“You will. I promise.” My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
Coach steps in close to me, looking between Tyson and myself. “And this? Nothing public until the season is over, okay? The rest of the team can be discreet if you can.”
“You got it, Coach,” I agree, my voice a little shaky.
The guys start to scatter—grabbing keys, slinging bags over their shoulders, still laughing about something Zack said. And one by one, they walk past me. Every single one of them is wearing my name on their back. My number.
It hits me harder than I expected.
For a second, I can’t move. My throat burns, and I have to blink fast because it’s suddenly too much—the sound of their voices, the sight of my jersey stretched across their broad shoulders, the way they showed up for me without being asked.
They didn’t have to do this. None of them did. But they did. For me.
After this mess, they still chose to stand with me. To remind me that I mattered. That I was worth showing up for. I press a hand against my chest, right where the ache has lived all week, and it feels a little lighter now. Maybe this is what healing actually looks like—not a big, dramatic moment, just a quiet one where you realize you’re not alone anymore.
I lock the back door behind them and walk back out to the person who I think is responsible for such a thing. Tyson.
When it’s just the two of us, I can’t help but practically run into his arms, letting him wrap me up. No matter what happens between us, I need him like this, right now. We hold onto each other, without saying anything, for who knows how long.
Tyson breaks the silence. “Come over here,” he says, and he takes me to my own office. On my expo board are all the floor plans I saw at his place.
“This wasn’t supposed to be a secret. But, I can see how it feels like I left you out. The thing is, I want you to help me build this house. I can’t do it without you.”
“You can’t?”
“No. Why would I build our forever home without your opinion?” His eyes sparkle at the mention of forever.
Scrunching my eyes, I admit, “I’m barely following.”
Tyson laughs and kisses me, slow and sweet. When he pulls away, he says, “Sorry, I’ve been waiting to do that.” And he’s wearing that devilish grin. “Back to this,” he gestures to the board, “I bought this land years ago, not knowing what I wanted to do with it. I’d like to build a house there and I’d like it to be ours. You and me. Whether it’s our main address or a vacation home, or even just our Thanksgiving home. I want to do this with you.” His voice is sugary-sweet, dripping like honey off the side of the jar.
Ours.
“These plans were just ideas. Me taking a single meeting with a contractor who had a last minute cancellation on his books. I wanted to show them to you and get your non-negotiables and figure out what you had planned. What kind of things you need for your own version of forever.”
My lip wobbles and my eyes are glassy, butterflies zooming around my rib cage as he adds, “Because, Blair, all I need is you. Michigan. New York. Anywhere else. It doesn’t matter. My forever, my future, it’s you.”
I practically fall into his arms. He pulls me in tight, kissing my cheek before our lips find each other. My hands find the sides of his face and I hold him like I have no intentions of letting go.
“What do you say, baby? Want to help me build our house?” His nose brushes mine and his smile is contagious.
“Yes. A thousand times yes.”
My lips find Ty’s and I kiss him like it’s the start of everything. The start of the two of us planning together. The start of our forever.
“I will never leave you, Blair. I promise. I’m staying right here, or wherever you end up.”
“I know you will. And that’s why I love you.”
“And no more running from either of us. No more space. Let’s work on it together.” His voice may be soft but the man in front of me is the support I need.
No more running.
Fuck, I’m tired of running.
“For you, anything,” I say. And I mean it. Because I know that the only running I want to do with Tyson is toward him. Toward us. Toward whatever is next.
Tyson picks me up, spinning me around, and I see my name on his back in the mirror. It heals a little bit of me, maybe the singed part where I was worried people will always leave. Because I’m finding out that’s not necessarily true.
