Chapter 27
Dylan
The three-game series against the Red Sox ended too quickly.
As planned, Faye left after the home opener. Then, with our families in Boston and the demands of our teams, Jase and I barely managed a moment alone before I had to get on a plane and fly back to Raleigh.
The apartment Marcos had secured for me, which I’d spent only a handful of hours in before leaving for Boston, felt empty in a way I’d never experienced.
For as long as I could remember, I’d never been alone. Someone was always around, and more often than not, that someone was Jase. Suddenly, it felt as though a vital piece of me was missing.
On top of that, I missed Faye like crazy. When I found out I’d be living in North Carolina, I wondered whether being separated from her would feel different this time, since we’d never lived in the same place or had unlimited time together before. But her absence was just as noticeable as Jase’s.
I dropped my bag by the door and plopped onto the couch, wondering whether this loneliness would ever ease or whether I would spend the entire season with the unbearable ache of missing the two most important people in my life.
My phone buzzed, and I saw a message from Faye in our group chat:
Dylan did you make it back to Raleigh?
Yeah. Just walked in the door
Jase: It sucks we didn’t get to spend any real time together
It did suck, but it was also what we signed up for.
Jase may have had a better understanding of how this all worked, since his father had played professional ball for most of his childhood, but I was completely na?ve about it.
I knew that if I ever got the chance to play ball at this level, I’d need to make sacrifices.
At the same time, I never expected to fall in love right as my career was taking off, so I was still trying to figure shit out.
Faye: Jase I’ll be in Boston for the first game of your next homestand. This time I’m going to sit right by the field
Jase: Can’t wait to see you, Princess
With Jase playing for the Red Sox and Faye living in Boston, I knew they’d have more opportunities to be together than I would with either of them. It made logical sense, and I was truly happy for them. The only thing I wished I could change was the distance between us.
Faye: Dylan, I see you’re playing the Nationals in D.C. in a few weeks. I think we need to make plans for me to see you then
Nothing would make me happier
Faye: Well I’ve got an early flight tomorrow and need to get some sleep but we’ll chat soon when I get back from my trip. Love you both.
Love you, Princess
Jase: Love you too. See you soon
I tossed my phone onto the cushion beside me and closed my eyes. I needed to remind myself this was only temporary and that we’d eventually figure out how to make things work, despite the miles between us.
After our first homestand in Raleigh, the month flew by in a blur of games, travel days, and endless chats with Faye and Jase whenever possible.
The week before, Faye and her brother had made it to one of my games in D.C.
Fallon was technically a friend of mine; I’d previously been seen with him at his wedding and a charity gala, so no one thought twice about his coming to my game.
And since the media knew Faye was dating my stepbrother, it was easy to let them assume she was there with her brother, supporting her boyfriend’s family.
Sometimes I found myself keeping a mental tally of how many of Jase’s games she attended or how often I saw pictures of them leaving the stadium together.
When that happened, I forced myself to remember I wasn’t in competition with either of them and that the number of visits didn’t matter nearly as much as the quality of whatever time we spent together.
I’d just finished batting practice before our game in Seattle and was changing into my uniform when my phone started buzzing inside the locker. I picked it up and saw Tyler had started a group video call. The corners of my mouth lifted. That call could mean only one thing.
I accepted immediately, and my brother’s face filled the screen. “We’re heading to the hospital.” His voice was shaky with excitement and nerves. “Our baby is coming.”
Our baby. Even then, he didn’t let on if they were expecting a boy or a girl.
For the next five minutes, it was impossible to make out what anyone was saying because everyone was shouting questions.
Eventually, the conversation quieted down, and Dad leaned closer to the screen. “You and Hayden got this, and we can’t wait to meet our grandbaby.”
Tyler swallowed hard. “Thanks, Dad. We’ll keep you posted.”
A second later, I got a text:
Jase: We’re about to be uncles!
Faye: OMG! That’s amazing
I don’t know how I’m expected to go play a game now. This is wild
Jase: Yeah. Wish I wasn’t on a road trip. We just finished our game. Heading back to the hotel and I’ll be watching you
Faye: Me too D. Can’t get enough of you two in baseball pants :P
That made me chuckle. I locked my phone and slid it back into the locker.
Across the country, my brother was about to become a dad. I was playing in the majors, with my two favorite people cheering me on. If someone had told me a year earlier that this would be my life, I’m not sure I would have believed them.
After the game, I checked my phone only to see a few updates from Tyler about labor moving slowly, and they were still waiting.
It wasn’t until I returned to my hotel room that my phone buzzed again.
Tyler had sent a photo of him holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket, eyes closed, looking as peaceful as possible. Hayden had his arm around my brother and the baby.
Tyler: Everyone meet Iris Hazel Statler-Foster. 7 lbs 3 oz. 19 inches. And absolutely perfect
I dropped to the edge of the bed and typed out a message:
Congratulations! She’s beautiful
The Crushers had another series in Boston in a little over a month, and I was looking forward not only to seeing Jase and Faye but also to meeting my niece.
The plane touched down in Boston just after six in the evening, and I finally felt like I could breathe again. Boston wasn’t home, but the two people who felt like home to me lived there, and I was desperate to have them both back in my arms.
The team checked into the hotel as a group, with fans and hotel guests openly gawking at us as we milled around the lobby. I rode the elevator up with a couple of teammates, our bags slung over our shoulders, and the conversation shifted to dinner plans.
“Statler,” called McDaniels, one of our starting pitchers, as we stepped onto our floor. “A few of us are grabbing food later. You in?”
I shook my head. “I’ve got family plans tonight.”
He raised a brow. “Consorting with the enemy, huh?”
I laughed. Jase and I being stepbrothers had been a bit of a headline when we played against each other at the beginning of the season, and I’d been on the receiving end of a few jokes after Jase had thrown me out at first in our second game. “Something like that.”
He nodded. “I get it, but you better not bail on us next time.”
“Deal.”
Once I was alone in my room, I sent a text:
Just checked in. I’ll be on my way soon
The replies came instantly:
Faye: Finally
Jase: Hurry up
I showered quickly, changed, and less than thirty minutes later, I was in the back of a rideshare.
As soon as the car pulled up to Jase’s building, I hopped out and headed inside. His apartment was on the third floor, so I didn’t wait for the elevator. Instead, I took the stairs two at a time. My pulse raced, not from the climb but from the anticipation of finally seeing Jase and Faye again.
The door opened before I could knock.
I stepped inside to find Jase standing in front of me, barefoot, wearing a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants.
Of course, he was.
A smartass comment was on the tip of my tongue when he surprised me by grabbing the front of my shirt and crashing his mouth into mine. The shock lasted only a second before my hands came up and fisted his shirt as I kissed him back.
When he finally pulled away, he rested his head against mine. “Hi.”
“That was quite the welcome.” I chuckled.
“It’s about damn time you got here,” Faye said from behind him.
He stepped aside, and there she was, in a low-cut tank top and denim shorts, relaxed and happy.
“Hey, Princess.” I reached out and wrapped my arms around her waist. “I missed you.”
She responded by pressing her lips to mine, gentler than Jase yet with the same emotion.
This right here was what I’d been missing for the past two months, and now that I had them back in my arms, I didn’t want to let them go.
Jase moved in behind me, his hand settling on my lower back as I kept kissing our girl.
We stumbled through his apartment, leaving a trail of clothes as we made our way to his bedroom.
From there, we were nothing but a tangle of hands, mouths, and bodies, and I’d never been happier.
The next morning, I woke up sprawled between Jase and Faye, but we didn’t have time to linger.
I had a baby to meet.
Tyler’s place wasn’t far. On the ride over, Jase filled me in on how Tyler and Hayden were handling parenthood, since he’d already spent time with them.
It was another gut-wrenching moment that left me feeling removed from everyone important to me, but I refused to let it dampen my mood as I prepared to see my niece for the first time in person.
My phone buzzed with a text, and I pulled it out, seeing it was a group text with mine and Jase’s agent:
Marcos: Do you two have plans during the All-Star break?
Since Jase was driving, I said, “Marcos wants to know whether we have plans during the All-Star break.”
“When is that?” Faye asked as she sat shotgun.
“July,” I answered.
“I wonder why he asked if we have plans,” Jase said.
“Let me see.”
I’m not sure. Why?
I have a client that has a fight and he gave me tickets.
Boxing?
MMA. I’ll handle the room and car service if you have the time. Thought a photo op with two rookies who are having great seasons and an up-and-coming fighter might be good for the agency
“He wants to know if we want to go to an MMA fight in Vegas. He has tickets from a client he represents.”
Jase met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “We don’t have plans, so why not?” He glanced at Faye. “Will you come with us?”
Faye’s eyes widened. “Oh, I like that idea. Well, not the fighting part. But Vegas sounds fun. Maybe I could go shopping while you watch people beat each other up.”
“All right, but Princess, I’m not having you walk the Strip alone. If he can get us three tickets, you’re coming to the fight too,” I stated.
“I can just have my detail come,” she suggested.
I chuckled. “If we’re going to Vegas, I’m not partying with them watching our every move.”
“Fine, but does he even have three tickets?”
We’ll go if you can get us three tickets
Done
“He said he can,” I replied.
“Then I guess we’re going to Vegas!” Jase grinned.
We finally arrived at Tyler and Hayden’s place, and when we reached the door, we knocked softly.
Tyler answered. He wore a wrinkled T-shirt, gym shorts, and a massive smile on his face.
“You made it.” He pulled me into a hug, then moved on to the other two.
“I wish I could have been here sooner,” I admitted. “I’ve been dying to meet my niece.”
Hayden emerged from the hallway, cradling his daughter.
And just like that, I could see only her.
“This”—Tyler moved next to his husband—“is Iris.”
She was much smaller than I expected, wrapped in a pale purple blanket, her face relaxed as she slept in her dad’s arms.
I didn’t realize I’d stopped breathing until Hayden glanced up at me and smiled. “Want to hold her?”
My hands came up. “Yeah, I do.”
She fit perfectly in my hold, as if she belonged there. Her fingers curled reflexively around one of mine, and a lump rose in my throat. “She’s perfect,” I whispered, to no one in particular.
Tyler chuckled quietly. “I know. She’s already got both of us wrapped around her little finger.”
That didn’t surprise me at all.
We settled into the living room, where Tyler talked about Iris’s birth, the moment they first heard her cry, and the day they brought her home.
At some point, the conversation turned to baseball.
“So, how are you doing?” Tyler asked. “I get updates from this one whenever he’s in town.” He gestured toward Jase. “But I feel like we haven’t had a chance to talk about how baseball’s treating you.”
“The team is great, and I’m having a pretty good year so far. I don’t like being so far away from everyone, though.”
Tyler nodded. “Yeah, I can’t imagine it’s easy being away from Faye so much while you’re just starting out.”
She placed her hand on my leg and squeezed it.
“It’s not just Faye,” I replied, without thinking.
Tyler blinked. “Yeah, I get it. You and Jase have always been inseparable.”
I glanced over at Jase, who sat in the chair beside me. He met my gaze, gave me a barely-there nod, and mouthed, “You can tell them.”
Exhaling, I shifted my attention back to Tyler and Hayden. “Actually, we’re together.”
Tyler cocked his head to the side. “Together?”
“Like dating,” I clarified.
Everything fell silent for a moment, then Tyler grinned. “Well, damn. I didn’t see that coming.”
“You’re not freaked out by that?” Jase asked.
Tyler looked genuinely surprised by the question. “Why would I be?”
Jase shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re stepbrothers. That’s not something people usually expect.”
Tyler ran a hand down his face. “I mean, it’s unexpected, but also kind of not.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means you two never had the same kind of sibling bond with each other that you have with me and Cammie. It’s always been a little something more.”
Faye leaned forward. “In what way?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe soulmates is the right word. I think they just didn’t realize it until you came along and fit perfectly with them.”
Jase swallowed hard. “I think you’re right.”
“Big brothers usually are.” He smirked. “And I’m really happy for you. All three of you.”
Faye smiled, her eyes shining bright. As I sat there, my niece in my arms, I realized that while it might be hard for us to be in different places, Jase and Faye were a part of me. I’d never be able to let go.