Has he changed his mind about us?
When I walk up to the security guard, he eyes me skeptically, not believing my claim of being Gareth’s girlfriend—an unofficial title that feels nerve-wracking to claim out loud—until I pull my phone from my purse and pull up our most recent picture together. He’s kissing my cheek while I smile ear to ear at the camera—a tangle of limbs as I lay in his arms.
The picture feels like it was taken months ago, when in reality it was just last week.
My legs carry me to the VIP box, and I take a seat in the very front, making myself comfortable. The air’s hot and humid, the afternoon sun beats down on me relentlessly as I watch the guys practice.
My eyes are locked on the field, watching the players rotate through practice stations. My breath catches in my lungs when Gareth steps up to bat—composed, focused, in his element.
He doesn’t know I’m here—he hasn’t sensed me yet, either. But Austin’s seen me.
He throws me a knowing wink, like he knows this is what Gareth’s been waiting for.
Twenty minutes crawl by at the pace of a snail, when their coach tells them to take a break.
My heart leaps when Gareth pulls his helmet off, drenched in sweat, hair plastered to his forehead. He talks with a couple of his teammates, his throat bobbing as he drains a bottle of water, completely unaware I’m watching his every move.
God, I’ve missed him. Two days was too long.
Austin glances up in my direction.
Then Gareth’s gaze follows his line of sight.
Relief crashes over him the second our eyes meet, and everything about him changes in that instant—his shoulders relax, the tightness in his jaw disappears.
Then he smiles, stealing my breath away.
And my entire world settles back into place.
Looking down at my Golden Boy, I know without a shadow of a doubt—without any hesitation or uncertainty?—
I’m looking at my forever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Three Weeks Later
I walk into Andromeda with my head held high, coming to support my girl on her last night of work.
Two weeks ago, Indy made the hard decision to give Rosie her notice. Continuing to work there was riddling her with anxiety, and she just couldn’t stomach it anymore. Letting go of the bar hasn’t been easy for her in a lot of ways, Andromeda is her home, but sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is walk away.
So tonight she has the Bears to support her.
Austin, Jensen, Declan, and I grab a table near the middle of the room and settle in. It’s a little before eight; the lights on the ceiling twinkle like the night sky while music plays through the speakers just loud enough to hum through you. The bar’s not quite full, but full enough to keep Indy busy. I angle my chair so I can watch her. My forearms resting on the table while I shoot the shit with the guys, waiting for Indy to have a free moment.
Finally, a good fifteen minutes later, she’s able to slide out from behind the bar, weaving through the tables to come see me.
Her smile is wide—eyes bright, cheeks flushed from working. She walks straight into my open arms.
“Hey, Golden Boy,” she purrs, pressing a chaste kiss on my lips.
It’s too quick for my liking. Not even close to being enough.
I catch her wrist as she pulls away, tugging her gently, bringing her back to me. My other hand finds her waist, clinging onto it so I can kiss her properly.
A soft moan slips from her before she can stop it.
“Need me to find you a seedy motel real fast?” Austin teases. “I think we’re on the right side of town for that.”
