“Have you told Coach yet?”
She nods. “I gave him the mild version, told him that Eric’s making me uncomfortable, and Hannah backedme up.”
“Hannah?”
“She walked around the corner and stopped him before he could possibly put his hands on me. He played it off and then walked away.”
“What did Coach say about all of this?”
“He said he’d tell Coach Johnson and they’d keep an eye on me during the game. After, they’re gonna come up with a game plan and let me know what the best way to deal with this is.”
I nod my head, grateful for both of my Coaches standing behind Kailyn and protecting her.
“Then we do as they say. I won’t let him hurt you again. You’re not in this alone, not anymore. Never again will you have to face anything without me standing by your side.”
Her smile is so bright, the green flecks starting to pop in her right eye. She hasn’t had anyone in her corner for a long time, and after today she’ll never have to know what that feels like again.
“Thank you, Jake. I’m really grateful to have you in my corner again. I know I messed up all those years ago, but…”
I pull my hand from her cheek, placing my finger against her lips. “No more living in the past or feeling regret, for either of us. We can’t change what happened, we can only move forward. What matters is that we’re here now and we’re in this together.”
“You’re right. As long as I have you now, and everyone knows, we fight for this together.”
With one final kiss to her forehead, I reach past her and go to open the door before she stops me again. “Wait!” She practically shouts.
“Yes, baby girl?” My breaths are hot against her skin as I gently rub my nose up and down her temple.
“Does this mean we’re actually dating again? Or is this something else?”
This has me pausing, pulling away to look into her eyes. “Dating doesn’t feel like enough for what we are, but the idea of getting to call you my girlfriend is making me feel all sorts of things for you. Is that okay with you?”
This is exactly what I want right now, but I’m also strangely nervous to ask her. She’s the only person I’ve ever asked out, and it feels nerve wracking and calming at the same time to ask her a second time.
She pulls me in for a slow, lingering kiss. “I’d love to be your girlfriend, handsome.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
We’re so lost in each other that when there’s a knock on the door both of us are startled.
I reach for the handle to find Connor standing on the other side with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “You two should really be more careful if you don’t wanna get caught.”
The panic I thought I’d feel at being caught like this doesn’t settle in. Instead, the knowledge that we don’t have to hide this time keeps me calm and I’m not afraid to show off my girl to anyone who walks by.
Kailyn hides her face in my chest, and I can’t help the laughter that escapes me. “How long have you been standing on the other side?”
“Long enough that I was able to cover for you with the team and Coach, and then make sure no one else walking by would go inside. I promise I didn’t hear anything though.”
“Oh, God.”
“Not God, just me baby,” I whisper in her ear..
She smacks my chest, and I laugh down at her. She releases my shirt and smiles up at me, her laughter mixing in with mine, and boy, her laugh is one of my favorite sounds right behind her breathy moans.
“By the way, we’re going to talk later about where you got some of those lines from. Because I’m a little skeptical,” she says in a teasing tone.
I laugh as we finally exit the supply room and close the door. “Sure thing, baby girl.”
