Page 131 of The Problem with Players

He placed his forehead to mine once more. “Again,” he murmured.

I closed my eyes. “I love you,” I breathed out.

He took the bat from my hands and dropped it to theground. His fingers laced with mine, and he pulled my hands to his chest. He shook his head slightly. “Sorry, it’s just…I’ve dreamed of you saying those words to me again,” he confessed as his thumbs gently caressed the palms of my hands. “Because I love you too, Avery. I’ve loved you since I first met you, and I’m certain I never stopped.”

We stood there for a moment in the batting cage, surrounded by the echoes of our past and the promise of our future, holding one another in a moment of complete surrender. I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the articles and the cruelty of the world outside of us and I allowed myself to slip back into our make-believe. Where happily-ever-afters existed and conflict didn’t lead to goodbyes. Where my heart could shatter, and he’d pick up the broken pieces.

I kissed him in the batting cages, allowing myself to fall completely for the man he was that day. Still, even if I wanted the lingering thoughts of doubt placed by the media to disappear, those quiet voices in my head were still trying to convince me otherwise.

Love didn’t cure self-doubt.

Sometimes it only made it louder.

40

NATHAN

“Calling for your suitcase in the car, Avery! The plane will leave without us!” I shouted through the house as I carried my duffel bag to the front door. Last night, I saw Avery packing two suitcases. We were going to be gone for forty-eight hours, not forty-eight years.

She walked over to me with no suitcases.

I chuckled a little. “I know I mentioned you should pack a little lighter, but this is a bit extreme.”

“I can’t come,” she mentioned.

“What do you mean? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s okay. Everything’s better than okay, I think, it’s just…Yara’s in labor. I just got the call.”

“Oh shit,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s crazy!”

“I know. I want to be there at the campus with you and Cam, but?—”

“Don’t worry about it. I know that campus inside and out, and I’ll be fine with Cam and Adam. You get to the hospital to be with your sister.”

“Okay, okay, okay. I need my keys.” She paced the foyer as if she were forgetting something.

I placed my hands against her shoulders. “Avery.”

“Yes?”

“Your keys are in your hands.”

“Right. Yes. Okay.”

“Take a deep breath, Auntie. You’re gonna do great. Tell them I said congratulations.”

She nodded. “I will. And update me with how everything goes for Cam, will you? I’m so excited.”

“Talk about a victorious weekend.” I kissed her forehead and smacked her ass. “Congrats, Auntie Avery.”

“Can you believe it?” She smiled, her cheeks rising high. “A baby,” she sang, tossing her hands in the air from excitement. “We’re having a baby!”

We’re.

I knew she wasn’t talking about her and me, but then again…I didn’t hate the idea.

The weekendat Prest went as amazing as it could’ve. Seeing Cameron in his element was the best thing to witness in the world. Having Adam there with him was the icing on the cake.

---