“Have I not made it clear how uninterested I am in anyone but you?”
My heart stutters to a stop for a second. Sure, we’ve had some heated moments, and I admitted to a crush, but what is he implying?
I twirl around, pressing my hands on the back of his brown leather couch. “Too bad there’s a list of reasons you need to move on.”
It’s easier not to ask him directly, to let his comments just hang in the air. That way they won’t lead to disappointment.
“I don’t believe in lists like that. You’d come with more pros than cons anyway, Leighton.”
God, the way he says my name makes me want to squeeze my thighs together. “Ha.”
I walk through his family room area. It’s a bachelor pad for sure with all the dark wood and brown leather. At least he doesn’t have black leather. I swear they must sell the stuff at some store named Bachelors ’R Us. So many of the guys I’ve dated had black leather couches. It’s clearly a guy’s space, but there’s a homey feeling about it. Maybe it’s the pictures on the wall and the end tables. The fact that he took time to get photos of the people he loves framed. His family, Callie, high school and college friends, even Foster Davis made the wall.
I hear him walk in my direction, then his shoulder hits mine as he looks at them with me. There’s no reason for me to be hurt that I’m not in any of the pictures. We haven’t been a part of each other’s lives in a really long time. But I find myself wanting to be on that wall. Knowing that some other woman will be there one day is a hard truth to stomach.
“So, you’re really that close with him, huh? I thought it was just, like, a teammate thing.” I point at the picture of him and Foster. It must have been taken after they won something important because Hayes has his catcher’s helmet resting on top of his head, and he’s wearing his full uniform, a huge smile on his face.
“That was after we won the division two years ago, before things…”
He doesn’t need to finish his sentence. We both know how he went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
“Callie said you two were really in sync. That you worked well together.” I turn away from the wall to face him. “Do you miss him?”
He smiles, then leans his shoulder against the wall. “I do. We’re great together when he’s on the mound, and I’m behind home plate. Maybe that’s because we’re such good friends, I don’t know. I miss playing in Seattle with him, but I’d rather be here. Now I play with Decker, and they don’t get along, so it’s always weird talking with Foster and telling him what his brother has been up to. I’ve heard shit from Foster about Decker, and now Decker—although he doesn’t say anything bad about his brother. Mostly when Foster’s name gets brought up, his attention wanders off. They’re both good guys though. I don’t even know what happened.” He shrugs.
“Yeah, well, sometimes family relationships can be complicated. Just look at mine.” I smile wide, hoping to mask the trauma from adolescence that somehow still has a way of affecting how I live my life.
His lips tip down.
We’re not doing this. I shouldn’t have brought it up. “You saw them in the courtroom.”
He pushes off the wall and heads toward the kitchen. “This place must seem pretty small compared to Sky’s place.”
I’m not sure if he’s purposely giving me an out, but I’m going to take it.
“It’s a great location, and you don’t need a lot of space. You’re a bachelor. I really like it though.” I scan the place again and see an open door that must lead to his bedroom on one side of the kitchen.
“What have you done with your apartment?” he asks.
I walk up to the breakfast bar to see that he’s taking a bag of microwave popcorn out of his cupboard and placing it in the microwave. “It’s still mine. My lease isn’t up for a while. I’m stopping there on my way back to pick up my coffee maker. Cross your fingers I don’t have any rodents that have moved in and think of the place as theirs now.”
“Sky didn’t have a coffee maker?” He tugs the popcorn out of the microwave and opens it, dropping it on the counter when all the steam billows out.
“Tough guy there,” I joke, and he glances at me through his long eyelashes. “I tried to use Sky and Patrick’s fancy machine, but all I want is a regular cup of coffee, you know? So, I’m just gonna go get mine and bring it back there.” I shrug.
He dumps the popcorn in a bowl and buries his head in the fridge, pulling out two waters. Then he reaches into a cabinet and drops a bag of licorice on the counter. “Won’t you have to move everything out and find room at Sky’s for all your things?”
He’s right. Assuming I maintain custody of the kids, moving is inevitable, but I’m still in the guest room next to Sky and Patrick’s bedroom, living out of my suitcase and a laundry basket. It just doesn’t feel right to take up residence in their bedroom.
“I’m guessing all your clothes are there by now?”
His questions make me realize that I haven’t really moved in. I’m still living like a guest in a house that might end up being mine. I’ve made a couple of quick trips, grabbing a bag here and a bag there, but anything personal is still back at my apartment.
He must notice me thinking and probably clocks the worry etched on my face.
“It’s not anything you have to decide now. Anyway, what do you think of this place now that you’ve seen it?” he asks, changing the subject again.
“I really like it. If I ever envisioned where you live, this is what I would think.”
