Page 60 of Convincing the Catcher

It started off fine. We left Montana on time, but now here we are in Chicago, the same place we’ve been for four hours because our flight keeps getting delayed.

“Bet you’re wishing you’d left yesterday, huh?” Harley says from the seat beside me.

I pat her shoulder. “Nah, Catch. Not at all.”

I don’t think my coaches were super excited about my missing a few practices, but I felt like I had to stay with Harley and travel home with her. I know what it’s like to lose a dad. She didn’t deserve to fly back to NEU alone. I’m glad I stayed, too, because even the thought of her hanging out in this airport alone breaks my heart in two.

An announcement comes over the intercom, and even though I can’t remember our actual flight number, when they say, “with service to Boston,” I know it’s ours. And what’s even worse? It’s fucking postponed until tomorrow morning at six a.m., apparently.

“Damn it,” Harley mutters, rubbing her temples before looking at me. “I’m so sorry, Cane. I’m sure you’re ready to be back on campus. I hope you don’t get in trouble with your coach.”

I put my hand on her knee and give it a pat. “Don’t apologize; it’s not the end of the world.” I shrug my shoulders, realizing exactly what this flight delay means. “There’s a hotel right in the airport; we can stay there so that we’re already here for the early flight. I’m sure there’s a restaurant there too.”

At the mention of the hotel, her eyes grow wider, and she chews on her bottom lip. I probably shouldn’t be doing shit like touching her too much, but we aren’t back at NEU yet, so maybe the rules don’t apply.

Tilting her chin up, I force her to look right at me.

“I can get two rooms, Harland,” I say sharply, wanting her to know I’d never force her to share a room with me if she wasn’t comfortable. I mean, we did have sex last night and all, but she swore that was a onetime thing.

Even though I’m hoping to repeat it tonight, only this time … maybe it won’t hurt her as much.

But if she wanted her own room, I would get Harley her own room. No questions asked, and I’d just sulk in the privacy of my room, not in front of her.

She thinks about it for a moment before her eyes dance between mine.

“We can share a room, Cane,” she whispers shyly. “There’s no sense in paying for two.” I must smile or show some sort of happiness because her eyes widen. “We are not doing … that again though. Okay?”

“You have a dirty mind, Harley. How do you even know I was thinking about that, huh?” I coo. “And what even is that anyway? Seems to me you had one night with me, and now, suddenly, that’s where your mind’s going,” I tease her, and she smacks me on the arm before folding her arms over her chest.

“Shut up,” she grumbles. “You’re annoying.”

“Yeah, I am.” I nod in agreement. “But I mean it; we don’t have to stay together. Or we can stay together, and I can get two beds, and I won’t look at you when you slide between the sheets in those tiny sleep shorts that make me lose my mind a bit.”

I know I shouldn’t say this last thing. I shouldn’t. I really. Fucking. Shouldn’t …

But, fuck me, I can’t stop myself.

“Or option three … we get one bed. I can show you that sex doesn’t have to be so painful now that you’re … more ready.” I stop, cursing the jolt that shoots to my dick. “Because we aren’t back at NEU yet, so maybe the rules don’t apply for one more night?”

She’s pondering it—I know she is. And sometimes, I can guess what she might say next. But right now, I don’t have a fucking clue what could roll off those perfect lips.

“We can share a room,” she says, “but we’re getting two beds. Because the longer we drag the whole, you know, sex thing out … the weirder it’s going to be when we get back to campus.”

Inside, I’m fucking bummed. But I also know there’s a chance she may change her mind. I hope she does anyway.

So, standing up, I grab our bags and throw them over my shoulder before holding my hand out to her.

“Let’s go. No sense in sitting here any longer.”

HARLEY

I follow Cane, keeping my body beside his as we trudge through the airport, nearly to our destination of the hotel. I can’t believe our flight was delayed until tomorrow, but I’m thankful I’ll still make it back in time for softball practice in the afternoon.

If all goes well.

If I had the money to throw around, I would have told him I would get my own room. That way, I wouldn’t be tempted at all to climb into bed with him when I see him shirtless later. Unfortunately, right now, I don’t have extra cash, and after everything the guy has done for me, I would never make him pay for a whole other room just so that I wouldn’t accidentally break my own rule … again.

When we come up on a crowd of people that we need to cut through, Cane’s hand instinctively grabs mine, and he tugs me beside him. I don’t fight it because, honestly, I like the way it feels, knowing he cares enough to want to keep me that close in a crowd.