Page 109 of The Baller

I leaned over Lux with my hand out. “Shall I take it?”

Lux turned to me, his eyes smiling wider. “Is that cool? I mean, I could do with the ego boost seeing as I’m sitting with three haters.”

Delaney snorted as he shifted out and crouched down next to them, and when I was done, I handed the cell back.

“Good luck for next season. We’ll see you there!” Cole waved, walking backwards so he didn’t waste a second when he could stare at Lux, and almost collided with a waiter carrying a thirty-inch pizza.

“Thanks for doing that, Goldilocks,” Lux said as he pressed his lips to mine. “That was very sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Okay, now I want a picture,” Millie demanded as she held her phone up. “I want to capture this moment, where my best friend has officially introduced me to her boyfriend.”

“I’ll take it,” Delaney offered and held her hand out, but Millie shook her head.

“Nah, you’re in the picture too – just in case we ever need to blackmail you, we have proof you hung out with a Lion.”

“Can’t you tell her you’re not doing pictures today?” Delaney hissed at Lux.

“You try telling Millie no,” he hissed back.

“Good point.”

“Jakey… Jake!” Millie hollered across to the table behind where he was sitting with Meg. “Could you do the honors? I’d ask if you want to be in it too, but I know how you feel about the Lions.”

Lux mumbled something that sounded a lot like, “Help me.”

Unlike me, who took the time to make sure I’d captured a great shot for the two kids, Jake snapped one, maybe two, and threw the cell back to Millie.

“Thanks, Jake. This is so cute! I love it,” she beamed around at us, before landing on Lux. “So, the holidays… excited about meeting Emily and Greg?”

“Who?” asked Delaney.

“My parents,” I answered.

Her wide eyes replied for her, along with her mouth which dropped silently.

“Don’t do that. Don’t make it like it’s a bigger deal than it is,” I pleaded, trying not to look at Lux.

I don’t know if it was my brothers, or the fact that I asked multiple times every day during Thanksgiving, including at the dining table, but my parents had finally taken me seriously and invited Lux for dinner. The date was set for December 29th.

Since then, my anxiety had stayed in a slightly heightened state, while also keeping weirdly separate from the rest of my issues. Lux, however, didn’t seem to be phased by it at all.

And just like he always did, he threw his big, cozy bicep over my shoulder, pulled me into his chest, and dropped a kiss on my head

“It’s only a big deal because I’m meeting your parents for the first time.” He smiled at Millie before continuing. “And yes, I’m excited. I fly back from Nashville, via D.C.”

“When’s Radley meeting your mom?”

He glanced down at me and replied, “When the season begins. Radley has school, and my sisters have school, but they’ll behere for Opening Day.” His gaze cut back to Millie and Delaney, all eager smiles and excitement. “You wanna come too?”

Delaney answered with a hard cringe, which only made Millie and me laugh harder.

“Jeez. When am I gonna catch a break?” Lux grumbled. “You three are damaging my ego.”

TWENTY-TWO

LUX

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