AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Linda’s eyes shone as she watched the interaction between me and Scott. She wasn’t appalled by my gall. Instead, she looked thankful that I was brave enough to express what her son needed from them.
Scott looked back toward Tommy, who was now standing on third after his teammate had moved him. My body felt tense as I waited for his response. The last thing I wanted was for this to worsen Tommy’s relationship with his dad. But Scott surprised me when he turned back to look at me.
“Okay.”
My eyes found Linda’s, shocked at Scott’s simple response. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise, mirroring my own emotions. But it didn’t seem that Scott was going to supply an explanation for his quick agreement.
I excused myself back to the dugout as another Cougars player punched a ball past the infielders, bringing Tommy safely home. The two of us entered the dugout at the same time. Tommy’s teammates offered him high fives, and he made his way down the dugout toward me, returning every high five that was offered to him.
He stopped right in front of me with the biggest grin on his face, one that I couldn’t help but return. Without any hesitation, he bent down and wrapped his arms around my legs, right under my butt, and lifted me into the air. A surprised laugh pushed out of me as he spun me in a circle before setting me down on the ground. It was almost intoxicating to see that kind of joy on his face.
“Wait for me after the game.” His mouth was inches from my ear and sent shivers down my spine. “We have to celebrate.”
All I could do was nod because I was sure that if I spoke, no sound would come out anyway. He turned away from me to put his helmet and batting gloves away, leaving me breathless as I watched him retreat. My eyes caught on Olivia who was looking at me knowingly.
Smitten, she mouthed. I rolled my eyes at her, but a small part of me was desperately hoping she was right. Because I was past the point of telling myself that hoping was dangerous. I had firmly jumped right off the deep end of my feelings for Tommy. With every second that passed, I was sinking farther toward the bottom and becoming more enveloped within the sensations of him.
After the game, I waited outside the locker room for Tommy. The team was slowly trickling out and walking toward the buses that would take us back across town. Olivia had left me to board the bus, but not after wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively and telling me that I better not be sleeping alone tonight. I waved her off dismissively, trying to hide the fact that I was hoping for the same thing.
Tommy was the last to leave the locker room, as per usual. He looked like he had taken a quick shower. Water droplets fell off the ends of his hair as he turned to look at me. The smile that had been on his face in the dugout was still there, lighting him up. The Cougars had managed to hold on to the lead that Tommy had given them, securing a win against their crosstown rival. The media team had named him the game’s MVP, which was rightfully deserved.
“Congratulations,” I told him. He dropped his travel bag from his shoulder and scooped me up, like he did in the dugout. My body sizzled as he twirled me around. Before we had made our fake relationship a very real one, it was like my body wanted to avoid feeling anything that Tommy’s touch made me feel. But now there was nothing to stop my body from experiencing an entire fireworks show.
“What a night,” Tommy breathed as he set me down. His eyes immediately flickered down to my lips, and without any hesitation, he covered my lips with his own.
I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to kissing Tommy this way, without cameras and with each and every kiss meaning something. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him, his strength keeping me from melting on to the floor at his feet. Too soon, though, the kiss ended and Tommy slowly pulled away from me. His arms stayed around my waist as he looked down at me with a softer smile.
“Want to come over to my place when we get back?”
“I’d love to.” I tried making my response seem casual, because I had been hoping that Tommy would invite me over to his place to extend our time together after Los Angeles.
“Maybe we can go for another few rounds,” Tommy whispered in my ear as the two of us started to walk back through the stadium to where the bus would be waiting for us.
I was too busy ducking my head to hide my blush to see who was in front of us to make Tommy stop in his tracks. When I glanced up, I saw Linda and Scott waiting by the bus. Linda waved excitedly when she saw us, and I was surprised to see a smile break out across Scott’s face when he saw his son. But Tommy stayed rooted to the spot.
“Come on.” I gave his arm a gentle tug and was relieved when he followed me toward his parents. It was clear that Tommy was worried about being around his father. He didn’t want to hear any judgment from Scott tonight. I could tell that all Tommy wanted to do was revel in the performance he had delivered tonight.
“Tommy!” Scott’s voice boomed. “What a game.”
Scott reached out and wrapped Tommy in his arms. I could see the look of shock on Tommy’s face as he stared at nothing in particular over his father’s shoulder. But after another moment passed, he wrapped his arms around his dad. I wasn’t sure if Scott was going to take my advice and tell Tommy how proud he was of him tonight, but even if he didn’t, that hug seemed to shave some of the hurt and tension from Tommy’s shoulders.
“I am so proud of you.” Scott pushed away from Tommy and held him at arm’s length, making sure that he was looking his son in the eyes as he said the words. My own heart seemed to feel lighter watching the interaction. I caught a glance of Linda’s eyes and they looked like glass as she watched her husband and son. She peered over at me, gratitude all over her face.
Thank you, she mouthed. I nodded at her in return.
I knew this was something she had been hoping to see for a while, both her husband and son happy together again. But all that mattered to me in that moment was watching the smile that broke out on Tommy’s face. He reached out and offered his father his hand. His father took it, before pulling his son in for one more hug.
I wasn’t sure what came over me—maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want this moment to end for Tommy—but I found myself saying, “Tommy and I are going to go back to his place to cook dinner after we get back to the field. Maybe you guys can meet us there?”
The part about cooking dinner may have been a little bit of a fabrication, but I wasn’t about to tell Tommy’s parents what we really had planned on doing, and the look on Tommy’s face was all I needed to know that my suggestion was welcomed by him.
“You guys haven’t seen it yet,” Tommy added. “I have stuff to make pasta and homemade garlic bread. That was one of my favorite meals you used to make me as a kid,” he told his mom.
“We would love that.” Linda looped her arm through Scott’s and began to steer him toward the parking lot.
“I’ll text you the address,” Tommy called after them.
The two of us filed onto the bus, the last people to get on. We found an empty seat together toward the front, and once we were both situated, Tommy turned toward me.
