Chapter 7
––––––––
Noah
––––––––
When he woke, he foundhimself alone in bed, but a quick look around, and he found Zara at the desk, on her computer.
“Morning,” he said groggily, sitting up.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder, her happy expression from the night before gone, replaced with one that was all business. “Hey. There’s coffee if you’d like some.”
“I’m more of a tea guy, but thanks.” He scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He looked at the clock and found it was after seven.
“I hope I didn’t wake you, but I naturally wake up early, plus, I have a meeting at seven-thirty.”
He rested his elbows on his knees. “I guess I should get out of your way.” He didn’t want to go, but he could tell when he wasn’t wanted.
“I’m sure you have things to do too.” She turned back to face her computer as he got out of bed and searched for his clothes. The only problem was she was still wearing his shirt. Did he ask her for it or walk up the two flights to his room without it?
Her shoulders looked tight, and her spine was straight as she typed away on her laptop. He knew what was under that t-shirt. Why had she picked it back up to wear when she’d woken instead of one of her own?
He liked seeing her in something that belonged to him. Maybe long after he was gone, she’d wear it and remember him.
Maybe putting it on would make her want to see him again.
Decision made. He’d be walking out of the room shirtless.
“I’ll see you around.” He stayed where he was, hoping she’d turn around. As luck would have it, she did.
“Oh, I guess you need your shirt.” She started to pull it off, but he stopped her.
“Keep it. I’ve got plenty.” With that, he strode out of her room, but hopefully not out of her life.
That would be up to her, but he was going to do everything in his power to persuade her to see him again.
As soon as he was outside her door, the panic about what was to come started to set in. With every step he took, the panic got a little worse. By the time he was in his room, he was in a full-blown attack and had to lie down, close his eyes, and meditate.
It was almost like being in her presence had kept all the panic at bay.
Just fucking great.
After twenty minutes or so, he sat up, swinging his legs off his bed and hanging his head down to take some deep breaths. He needed to clear his mind, to do something besides think of Zara.
Running. He needed to run.
Grabbing his phone, he sent a text message to Heath and Kyle. He and Heath had gotten close with Kyle when they’d been in Valley Falls, and now they were his closest friends.
Noah:
Anyone up for a run?
Kyle:
I was just about to leave for the gym but I can switch that to a run.
Heath:
Considering I just spent the last 30 minutes agreeing to something I’m not sure I want to do, a run sounds like a frigging blast.
Kyle:
I can’t wait to hear this story.
Noah:
Same place?
Heath:
Be there in twenty.
Kyle:
Same.
Noah put down his phone and got busy getting dressed. When they’d been in Arizona for spring training, the three of them had run together most mornings. They had a spot they’d gone to that was quiet and just them instead of being surrounded by a bunch of people. Shoving his keycard and phone into his shorts, he grabbed his sunglasses out of his bag and headed to the lobby. Since he didn’t have a car as a member of the visiting team, he used his phone to order an Uber. It arrived quickly, and he was off.
Keeping his mind off Zara was the only thing keeping him from another panic attack.
He used the time in the car to check email and text messages since he’d ignored them all the night before.
His mom had sent him a message saying she’d watched the game and that it sucked that he’d lost.
He was in complete agreement with her.
Noah:
I hate losing.
Mom:
You always have. You were the one bright spot of the game. That catch in the 5th was incredible.
Noah:
Thanks, Mom.
He could always count on his mom to make him feel better about anything, especially baseball. His dad might have taught him the game, but his mom was his biggest fan.
Mom:
I’ll see you for dinner Sunday?
Noah:
I’ll be there.
Whenever he was home on Sunday, they had dinner together. After the Los Angeles Emperors had drafted him, he’d moved his mom out with him and bought her a house. He’d been happy when she’d wanted to move to California with him because he felt like he could take care of her better if she was close by. They tried to see each other when he had a stretch of home games and always on Sundays if he was home.
The car stopped, and he saw Kyle leaning against his car as he got out. “This is the second day in a row that I’ve left my wife first thing in the morning,” Kyle said. “You people need to figure out your shit so I can enjoy this week with my wife while Jasmine is at camp.”
“Who kicked you out yesterday?” He knew the answer before he even asked the question.
“Zara.” Kyle shook his head. “She had some sort of emergency that required the two of them to put their heads together and drink.”
He had an idea of why Zara needed to talk to Celia, and was sure it was about him. “You didn”t have to come today. Heath could have kept me company.”
“Are you kidding? Bros before hoes and all that. Except never tell Celia I referred to her as a ho, or the next time you see me will be at my funeral.”
Noah laughed. “It’ll be our secret.” They both turned as a truck came around the corner and stopped.
“Didn”t we get our asses kicked by this guy enough last night, Ashe? Do we really have to do it again?” Heath slammed the truck door and walked over to where they were standing as the truck drove away.
“Fucking hysterical, Bailey,” Noah said.
“He’s not wrong,” Kyle gloated. “We kicked your asses.”
“We could say the same thing about game one,” Heath countered.
“I guess tonight will tell the tale of the better team,” Kyle said.
Noah just shook his head as they walked to the running path. “So what’s going on with you, Heath? What did you agree to that you don’t want to do?”
He groaned. “Zara had me on a call with the director of the Los Angeles animal shelter, and I somehow agreed to be in a bachelor auction.”
“Oh man,” Kyle said, laughing. “She’s diabolical.”
“Right?” Heath said. “I said no over and over, but somehow, Zara, and some woman named Grace from the animal shelter, talked me into it.”
So that was the call Zara had at seven-thirty. With Heath. “How can they talk you into something you don’t want to do?”
“Fuck if I know.” They hit the path, and all started jogging. “The animal shelter woman wasn”t even supposed to be on the call, but of course, Zara conferences her in, and the next thing I know, I”m saying, ‘sure, I’ll be in your bachelor auction.’ I swear to god, Zara somehow manages to get me to do anything she asks.”
“Maybe it’s because you’ve known her forever,” Kyle said. “She never does those things to me.”
“Just wait. She will.” They picked up the pace after they were all warmed up. “What’s your deal, Ashe? Why did you call this meeting of the minds?”
“It’s not a meeting, and if I wanted smart people, I wouldn”t fucking call you two.”
“Sounds like a deflection if I’ve ever heard one,” Kyle said.
Heath knew about his panic attacks because they’d been on the same team since the beginning, but as far as he knew, Kyle had no idea. He didn’t care if he knew, not really, and not in the same way he cared if Zara knew. “I had a panic attack after yesterday’s game.”
Kyle stopped running abruptly, both he and Heath following suit. “What?”
Noah shrugged. “It’s something that happens sometimes, and I know how to work through them.”
“I figured as much when you weren’t in the locker room right away,” Heath said. “You good, man?”
“As good as I can be.” He’d be better if Zara hadn”t pushed him out.
“Wait,” Kyle said, looking at Heath, “You knew about this?”
Noah answered for him. “I’ve had them since high school, and certain things trigger them.” Like sexy raven-haired beauties who turn his brain and heart to mush and make his cock hard.
“What triggered this one?”
He motioned for them to start running again as he thought over how much he wanted to tell them. “Remember the story I told you about saving a woman from a fire?”
“Hold on, what story?”
“Oh, that’s right,” Kyle said. “Heath had started ignoring us at that point and put his headphones in.”
“If this story is about who I think it is, then it’s a damn good thing I didn’t hear it when you first told it.”
Noah froze, his feet literally not able to move. “How do you know who it’s about?”
“Because Zara is my sister’s best friend, and they weren’t always quiet when they thought they were whispering around me.” Heath stepped closer to Noah, coming face to face with him. “You’re the guy who just left her there.”
“I’m the guy who saved her damn life,” he said defensively, raising his voice.
“Woah, guys,” Kyle separated them. “Someone needs to fill me the fuck in, and you two need to calm down.”
“This asshole left Zara at the scene of a fire after walking in on her naked.”
Kyle turned to Noah, “The woman from that story was Zara?”
Noah nodded. “I didn’t know her then. We were both in college, and it wasn”t until a few years later, when I saw her at a game with Heath, that I found out who she was.” Noah looked at Heath. “I didn’t just leave her there. After I got her out, I was on the verge of the worst panic attack I’d ever had.”
Heath immediately went from being on guard to being more relaxed. “Shit.” He stepped away and repeated the word. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“Heath,” Kyle said, “I’m not sure this is bad. Unless I’m reading this wrong, I think our boy here has a thing for Zara.”
Noah’s eyes widened at Kyle’s statement. Had he been that obvious?
“Wait,” Heath stopped ranting to face him again, “you like Zara?”
Noah nodded, unsure if he should speak again.
“Zara Dewan? My Zara.”
That had Noah ready to speak. “What do you mean, your Zara?” This time he was the one coming face-to-face with Heath. “Do you have a thing for Zara?” Fuck, what if Zara and Heath were a thing, or maybe they’d hooked up. How would he be able to handle that?
Heath blinked and then, right in front of him, busted out laughing. “Oh god.” He laughed and laughed until he was doubled over in pain from laughing so hard.
Noah looked at Kyle, who shrugged and said, “I think it’s safe to say he doesn’t have a thing with Zara.”
“Quit saying it,” Heath struggled to breathe as he finally stood back up, still laughing.
“So you don’t like Zara.” Noah”s voice was still on edge, as was his whole body.
“Jesus, no, not like that. She’s like a fucking sister to me. A fucking annoying one at that. I love her and value her, but I have never thought of her as more.”
Everything inside Noah relaxed completely after hearing that.
“I’m guessing you, on the other hand, do like her?” Heath studied him.
A tiny bit of panic started to come through, but then he remembered that these guys were his friends and weren’t going to judge him. After a few deep breaths, he answered. “I do. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Are you going to hurt her or just fuck her and move on?” There was no anger in his voice, just concern.
“Hell, no. I’m not looking for a one-time thing, even if that’s what she wants.”
“Hold up,” Kyle said, interrupting them. “You and she have talked about this?”
Well, fuck. “Sort of.” He took a deep breath and started from the beginning. “Since Hannah couldn’t be here, Zara had to go with me to the meeting with Power Punch. After the meeting, we rode back to the hotel together, and somehow, we ended up arguing....”
“Nothing new there,” Heath said with an eye roll.
“...and then the next thing I know, we’re kissing.”
“That’s new,” Kyle deadpanned.
Noah knew his body, and sensed that the panic was happening again. “Can we run and talk?” He needed the movement, the rush of energy to keep calm.
They fell in step next to him at a relaxing pace.
“Is that all that happened?” Heath asked.
“Last night, when I found what I thought was an empty room to retreat to for my attack, it turns out Zara was in the room. When she made herself known, there was no time to explain before she was gone. As soon as I returned to the hotel, I wanted to explain things to her.”
“I’m guessing you explained with your dick.”
“Crude,” Heath said. “I don’t want to hear about your dick and Zara, just like I don’t like hearing about Hannah and Edwin.”
“I didn’t go there for that. She ran out of the room like a bat out of hell, and I wanted her to know what it was and not think the worst.” This conversation was getting out of control.
“You know that having panic attacks does not make you weak, right?” Kyle asked.
“I do know that, but something about Zara knowing made me start to feel that way.”
“Zara would never judge you for that,” Heath said. “She is the first to ask her clients if we need to see someone after an injury or if something isn’t going well. There is not a bone in her body that would look at you differently because of this.”
“I know that. Now. But it’s still hard to wrap my brain around it.” She was the one person he didn”t want seeing him as weak. Everyone else, he couldn’t care less about. “I’ve had a thing for her since the night I saved her.”
“Seriously?” Heath sounded surprised.
He nodded. “I had no clue who she was, but she was always in the back of my mind as sort of the one who got away even though we’d barely said a few words to each other. Then one day, you and I were talking, and you mentioned that your sister’s best friend was visiting and that she was an agent at Sports World. You pointed to the stands, and there was Zara. I almost choked on my own spit.”
“That was like four years ago.” Heath looked at Noah in disbelief. “Are you telling me this whole time, you’ve wanted Zara and haven’t done anything about it?”
“Talk about a slow play,” Kyle said.
“You can’t talk,” Noah said to Kyle. “You loved Celia forever and never forgot her. How is this any different?”
“Hello, I’d been in a relationship with Celia. I knew what I’d lost. You have never done anything but see Zara naked.”
“That’s all it took.” Noah knew, especially after last night, that Zara was it for him. The way she made him feel, the way she calmed him, and how amazing they’d been together. She was his forever.
Now, he just had to convince her of that.