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“What are you doing?” I whispered to him, laughing against his chest. When I pulled back to look at him, Rowan’s grin was wide and playful.
“I wanted to see my girl,” Rowan told me, startling me when his nose nuzzled my neck. “You’re being photographed, so maybe pretend you like the way I smell or something. You smell nice.”
The blush spreading across my cheeks wasn’t fake. It warmed my skin as Rowan held me tighter and spun me around once more, keeping his face close to mine. Some of his teammates joined the rooftop, nabbing him from our embrace. Rowan’s arm grasped my hip, keeping me at his side while his teammates hugged and high-fived him for the win. When I turned to see our friends, they were talking to each other without a second glance at us. It seemed normal.
“She’s your good luck charm,” a familiar voice called from the dugout.
Rowan glanced down at me, winking once before kissing the top of my head and releasing me back to our wolves. Ethan eyed me first, shaking his head playfully while Ezra stood to help me off the roof. It was Diego who called out to Rowan, his sparkling smile directed at me before another player distracted him. Maggie is going to kill me. I had to prepare myself emotionally for Monday. Can I go to work with booze in my coffee?
It was moments before a picture of Rowan and I flashed across the screen in a collage of other players and their partners, the announcement of the team’s sweetest day competition headlining the photographs.
I heard Rowan call for me as we were standing to leave. He was pulling out his shirt from his uniform pants, adorably disheveled. “Wait up for me,” he commanded.
“Do not get married before me,” Aubrey warned, her tone playful as she shoved me forward to get out of the aisle. Looking back once more at the field while we left our seats, I saw the players run into their dugouts and leave the dirt with memories of the incredible game.
“Me?” I mocked, pointing to Ezra and Heather as they clung to each other on our way out.
Thankfully, they didn’t give me too much crap on the car ride home. Until Rowan called me and I ignored it. Twice. I was still thinking of Diego Leon’s flirty eyelashes and how delicious Rowan smelled after that win. I couldn’t talk to anyone in that moment except my dirty, troubled self- conscious. When Ethan’s phone rang, my efforts were futile.
“Yeah,” he chuckled, glancing at me in the rearview as he cupped the receiver to his ear. “She’s here. Behind me. Hold on.” He reached around the seat to hand me his phone. “Lover boy wants you.”
Heather was falling asleep against Ezra next to me, Aubrey and Ethan both stared at me from the front as impatient as a kid waiting for cookies to bake. Groaning a little, I took Ethan’s phone from his hand.
“Hi.”
“They’re freaking out about us!” Rowan’s excitement claimed his voice. “The dugout stunt, Meredith. I don’t know what I was thinking. But my agent is obsessed with you.”
“Tell him to get in line,” I laughed, feeling a little more at ease hearing his voice, “behind your center fielder.”
“Not funny. Hey, do you want to come over?”
“What?” They couldn’t hear our conversation, but I looked up at our friends and felt the guilt of our lie pour onto my lap. “For Charity or—” The others wouldn’t know what I meant, that I was referring to the woman in his kitchen, but mocking Rowan was also all I knew how to do. Especially now, when his voice felt as secretive to me as our fake relationship.
“You’re horrible, Meredith. I’m really going to enjoy being in a relationship with you. I’ll have fun showing you how to be human again,” Rowan teased, his laugh tickling my ear.
“A fake one,” I quietly added, feeling too comfortable with him on the phone, reminding myself and him.
“Tell Ethan to take you home and I’ll meet you there.”
“You’re pushy.”
“Fake boyfriends are. Aren’t they? Would you rather meet me for coffee in the morning? My front porch, eight in the morning. Bring your pajamas?”
“My pajamas?”
“In case you want to stay. I’ll see you then. Goodnight!”
I stared at Ethan’s phone in my hands, the dark screen making me wonder if our conversation even happened. I leaned between the front seats and dropped it into a cupholder. Ethan stirred from a buzzed snooze and turned to me.
“Don’t start,” I told him.
Ethan lifted his hand to my face, fighting a grin. “You’re so pretty, Mer.”
“Ditto, drunk Ethan.” I booped his nose and settled back into my seat, waiting in an awkward silence as Aubrey turned onto my street. Was I supposed to go to Rowan’s in the morning? And no, I wasn’t staying long enough to need my pajamas. It wasn’t even week one, and I was already confused by our boundaries.
I was overthinking. Clearly. That didn’t stop me from doing it until I finally fell asleep after midnight.
I assumed it was Aubrey pounding on my door, likely full of more questions about Rowan and I. Not bothering to change out of my pajamas for her, I reluctantly peeled myself from bed and went to answer the door. Sleep hit me in all the right spots last night, and I just wasn’t ready to deal with reality.
