He reached over, his hand finding mine on the bed between us, and gave it a brief, firm squeeze. No more words were needed. We lay there, holding hands, listening to the shower start up, completely and utterly happy.
24
Dylan
Spring training was comingto an end, and while I was eager to find out where—and at what level—I’d be playing, I was also dreading that my twelve years of sharing a city with Jase were coming to an end.
The last few weeks had been filled with long workouts, exhibition games, and routines that blurred together. Yet Jase and I still found time to share meals and spend time together. I didn’t want to think about how I was going to fill that void once we headed to different states.
I was in the outfield finishing drills when I saw Campos, the Crushers’ manager, standing near the dugout, arms crossed.
“Statler,” he called out.
I jogged in, glove tucked under my arm, trying to read his expression. Campos wasn’t much for tells. He nodded once, then jerked his head toward the clubhouse.
Every possible outcome ran through my mind as I followed him to his office. Was I being sent back to the minors a few days before spring training ended? Did they think I had what it tookto maybe be in Triple A instead of Single A? It was impossible to guess what might happen.
He shut the door behind us and sat on the edge of his desk.
“You made this decision easy, kid,” he began. “The coaches like you, and you’ve impressed the front office. You’ve earned it.”
I blinked. “Earned what?”
He finally smiled. “We’re adding you to the opening-day roster.”
For a second, the words didn’t register.
“You’ll be playing for the Crushers,” he continued, since I hadn’t said anything. “You’re not here to ride the bench, either. We plan to give you plenty of playing time.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Campos clapped me on the shoulder. “Call your people and give them the good news. Peyton, our travel coordinator can work out the ticket details if they are able to come to any of our games.”
I nodded and moved to the door.
“And Statler?”
I glanced back. “Yeah?”
“Welcome to the big show.”
I walked out of his office in a daze.
The sun felt brighter asI stepped outside, my heart pounding so hard it felt as if it might crack my ribs.
Jase came bouncing out of his facility just as I reached my truck, a grin stretched across his face that I recognized instantly.
“You too?” I asked.
He laughed, breathless. “No fucking way!”
We stared at each other for a second, then he pulled me into a hug so tight it almost knocked the air out of me. His arms stayed wrapped around me a little longer than they used to. Things were different now. In a good way.
We were still figuring out how our individual connections fit into the three of us building a relationship together, but I wasn’t worried about it. Sometimes only two of us could be together because of travel and other commitments.
“Holy shit,” he said. “We did it.”
“How is this real life?”
