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TEN
BLAKE
People zoomed past me in a rush as I ambled toward the security line. With my ticket in hand, I peered around at the other travelers, watching as loved ones said goodbye before dashing into the line, eager to continue their journey. Mothers with small children already looked stressed as they dragged their charges along, a collection of bags and tickets strapped to them. Businessmen and women sped off without a backward glance, so accustomed to traveling they efficiently went through the practiced motions.
“You sure this is what you want to do, BB?” Bryce asked, drawing my attention back to him. After scolding me for disappearing from the hotel room without leaving even a note, he insisted on bringing me. He was wrong on that front—I’d left the bee pin next to the bed for Hawk as some weird memento, perhaps—but I didn’t correct him. As it was, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet, so I’d easily agreed to his terms.
Bryce’s brows were drawn as he stared at me, waiting for a response. The worry creases around his mouth and eyes were on full display as he watched me. I squeezed his hand, taking comfort in his touch.
“I think I need to, Bryce. It’s time.”
Sighing, he accepted my answer and pulled me into his arms for a hug. I clutched onto him, needing one last familiar thing before I left. He kissed my hair before drawing back, wiping at his eyes.
“Call me when you land, and I’ll be here to pick you up in two weeks.”
“But training camp,” I started, stopping when he gave me a look.
“I’ll be here, Blanket. Promise. I love you more than free Wi-Fi.”
“Love you more than chocolate milk,” I said back, our way of saying we loved one another since childhood. “Try not to get into any fights while I’m gone,” I teased.
“No promises there. If Olson opens his pretty boy mouth, I might have to shut it.”
“And you wonder why Hawk is your only friend.”
“I have others,” he protested, making me chuckle.
“Try not to break too many hearts. I won’t be here to console all the girls when they realize you’re not going to propose.”
“If you’re going to give me all these rules, I think you should just stay. It’s easier for me.” He laughed.
“Speaking of, Mom said she found a condom wrapper under my bed. Did you take one of your hookups into my room?” I narrowed my eyes.
“And on that note, it’s time for you to go, sister dearest.” He took my shoulders and pushed me toward the line. I let him, but I didn’t miss how his cheeks had tinted pink. Bryce had his own place, so I didn’t know why he needed to hook up in my room, but there were some crazy cleat chasers and ball girls out there.
Waving goodbye, I contemplated the absurdity of the terms “cleat chaser” and “ball girl” as I stood in line. I didn’t know which was worse: the fact there were terms for girls who sought out baseball players to sleep with or that baseball players were placed on a scoring card, and sleeping with them gave someone status or clout.
Maybe because I’d grown up around professional players my whole life and knew them on a first-name basis, but I didn’t see the appeal. They were just guys with bigger egos who were on the road for half of the year. If anything, I’d always run far away from dating baseball players. It had to be why I’d stayed with Brandon for so long. He was so far outside of a baseball player that he’d seemed safe, which was probably the wrong reason to date someone.
After successfully separating my liquids, electronics, and shoes into different bins, I passed through security and collected my carry-on. People rushed off in every direction, eager to make their flights as I took a minute to get my bearings. In perfect Blake fashion, I’d arrived four hours early for my flight, so I had plenty of time to kill.
It wasn’t even that I’d been worried about missing it. But the longer I sat at home, the easier it was to back out. My fear and anxiety had overwhelmed me, and I was halfway to convincing myself it wasn’t a big deal and I should just stay home.
But it wasn’t true. I needed to do this.
Wandering through the terminal, I stopped at a newsstand to grab snacks and entertainment for the flight. Browsing through the magazines, I moved on to the book stands. Reaching for one with a blue cover, my hand collided with another—a very male hand.
“Oh, sorry,” I stammered, jumping back and spinning toward the person the hand belonged to.
Gray eyes smiled at me, and I blinked to ensure I wasn’t hallucinating. But nope, his eyes were smiling. Somehow.
“Have you read that one?” the owner of the gray smiling eyes asked. He was about a head and a half taller than me, stocky with solid muscles. Brown hair poked out of the side of a backward cap, showcasing his eyes, kind smile, and a chin dotted with stubble. He was a few years younger than me, maybe a senior in college, if his sweatshirt was anything to go by.
It took a minute for my brain to process that he’d asked me a question, too busy cataloging his features.
I cleared my throat and shook my head. “No, I haven’t. It just looked interesting. You?”
“Yeah. It’s really good. One of my favorites.” He smiled, my stomach warming up under his gaze. He blinked as he rolled those hypnotizing eyes over me, taking me in now. I had on black leggings, a flowy crop top, and my hot pink high tops. Not really an outfit to grab attention, but picked for comfort.
