Page 50 of Signs and Signals

Atlas: Only for you, Indy. Only for you.

I don’t know how to respond to that. He still makes me nervous, even though we are no longer together, I still get butterflies

Atlas: Do you think we could talk? In person?

Indya: When?

Atlas: Now.

Atlas: I can come to you or you to me. Doesn’t matter.

Indya: I guess it has been long enough. This conversation needs tohappen.

Atlas: I know. Which is it? You coming to me or am I coming to you?

Indya: I will come to you. Let me talk to Amara. I will let you know.

I walk into Amara’s room quietly so not to wake Asia. When I ask if she is okay with me stepping out for a bit to talk to Atlas, she jumps from the bed and hugs me.

“Of course, I got her. We all do. I will explain to everyone if you don’t make it back before breakfast,” she teases, wiggling her eyebrows.

“We are just talking, stop doing that with your eyebrows, it’s creepy,” I say laughing, but hoping that her way of thinking is the way my night will end.

I walk back into the living room, grabbing my purse, keys and light jacket. After shoving my feet into my gym shoes, I send him a message.

Indya: I’m on my way.

Atlas: I will be waiting.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Atlas

I toss my phone down on the couch next to me. We are doing this. Finally, we are going to talk everything out and move forward. Hopefully, together. Winning the game today didn’t fill me with as much excitement and joy as I thought it would. I have wanted to make it to the World Series for as long as I can remember, but it doesn’t feel the way I thought it would.

I would have felt more had my girls been at my game, knowing they were close, and seeing me hit another milestone that I have worked so hard for. It would have meant more, if they were with me.

I felt the change in myself and how I felt when Indya messaged me and said that she watched the game. The thrill that our team, Riverside Legends, are going to the World Series, hits me, as soon as I saw that she was, in fact, with me.

I hope they saw my signals to them when I was up to bat. I knew Riviera, the pitcher, was going to try and walk me. They would rather have the bases loaded, than have someone hit hard and guarantee the three runs. If he would have walked me, there was a chance one of the three of us would get the third out, giving the opposing team the win. Not on my watch.

I call down to security, letting them know they can send Indya up when she gets here. No one is at reception this late at night, just the security guards. I want to make sure she has no trouble getting to me when she does arrive.

Forty minutes later, I hear the elevator making its appearance. My heart is beating so hard in my chest, I don’t think I have ever been this nervous to see her. I am excited too, and happy she agreed for us to talk about everything, but fuck, I am nervous as hell.

“Hey,” Indya says quietly as she steps off the elevator opening into my condo. Fuck, she is beautiful.

“Hey. You didn’t have any trouble getting up here, did you? I called down and told them I was expecting you,” I respond nervously. I can feel my hands trembling.

“No, they were complete gentlemen and even scanned the card to bring me up without stopping,” she laughs as though the concept is ridiculous, which it kind of is.

I nod my head, glad they treated her well downstairs. I hold my arm out toward the living room inviting her into my home. She has been here plenty of times, but I don’t think any of those times were as awkward as this.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” I ask, needing something to do before we dive into this mess caused by people on the outside of our relationship.

She shakes her head no, so I go and grab a couple bottles of water from my refrigerator, one for myself and one for her if she changes her mind. Once I return to the living room, I set the water bottles down on the table and I sit beside her, making sure not to be too close, but also not too far. I don’t want her to be uncomfortable, but I need to be near her.

“Which one of us is starting? Do you want to say or tell me what all happened from your side, or do you want me to go first and let you know everything I found out after you textedme?” I ask Indya, wanting to just jump into so we can get this conversation out of the way.

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