For the first time, Grey smiles. An actual smile, not a lip-tug or a twitch. There is a whole ass smile on his face. “You once said if I really wanted to see you, I’d figure out a way to find you. So, here I am. I found you.”
Ah shit. That’s not fair. He can’t just come here being all cute when I’m supposed to be mad at him for telling me to fuck off when we both knew he didn’t mean it. Of course I knew he’d figure this out someday, but I didn’t think he’d show up here without telling me first.
“I didn’t have enough time to buy a present, so I got you a million balloons.” His smile fades again, but I don’t care at all. I’ve seen it now, and I don’t think my brain will ever be able to forget that smile.
“Five,” I correct. “They’re five balloons.”
“Like I said.”
He shifts a little uncomfortably, and I bet it’s because of the twenty other people right behind me, still staring. And so I turn around, looking at my team. “Didn’t I say you’re doing shootouts?” I clap my hands three times, then wave them off. “You’ve got one minute to start, or I’ll make you run laps until all of you have emptied your guts on the pitch, and then you can clean it up yourself.”
Just like that, they’re running off.
“Coach did exactly that yesterday. With scrimmages,” Grey tells. I didn’t even have to ask.Who is this guy?“He made us perfectionate every move until we were so close to dying, his own son begged him to stop.”
“I strive to become him.”
Grey shakes his head. “Trust me, you don’t. Unless you want to lose two kids and that’s why you get so endlessly angry sometimes.”
Oh, yeah, okay… I will pass on that. “So, what I’m hearing is you want to have kids with me, huh, Grey Davis?”
Grey’s eyes roll as though he’s currently regretting coming here. He isn’t, we all know that. He missed me. And so I laugh, but not because this is hilarious, which it is, but because I’m glad to find out it wasn’t just all in my head.
“I could see us having two kids.” I look into the distance, thinking. “A boy and a girl. We’ll name the boy Ash and the girl Sage.”
“You’re making fun of my name, aren’t you?”
I nod, and proudly so. “I like your name though, but it’d sound better with my last name, just saying.”
“Grey Hayes? I don’t think so.”
“You’re saying that now...” I finally take the balloons from him, each after the other so I have some time to look at the shapes. Three of them are heart shaped, the other two are boring round balloons withHappy Birthdaywritten all over them.
Maybe that’s a coincidence because there’s no way Grey picked up on that little tick I have. Everything being in three’s. I clap three times, hit counters three times, knock; all of them and more three times. Buy decorations like candles or picture frames three times. I even wave someone goodbye three times, all because three is my lucky number.
I was tested for OCD when I was a kid, but as it turns out, I just like my stuff in threes.
“Hm, hearts, huh?” I grin up at him. He’s a little taller than me, but I don’t mind that at all.
“I swear, that store didn’t have anything else. Everything’s filled with hearts and love stuff.”
“Yeah,Valentine’s day.” But I don’t mind the hearts anymore. It used to be annoying when every single present of mine would be heart-shaped because of Valentine's day.
“Anyway, since I’m already here, I thought we could turn today’s Valentine’s day into one you won’t forget. It’s not quite spending it cuddling with a boyfriend but it’s the best I can give you.”
All those words. I think he keeps using more and more, the more often he sees me. And I absolutely love it. Maybe one day he will be the one who talks and I’m only listening… Nah.
“I mean, you can still cuddle me, you know?” I lift one eyebrow, smirking. “You don’t have to be my boyfriend to cuddle me.”
“I don’t do cuddling.” I knew he’d say that.
“We’ll see about that, Grey Davis.”
“Coach!” Elio calls out so I immediately turn around to see who’s broken a leg this time. Nobody, thank god. “That’ll be ten extra squats. You said so yourself. Today’s practice is for thesinglepeople who want to wallow in self-pity.”
Urgh, I did say that, didn’t I?
Good thing I am single, at least in some ways.
