When her eyes met mine, whatever breath I had in my lungs escaped. God, I missed her. I missed talking to her, seeing her, hearing her laugh. Every little thing that was her, I missed. Right to the marrow of my bones.
Clearing her throat, she started to rise. Since I was still hunched over, she grazed my chest on the way up until herface was inches from mine. She was so close all I had to do was move just a little and our lips would touch.
I could see the way her pupils dilated, tension in her shoulders like she, too, was trying to hold back.
“Ready to go?” she asked, breathless. I almost said no. It was right there at the tip of my tongue, but I knew we needed to get out of here before the press went against Coach’s orders and tried to follow us out.
“Yeah.” With extreme willpower, I straightened to my full height. Emmie turned around and started tidying up my cubby. She folded my pants and put them on the bottom shelf, along with my cleats.
“Anything you need to bring with us?”
I stuffed my feet into my slip-ons, grateful I didn’t have to leave the stadium in my usual suit.
I pointed to my duffle bag on the ground. “Just need to grab that.” I went to reach for it, only for her to slap my hand away.
“I got it.”
“Not to sound sexist or anything, but I’m not sure you’ll be able to lift it.”
“Yeah, that is sexist.” She reached down and grabbed the straps. I tried, and failed, to stop my lips from twitching at the way she heaved the duffel bag up onto her shoulder. I wasn’t lying when I said it was heavy.
She stumbled to the side, off balance from the weight of it. I reached out and gripped her waist, holding her steady. “You good?”
“Yep, I got it.”
“Well, then lead the way Ms. Incredible.” I didn’t bother with a shirt—there was no way in hell I was getting one on—and gestured toward the doors.
I chuckled under my breath, more like wheezed, as Emmie headed for them while she leaned to one side.
“I can hear you laughing behind me.”
“It wasn’t a laugh, it was a wheeze,” I countered.
“Wow, that makes it much better.”
I grinned despite myself. “It was asupportivewheeze actually. Very encouraging.”
Emmie snorted. “Uh huh, I totally believe you.”
“I’m fighting for my life back here, and you’re judging me?” I joked as we worked our way down the hallway in the direction of the back parking lot.
“Oh, I’m judging. I’m judging hard.”
I wheezed again, clenching my side. My chest ached at how easily we fell back into our banter. Nine days passed since we actually had a real conversation, yet it felt like years. Time moved differently when your heart was ripped from your chest.
We lapsed into silence as Emmie led the way through the back door into the parking lot. Thankfully, no press had managed to sneak out here yet.
“We’re taking my car. Can Jake or Perry drive yours home later?” she asked, veering in the other direction of where I parked.
“I’ll text them.”
When we came up to her Bronco a moment later, I refrained from pointing out that she was parked in a handicap spot. In her haste, she must not have even noticed. The idea that she rushed over, not caring she could get in a lot of trouble for being in this spot, made my insides twist.
Letting her do her thing, I stayed back as she swung the bag into the back of her car, using her whole entire body to do so.
“Wow, I feel like a real passenger princess,” I remarked when Emmie opened my door for me. I lifted my body into the seat, side twinging. I had a feeling the pain meds weren’t going to touch the pain anytime soon.
“Let Daddy take care of you.” Emmie said it in such a plain voice, I lost it.
