson: So I didn’t make you smile?

Me: That’s irrelevant.

Emerson: Your smiles are never irrelevant to me.

Me: GIF of an eye roll

Me: Picture of the front of the stadium.

Emerson: Glad you’re here safe.

Me: Have a good game.

“You ready to admit that things with baseball boy are serious?” Mila asked as we weaved our way through the throng of people.

“What do you mean?” As we approached the gate, I tucked my phone into my pocket.

“You’re smiling. I’d swear you’re almost giddy.” Mila shook her head. “And that happens every time he texts you. I’ve never seen you like this. Now, if that apartment had been in your price range, maybe I’d believe it was the reason…”

Yeah. The apartment. We had seen two. The one today was ridiculously unaffordable. The rent the guy had quoted via text didn’t include the building fees, which added another four hundred dollars to the price. The one yesterday had potential. It was a studio and at the very top of my price range, but it was smack dab in the middle of the city and surrounded by buildings. Not to mention the traffic down Fourth was insane. In the last couple of weeks, I’d gotten used to the harbor view and the slightly slower pace of Boston. But I couldn’t stay there.

“Emerson and I are good with what we are. And I’m still looking at moving back to New York.”

The thing I’d come to realize about Emerson was that he didn’t want to label a relationship as serious, even though he was as actively willing to be involved with me for as long as I was. I had his unwavering support and so much of his attention. So if he didn’t want to put an official name on what we had, I could live with that. Because often, things worth having were worth waiting for.

---