Page 97 of Pitcher Us
It wasn’t what I had hoped to see, but I’m trying not to jump to any major conclusions. When I asked where Will went, Adam just shrugged and said he needed to go. What the hell did that mean?
Finally, riding up the elevator to our floor, I muster the courage to ask some questions. “So, did you tell Will to leave?”
Adam turns to me with a sigh. “No, I didn’t.”
Okay, that doesn’t help me much. I swallow before asking, “Are you mad at me?”
“Fuck no.” Adam laughs. “Cals, I haven’t said anything because I thought you needed some time to process. I’ve known about you and Will before you guys even knew. I might not have been the best brother, but I’m not blind.”
Part of me wants to feel relieved that he genuinely seems fine with it, but also slightly annoyed because Will was right about Adam knowing from the beginning.
“So, you’re okay with this? I might lose my job, Adam. I know you pushed for me to get it, but even if they don’t fire me…if Olsson says I have to break up with Will to keep it, then I’m quitting. I love the job and I’m grateful for it, but it’s not worth losing him.”
With that declaration out in the open the elevator dings at our floor. Stepping out I look down my hallway then back to Adam. “I know you said you were proud of me and if this changes things, I’m sorry, but?—
“Callie.” Adam puts his hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay. Fuck the job. I want you to be happy. Youdeserveto be happy.”
Pulling my brother into my version of a bear hug, I fight back the tears. “Weboth deserve to be happy, Adam.”
Adam huffs a small laugh. “We will be. You just go get your happiness first for me, okay?”
Stepping back, I wipe the tear that escaped. “I don’t even know where Will went.”
“I don’t think he’s gone far.” Adam squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
I give Adam a small nod before turning to walk to my place. I hesitate in front of Will’s door for a moment but then I hear banging coming from my apartment. When the noise stops, I wait outside my own door until I hear it again.
“What the—” I mutter as I swing my door open and find Will walking to me with a hammer in his hand and a spare nail in his mouth. Damn, if today hadn't been an absolute clusterfuck of a day I might have jumped him from this look alone.
“Hey Blaze,” Will mumbles before taking the nail out of his mouth and stepping toward me. “Close your eyes.”
My eyes close immediately upon his request but he didn’t say anything about being quiet. “What, why?”
I hear him lay down the hammer and nails, and when his hand takes mine, I jump for a second. “Callie, baby, relax, I?—”
“No, I will not relax when you leave me after a very emotional day,” I huff, still keeping my eyes closed. I probably shouldn’t be so irritated, but he left without a word.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Will’s hand cups my cheek with a soft caress. “Can I show you something?”
I nod and he links his fingers through mine. “I would ask how you got in here, but I already know the answer.”
Will chuckles softly as he pulls me to what I’m pretty sure is my living room. “Yeah, thanks to that, it made my grand gesture a little easier to pull off.”
What? “Grand?—”
“Open your eyes, Callie.”
At first I’m a little scared too, but when Will squeezes my hand I open them to find my wall full of pictures of us. Some look like blown up versions of our Polaroids from our date and some are ones of Will that I’ve taken over the last month.
“I—Will…how…what…” I fumble words as I take them all in.
“I started going through our Polaroids during Spring Training. I knew I wanted to do something special with them, so I sent a couple off to get scanned and resized. The pictures of me are obviously one’s you took, but I feel it’s important to note that they are all ones of me looking at you.”
Walking up to the wall I look over every picture he hung up. The ones of us together and the ones where he’s smiling at me.
Will wraps his arms around me and I rest my head back on his chest. “I knew I wanted these hung up the day that we told Olsson about us. I must’ve had some sixth sense or something because when I kicked my sisters out this morning it was to get these.”
A happy tear slides down my face as I look at the photos in front of me. “I love them. Thank you,” I whisper.
