Page 71 of The Future Play

Me: Hey, Coach. Sorry, but I won’t be at training camp tomorrow. I’ve been at the hospital with a friend tonight, and they still need someone with them while they recover. If everything goes okay, I’ll be back on Friday.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see them wheeling Amanda out the door. I shut my screen off without sending the message, then hop out of the car.

“Can you get up okay?” the guy pushing the wheelchair asks.

“I’ve got her.” I swing the door open, then wrap my arm around Amanda’s back and help her into the passenger seat.

Once I’m back in the driver’s seat again, I grab my phone and send the message.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah. I was just letting my coach know I won’t be there tomorrow.”

“What—Jamie… you have to go.”

“No. I don’t. I told you I’m going to take care of you, and I meant it.”

Her eyes fill with tears. “You’re choosing me over baseball?”

The surprise in her eyes breaks me a little. “Yes.” I press a kiss to her cheek. “Now, let’s get you home.”

The heat of her gaze stays on me as I pull out of the parking lot.

I will do everything in my power to prove to her that she deserves to be chosen, and even if no one else does, I’ll choose her every time.

Amanda

Jamie understood the assignment.Maybe better than I did. Because when I told him to prove how he felt—that he truly wanted me—I meant for him to show up. To make an effort to spend time with me, and he’s done that. I wasexpecting him to ask me out on that date again when he came to my house for the barbeque, but he’s taken it all slowly. He’s done exactly what I’ve asked. He’s shown up for me.

Now he’s doing something I never expected. He’s choosing me over baseball. And that warms something in the cold, dead romantic part of my heart.

I’m still not sure where the change came from, but it’s hard to care with his arm wrapped around me as he helps me up the stairs to my bedroom.

For once in my life, I don’t feel uncomfortable with someone other than my parents caring for me. The truth is, I really wanted my mom when I was lying on the bathroom floor.

I almost called and asked her to come home. I know she would have. But they planned that vacation over a year ago. Even if I couldn’t go, they deserved to. Sure, a part of me still hoped my mom would choose to stay with me, make sure I was okay, and go later. But I said over and over that I’d be fine, and I wasn’t going to take it back at the last minute.

So I suffered alone. Pete was helpful, but I could tell he was tired. He works for Rae’s dad doing something… techy. I don’t know. He’s passionate about it, though, and has been putting in extra hours lately.

I appreciated Sarah stopping by, but she works as a nursing assistant at an OBGYN. The last thing I wanted was for her to get sick.

And just maybe letting someone else take care of me is a form of being vulnerable that’s hard for me. But it came easier than expected with Jamie.

“Here we are.” He swings my bedroom door open, and I wrinkle my nose at the smell. I’m not sure if it’s me or the room or both, but everything smells gross. I feel gross.

“Ugh.”

“Are you okay? Need the bathroom?”

He’s so cute with his caretaking. I’m guessing at least some ofit is learned from having young siblings, but I get the sense it’s also in his nature.

“No. Well, actually, yes. I want to take a shower.”

He pulls his arm from my back and takes me in. “Do you need any help?”

“No. I’ll be fine.” But as I say it, the world spins and I have to grip the doorway.

“Uh huh. I don’t think so. If you have to hold the door frame to stay upright, there’s no way I’m letting you anywhere slippery, unsupervised.”

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