Page 40 of Chasing The Goal
“That’s great, Mal,” he said gently. “Really.”
“Yeah,” I said, swallowing. “It is. I guess. It just… I don’t really have anyone here. Besides you.”
He blinked, then his lips curved into something soft. Warm.
“I’m honored.”
I laughed, a little breathless. “You don’t have to say yes. I just didn’t want to sit there alone and…”
“Mal,” he said, cutting me off gently. “Of course I’ll go.”
I looked up, heart thudding.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, adjusting the strap of his bag. “Just send me a calendar invite. I’ll put it on my fridge next to my grocery list and the Stanley Cup countdown.”
That made me smile. The tension in my shoulders eased a little.
“Thank you,” I said.
He shrugged, like it was no big deal. Like it didn’t mean the absolute world to me.
“Anytime.”
And then he nodded toward the parking lot. “You need a ride?”
“No, I’m good. Got my car today.”
Hegave me one last look—half a smile, half something else I couldn’t quite name, and headed out the door.
I watched him go, heart heavier than I expected.
Later, when I got home, I dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the couch. My apartment felt quieter than usual. I pulled out my phone and opened my texts with Dakota.
Mallory
So… I asked Jaymie to go with me to the doctor next week.
The dots appeared almost immediately.
Dakota
OMG what did he say????
He said yes. Told me to send a calendar invite.
That’s boyfriend energy and you can’t convince me otherwise.
He’s just being a good friend
A good friend who shows up with pastries, walks you home, and is willing to listen to your fetal heartbeat with a bunch of strangers?
...shut up.
I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me.
Dakota followed up with a barrage of emojis and a final message:
