41. Bailey
41
Bailey
I picked Nolan up on the way to the pitts. Spotting him wearing rain boots and a raincoat, I nearly laughed. How did he plan to run through the mud in boots? He got into the truck, and that’s when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
“Hey, you okay?” I reached out and ran my thumb across his cheek. He looked exhausted.
“Yeah.” He turned his head and kissed my hand. “Just tired. I was up all night, going over the game video.”
“Game video?” I pulled out of the driveway and headed to the pitts.
“Yeah, Coach sent it to us last night, and I was…studying it.”
“We had review day yesterday.” The rain was coming down heavily outside as we pulled into the park parking lot. “Nolan, is your dad is forcing you—”
“No…no, he backed off.” He looked out the windshield. “I can’t even see through the rain.” Though I noticed the change in subject, I didn’t push him.
Chase’s car pulled up next to mine, with Ethan and Lachlan in it. Chase made a motion with his hands, and I rolled down the window as he leaned out his. “Ready?” he asked.
“Kind of.”
Meanwhile, Nolan’s exhaustion turned to excitement.
“We have to go over near the bridge.” Chase pointed across the field.
Nolan grabbed the hood of his raincoat and pulled it up. “Let’s do this.” I was going to keep my eye on him but followed his lead and stayed in the moment. We were here for Chase for his birthday.
As one, we all got out. Nolan was the only one wearing a raincoat. The farther out into the field we walked, the muddier it became. Chase stopped, taking his shoes and socks off. “This was so much easier when we were little kids.”
The rest of us followed suit, and Nolan took his jacket off, laying it over our shoes. Nolan opted to keep his boots on—his loss.
We ran out into the field. Lachlan had the football in hand.
“The rules are, there are no rules,” Chase shouted over the sound of pelting rain as he grinned. “No teams, just try to get away and get a touchdown. Everyone is running the same direction, and whoever carries the ball there gets the down. Pair up, go solo, but most importantly, get dirty.”
“It’s been so long.” Ethan rubbed his hands together, smiling more than I had seen him in years. “I almost forgot about this place.”
The pitt was deep, my foot getting swallowed in the muck. Nolan was already stuck and abandoned his boots. “This is crazy.” He laughed, his eyes lighting up.
“Blue forty-two, HUT!” Lachlan yelled in a voice I didn’t know he was capable of, and the others ran at him. He faked them out, practically shoving Chase face-first into the sopping mud, and that’s when shit got real. Ethan took him out just before he made it to the end, but it didn’t stop there. Next thing I knew, Ethan had the ball and was running to the other end of the pit.
“Go right!” Nolan yelled to Chase, and they teamed up, going for Ethan’s legs. With a battle cry meant for the days of Sparta, Ethan threw the ball up in the air, and I ran as fast as the thick mud allowed me, diving for the ball. I slid on my stomach, catching the ball in my outstretched hands.
I wasn’t one to be afraid of a little dirt. I cleaned horse shit from stalls twice a day, so clean mud was nothing. I wiggled back and forth, trying to hold the ball and get to my feet. Lachlan was closest as he came for me, and a squeal released from my lips as I ran from his grasp, just barely missing him. Chase was way too fast, though. He didn’t tackle me or go for the feet, like he had with Ethan; instead, he went right for the ball. When he learned pulling it out was useless, he snaked an arm around my waist and lifted me into the air. Quickly, I reacted by grabbing on to him, not wanting to fall. The ball left my hands, and Nolan was right there, scooping it up. The sneaky devil.
I was laughing as Chase set me down. “Happy?” he asked.
“It’s complete chaos.” The rain was now pouring so hard, it was difficult to see, but from Nolan’s victory screams, I knew he had made a touchdown.
Chase stared at me, a wide grin on his face. “Wanna go together?”
“What?”
His eyes went wide for the briefest of moments before he said, “Team up. We’ll take Lachlan down and make a touchdown. I’ll block, you run.”
“Definitely. But pinky promise you won’t turn on me, pinky promise you won’t leave me.” I laughed, trying to shout to be heard.
Through the rain, Chase held his pinky out to me, and I hooked mine around it. “Bailey McCormick, I pinky promise to do everything in my power to protect you.” He chuckled, and though I knew he meant he was going to protect me, as in block the others from getting me, his words went straight to my chest, and my heart gave a flutter. “Go!” he yelled, just as Lachlan was coming down, the ball tucked in his arms.
Ethan was on him, taking him down, and because Ethan was best at tackling and not jumping up quickly, Chase was there to scoop up the ball. “Who’s the grumpy ass now!” Chase yelled at Lachlan, then he spun around, handing it off to me before calling, “Run!”
“They’re teaming up!” Nolan yelled. He ran at me, but Chase was there, using Nolan’s momentum against him. He pushed him down, and Nolan fell headfirst into the soup of a ground. Chase stayed with me the whole way. Lachlan didn’t have a chance as Chase helped him join Nolan in the mud.
I squealed again as the end came into view, but then…Ethan squared up. Damn, how was he so fast? Chase took him head-on, and they locked arms, pushing back and forth. Taking a chance, I didn’t slow down. I kept my speed going, put all my strength in my legs, and jumped. It was the sloppiest of jumps, but it was enough for me to plant a bare foot on Chase’s back and jump up over him and Ethan, landing on my knees in the touchdown zone.
“TOUCHDOWN!” I screamed, lifting the ball above my head. I stood up, only for Chase to lift me higher in the air in victory. “Whoooooooohooooooo!!!”
The refreshing rain against my face, held high in Chase’s arms, the other guys all with a hand on me, my leg or back, yelling in excitement at my victory. This was it. This was happiness. I wanted to stay in this moment of bliss for eternity.
We played until our legs were ready to give out. Most times, I teamed up with Chase, since we had a silent communication thing going on. One look, and he knew which way I was going to go. But I also took turns, teaming up with Nolan and Lachlan. Not Ethan, though he once threw me over his shoulder while I held the ball and ran to the end zone, so it was hard to tell if that was his touchdown or mine.
We hit a point where we were all sitting in the mud, the rain coming down just as hard as it had before. “That was way more of a workout than any practice we’ve done,” I said.
Nolan laughed. “The mud really adds to the resistance.”
“I’m done,” Chase said.
“Same.” Lachlan groaned. “Ethan, carry me back to the car.”
“No! Ethan is my ride!” I complained.
Ethan shook his head. “You shits can walk yourself.” We all laughed and got up, making our way back to the cars.
I stopped, looking back as Chase moved away from us to grab the football that was now stuck in the mud close to the bridge. I turned away from the others and ran over to Chase, just as he stood from picking up the football and stared at the bridge.
“Thank you,” I said over the rain. His grey eyes met mine as he stood there, waiting. Then I chuckled, realizing I needed to clarify. “For your birthday wish. This was a lot of fun. It’s been a while since we did something like this.”
“You know…you’re actually the reason for today.” He stepped closer to me, likely so I could hear him better.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I saw you, just before school started. I was standing on that bridge and I—” His eyes swung over to the bridge, as if he were seeing it all again. “I saw you. I didn’t think I was going to go to school. I didn’t think I’d ever have a chance to hang out with my friends again, but I did because of you.” As his eyes met mine, there was so much meaning behind them. “You’re the reason we are all back together, Bails. You brought us here.”
I took a step closer to him, his chest just a few inches from mine. “Well, would you believe you’re the reason I’m here now?” I ran a hand down my face, wiping the water out of my eyes. “I saw you, Chase. I saw you here on the bridge, and I had to talk to you. I wanted to see you again. I wanted our friendship back, needed it back. It was the first break. The first time I was forced to stand up for myself…so I could get back to you.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Bailey, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I haven’t been there.”
“You saved me, Chase. I don’t know how else to tell you. You saved me.” I reached out to him, my hands going around his neck as I leaned in, pushing my lips to meet his.
Though his arms came around me, his kiss wasn’t the all-consuming need he’d had like last time. I was glad for the rain because this kiss had tears rolling down my cheeks. Chase was baring his heart to me, serving it on a platter as he tenderly held my heart.
In the distance, I heard horns honking, followed by cheering and shouting. Chase laughed, his chest rumbling, and broke the kiss as he smiled. “We should get back to them before they come out here,” I said.
He pressed one last kiss to my lips before stepping back and taking my hand in his. As we walked back to the truck, the rain started to let up.
“I can't wait for my birthday.” Lachlan grinned at me.
Chase looked around at all of us, then pulled his phone from the truck. “All right, this is one for the books. Everyone, get in close.” He set the phone up on the bed of the truck, balancing it, so he could set a timer and take the picture.
Nolan and Lachlan took the spots on either side of me, and Ethan stood behind me, his arms on my shoulders. Chase ran and knelt in front of me. I quickly put a hand on his shoulder to help steady his descent as the camera clicked twice.
“So…I hope I don’t sound weird, but any chance you can strip before getting into the truck?” I asked Nolan.
He didn’t even second-guess it; he just started stripping.
I laughed. “I just don’t want mud in my truck.”
“Damn, was that all it was? I thought you wanted me in my boxers,” Nolan teased. I stuck my tongue out at him.
Chase looked at Ethan and Lachlan. “You shits can keep your clothes on. I don’t care about the mud in the car.”
“I wanna go in Bailey’s truck!” Lachlan said.
I had my sports shorts and tank underneath my clothes. They were wet, but at least they weren’t muddy. “My place for hot chocolate?”
“Uh, what would your parents think, with us showing up in our underwear?” Nolan asked.
I lifted a shoulder. “My parents went out today. It’ll be fine. We can wash your clothes and watch a movie.” I waved, like it was no big deal.
Though Lachlan teased about coming in the truck, he slipped into the car with Chase and Ethan. Nolan blasted the heat the whole way back. As cold as he was, I could tell he’d had fun. He was back to his normal Nolan self.
I pulled into the front of the house and was relieved to see no one was home. The guys all came in and stripped in the mudroom. Since the laundry room was right next to it, I gathered everything up and threw it in the wash after a quick rinse in the washing tub.
Turning around, I found four practically naked guys watching me. Their feet were filthy with mud, and flecks of mud speckled their face and arms. I shook my head. “There’s a shower down here if you guys want to quickly wash the mud off.”
It wasn’t long before we were all showered. I put on a comfortable pair of sweats, while the guys just put their boxers back on.
I was in the kitchen, making hot chocolate, when Chase walked in, still only wearing his boxers. “Need help?”
“Not much to do. Just waiting for water to boil.”
“I forgot what the farm looked like—crazy, isn’t it? Is that barn over there new?” he asked, pointing out the window.
“It is. We built it this summer. When Dad bought the property across the creek, we needed to expand the equipment, and the horses needed a more suitable barn.”
Chase looked more closely out the window, his eyes searching for something in the yard. “Where’s Marley?”
Fuck. I closed my eyes. I could still see her struggling in his arms. She was just trying to protect me. Those whimpers, those cries. “She…was hit by a car.” When? When could I move on from the lies? Marley deserved so much more, so much better than me.
Lachlan came in, clearing his throat. “I switched the clothes over to the dryer, should be less than an hour.” He eyed Chase for a moment just as the kettle clicked.
I poured the hot water into the cups with the mix, but my hands were shaking. Lachlan reached over, laying his hand over mine. “Hey, let me.” He took over pouring the hot water.
“Leave room for milk,” I said in a shaky voice.
“Will you tell me what’s on your mind?” He looked between Chase and me briefly, and Chase shrugged.
“Nothing.” But…it wasn’t nothing. Lachlan and Chase had given me so much of themselves. “Just difficult truths. Sometimes they pop up without reason.”
“Hey.” Lachlan concentrated on pouring the hot liquid. “That happens. Sometimes, I still get flashbacks. It’s proof you’re still working through some things. When you’re ready to talk, we’re ready to listen.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Lachlan and Chase helped me mix up the drinks, and then we made our way to the living room, where Nolan and Ethan joined us.
“You are a goddess,” Nolan said when I handed him a cup of hot chocolate. “You all used all the hot water. I had nothing but freezing cold water.”
“Oops.” Turning on the TV, I put on a random Marvel movie just as the front door opened.
I could hear Dad and Mom talking, but they both fell silent when they walked around the corner. Mom opened her mouth, shocked for a moment as she took in the sight of four guys wearing nothing but boxers.
I winced. “Uh, their clothes are drying. We weren’t doing anything. I mean, there was a mud pit, and we, well, fell in…”
“You four were in the pitts again?” Mom chastised. “I thought the last time I hosed you down with the garden hose was enough to make you stay out of there.” The guys chuckled as they remembered. Dad had a huge grin on his face. “They roped you into it as well, Nolan?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Nolan said sheepishly.
Dad laughed. “She brings one stray home, and suddenly, they all come.” He turned and walked off into the kitchen.
“Well, then. I see you all have drinks,” Mom said. “Are you hungry? I was just going to order pizza for dinner.”
In unison, they all said “yes,” and I couldn’t hold back my happiness, my face splitting into a smile.
Luckily, the clothes were dried before the pizza showed up. I helped refill everyone’s drinks, and Ethan helped Mom lay out the pizzas. The dining room table wasn’t as quiet as it usually was. While Ethan and Nolan were going over the Saturday night football plays on Nolan’s phone and Mom was deep in conversation with Lachlan, I listened in on Chase and Dad. Every now and then, someone would join another conversation or interrupt with an excited shout. The chatter and energy in the room did something to me. Something I wasn’t used to. It made me feel warm and fuzzy; it made the house feel like a home. I wished this could happen every night.
As dinner finished and the guys helped clean up, it was time to say goodbye. I thought Mom had fun having them around, too, because she made them promise to come back again.
“You sure no one needs a ride?” I asked them.
“Nah, I got them,” Chase said.
I waved goodbye to Ethan, Nolan, and Lachlan, but it was Chase who hung back.
“Thanks for planning this, Chase. I think we all needed it. I never thought I would be hoping for more rainy days.”
Chase smiled. “I hope you guys don’t stop going out there. Thanks for making my day, Bails. One last birthday hug?”
I didn’t hesitate. I stepped into Chase’s arms, and he held me. It wasn’t a quick squeeze, like I’d expected him to give. He held me. He pulled me in, and at first, I didn’t think he would let go… I was okay with that. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed his hugs. His closeness. His laughter and smiles. I knew I missed my friends, but I never thought about how much I truly missed them individually. So, I held him back. I didn’t want him to go. To leave. He let go, though, his eyes glassy.
“Thank you, Bailey.” He gave a soft smile before leaving, and something in the pit of my stomach didn’t sit right. Something screamed to not let him go, but what was I supposed to do?