Page 65 of Make Your Play

I’ll always be here.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

RILEY

The faint sound of voices in the distance becomes a little louder, although I can’t make out any of the words they’re speaking. My eyelids feel lighter than they did the last time I tried to open them. Peeling them open, I quickly blink as my eyes adjust to the dim lighting while trying to draw my surroundings into focus.

The last thing I remembered after waking up from surgery was being told they were moving me to my room. I was exhausted and so tired that as soon as they wheeled my bed into the hallway, I fell back asleep. Somehow I slept until now—although I’m not entirely sure how much time has passed.

There’s a twinge of panic inside of me again as I realize that I’m alone. No Nash. No baby. Just me.

I blink a few more times, my eyes moving from the ceiling and along the walls. My hands slide off my stomach and I plant them at my sides, my entire body feeling weak as I try to scoot up farther in the bed. My legs don’t move, considering the fact that I still haven’t regained feeling in them and my feet.

A searing pain slices through my abdomen. “Fuck,” I mutter, wincing in pain as I suck in a breath. My face screws up andI move my hands back to my stomach, remembering I was cut open only a few short hours ago.

“Riley.”

His voice. Oh my god,his voice.

I lift my head, turning it to the side as I see him walking toward me without his shirt on. My eyes drift over his torso and I don’t even get the chance to ask him as tears immediately spring from my eyes. “Hi.”

“We’ve been waiting for you,” he says quietly, coming over to stroke the side of my face. His lips instantly find my forehead, warm and soft against my skin. “You gave us all quite the scare.”

“I know,” I tell him, my throat burning from the tube that was inserted during the surgery. Nash pulls away from my forehead, his eyes scanning my face as I lift my head farther, attempting to look around. “Where is he?”

The softest smile lifts Nash’s lips. “I just laid him down.” He moves away from the bed, pushing the small bassinet over to me before he lifts the baby up, bringing him to me. “Do you think you can hold him?”

The medications they have me on to prevent seizures are still making me feel groggy and the thought of dropping him has me nervous. “Can you help me? Just in case?”

“Of course,” he says softly, as he brings the baby down to me, setting him down in my arms. His hands linger, providing additional support for me, just in case I’m too weak.

For the first time since he was born, I see my baby’s face—and I crumble.

My chest constricts, my jaw hurting from the overwhelming emotion as I get choked up. He’s so perfect. His little nose, his soft cheeks. Tears stream down my cheeks and I trail my fingers over his face, memorizing every single inch of him.

“Oh, Nash,” I half sob, blowing out a breath as I continue to stare at the baby. “How is he so perfect?”

“Because he’s a piece of you.”

My eyes move to Nash’s and he stares back at me—the emotion in his expression damn near palpable. His throat bobs as he swallows hard, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek.

“I love you, Riley.”

My heart stumbles over itself in my chest, the air leaving my lungs in a rush. “What?”

“You’re my home,” he says, his voice a tender embrace. “You’re my safe space where I can just forget about everything else going on. My heart just knows you and it always has. There has always been something that felt like it was missing and I think it was you. My soul has just been waiting for you.”

Tears blur my vision once again as I’m completely overwhelmed with emotion. This entire birthing experience has been nothing like I expected, and I’m sure I’ll be dealing with the mental fuck after I am discharged. I’m exhausted and tired, yet happy, but also feeling like I was robbed of the first few hours of my baby’s life.

But somehow Nash’s words push all of those negative things to the back of my mind.

“Nash.” His name comes out like a broken whisper. “I’ve always loved you, I just never wanted to admit it. I was always so afraid you would never feel the same way about me. I love you so much.”

A smile lifts his lips. “I know this is probably terrible timing, all things considered.” He pauses, his smile falling. “But I needed you to know. I was so afraid when I talked to Nova after the game, and even more so when I got here.”

“I’m sorry about that,” I tell him, feeling a twinge of guilt for how everything played out. “I didn’t want you to worry about me, so I said I was fine. I knew I wasn’t, so I called the doctors and they told me I needed to come in. I thought it was going to be something simple and they would send me home.”

“Well, I think it looks more like them sending you home with a baby now.”

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