Page 47 of The Double Play

“But you just gave me one.”

“I find myself doing a lot of things I don’t normally do with you.” Like opening up my heart. Allowing myself to care. Too much.

“Why Wildflower?” Vulnerability shines in her eyes amid curiosity. I can tell this answer matters to her.

I run my thumb over her knuckles, smiling a little when she shivers at my touch.

“Because you’re resilient and aren’t easily deterred. No matter what life throws at you, you bloom. And…” I hesitate, but I know I can’t leave this part out. “You’re beautiful. In a wild, colorful way.”

She blushes. “Thank you, Emmett. That’s very kind of you to say.”

I simply dip my chin. Beneath my hand, hers twists the knob the remainder of the way and I remove mine so she can open the door. I keep hold of her other hand though. She grips it like she might fall off the face of the earth without it. I find that I don’t mind. Being needed like this makes me feel helpful when I spent the last twenty-four hours feeling useless.

“I’ll have to come up with a nickname for you,” she says with a grin.

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

She laughs and the dreary hospital goes from grayscale to color at the sound. A few nurses smile in our direction.

“Okay, I won’t subject you to that. It seems all your friends have a nickname for you, so maybe my thing can be no nicknames.” She swings our hands as we walk down the hall.

“I’d like that. Anything is better than being compared to an alien or movie theater candy.”

Her laughter echoes through the hallway. Each time she laughs, I get the same feeling as when I throw a strike, maybe better. Pure satisfaction and accomplishment flood my veins. The sound and the feeling fade as we slow to a stop in front of a room labeled 637.

“This is her,” she whispers.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?” I offer again, for her sake but also mine. The need to protect Hazel is growing within me at a fierce rate.

“I don’t want her to have a way to distract from what’s happened. She’s very good at dodging questions and changing the subject.”

I nod in understanding. “Then I’ll be out here if you need me.”

She squeezes my hand. “Thanks, Emmett.”

Her grip loosens, but before she moves away, I pull her in for another hug. She sniffs and I’m worried that I made the wrong call and she’s going to cry again.

Instead, she mumbles, “You smell unreasonably good.”

I laugh into her hair. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much with anyone except maybe June.

“Thank you.”

She steps back, her face red. “I need to sleep. I’ve said way too much today. The tomorrow version of me is going to be very upset.”

I shake my head. “You do need sleep, but I don’t mind what you’ve said.”

She bites her lip and I’m tempted to forget about our surroundings and kiss her right here and now. I’ve always been in control, but Hazel has me feeling reckless.

She stands straighter and lets out a breath. “I’m going to go in before I change my mind or further embarrass myself.”

“I’ll be here,” I repeat my earlier sentiment.

She gives me a small smile before opening the door and disappearing inside, closing it behind her. I lean against the wall beside the door. I can’t hear anything, which I think is for the best. This is a private moment. If Hazel wants me to know what’s said, she’ll tell me.

A downside of waiting is that I’m alone with my thoughts. Since I got to the hospital, things with Hazel have felt natural. Easy. But now that there’s a door between us, uncertainty snatches away my peace.

Hazel is not Shelby, that much I’m certain of. She’s sweet, kind, and doesn’t seem to have a desire to climb any social ladders. June loves her, and I’d bet my baseball career that Hazel loves her back. Hazel puts me at ease, something I didn’t feel much with Shelby. I used to feel like I had to constantly stretch my limits. If I wanted to stay home one night, I had to go out the next or Shelby would feel slighted. I did my best, but between games and practices, it was difficult.

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