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The players filed in—first the visiting team, then my Tigers. My heart jumped to my throat when I spotted Austin. Seeing him in his full-on uniform never got old and the way his pants hugged his butt—oh goodness gracious.
Carly, the first baseman’s wife, grabbed my forearm and squealed. "There is your man!"
I smiled super cheesy style and couldn’t help the excitement coursing through my veins.
"You guys make the cutest couple. With your hair and his eyes, you'll have the most adorable kids."
At the mention of kids, my heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t like we’d been together for years and I wasn’t the type to bring up the serious talk about marriage land, but Austin was.
His intentions were crystal clear. Austin constantly reminded me that I was the only one for him and to get ready for our long-lasting future together. And that soon, but when I least expected it, he was going to propose and we were going to have the grandest wedding anyone could imagine. It wasn’t because I wanted a big wedding, it was becausehewanted a big wedding that was plastered on all the tabloids and newspapers to showcase to everyone that he was taken.
Personally, I thought he wanted an elaborate wedding to ward off any potential new stalkers.
When the announcer’s voice echoed though the speakers and the players walked on the field, I stood. A woman with long, flowing, curly, brown hair, sporting a Tigers jersey walked to the center of the field and reached for the mic ready to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. I placed a hand on my heart and repeated the lyrics softly to myself, drowning myself in her voice. Once the tribute to our country was over, the crowd’s roar shook the stands. For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
As if on cue, the speaker announced the starting line-up, one by one and then my man.Austin Callaway, starting pitcher for the Chicago Tigers.When familiar green eyes flashed across the jumbo screen I screamed louder than before, so obnoxiously loud that I think I even busted my own ear drum. I kept jumping and clapping and when they were on to the next person, I calmed down, but only just a tad.
A shoulder bumped mine and just when I was about to hug my plus one—Serena, my eyes widened instead. “Alec?”
Immediately he went in for a hug. “Surprised?”
“A little. But it’s a good surprise.” I said, taking in his Tigers baseball hat. “Where is Serena?”
“On a date.”
I giggled. “Yeah, right.” Because when has my older sister ever been on the date? For-never.
“No, I’m serious. Well, she didn’t say it was a date but I saw that guy—what’s his name? The one who worked with us on Austin’s tequila deal.”
“Reed Mahoney? But they closed that deal.”
“Yep. Which is why I’m sure he’s closing a different kind of deal right now.” Alec winked.
I smacked his shoulder. “Hey, that’s your sister.”
“You know what I mean. Serena hasn’t been on a date in a long while.”
“I know.” I peered up at him and squinted against the sun. “So you came instead, huh?”
“I asked her for the ticket a few weeks ago. I wanted to come.” He pinched my side. “Surprised? Plus, you know me and baseball.”
But I also know you and Austin.
The last time Alec and Austin had seen each other was when everything came to a head at The Meetup. Even during the Holidays, I worked it out where their paths didn’t have to cross. I didn’t want drama and I wanted both parties happy.
When we sat down, he ran one hand through his hair and averted his eyes. “I’ve been here multiple times, sitting with Brandy, watching Austin pitch. You know where we’d go after this?” He paused, inhaling deeply. “Clements Diner. This dive bar down the street.” He visibly swallowed staring blankly at the field. “It’s crazy to be here today, watching Austin without her.”
He hadn’t spoken about Brandy in months. Her name wastheforbidden word in our house. If I could erase her from his memory, I would because then all his hurt would go away with it.
“I miss him.” He let out one small laugh, without meeting my eyes. “I miss…Austin.”
I wanted to reach for Alec’s hand because I could sense the emotion radiating off of him, but I sat steady squeezing my hands in front of me instead. What he needed was for me to simply listen.
“I was with Brandy for years, so naturally I got close to Austin. But…,” he paused, “Austin was not just Brandy’s big brother, I considered him mine, too. He was the big brother I never had.”
And I got that. My dad was not the best father figure and growing up in a house full of women, the only male figure that Alec had in his life was Austin.
“When I had problems with Brandy, I’d confide in him and when I had problems with life in general, he gave me the best advice. When I lost Brandy, I lost Austin too and it sucks.” He let out one long exhale. “I was so mad at Brandy, at him, at the whole fucking world. It just wasn’t fair. I felt like I did everything right, so how was I the one that got screwed over? Like how is that fair?”
