Chapter 10 #2
“Yeah, due to you.” Her face was right near mine, her chin tilted up to the point I could bend down and kiss her if I wanted. Fuck, my body trembled with want. To taste her. To kiss the joy out of her. I couldn’t really breathe without breathing her in, so I held my breath, nodded, and leaned back.
“Sure, I might’ve pushed you, but you did the work. Anyone can send an email, Em. Not everyone gets a response.”
She shrugged and pointed toward the design again.
“Okay, so this one. I was thinking of how people want options. They want to feel like what they buy from a team is theirs. Not a uniform, not a billboard. Something that fits their life.” She bit her lip, scrolling again, and I could see her entire brain working in fast-forward.
The next page stopped me. “What’s this one?” I asked.
Her voice softened. “It’s the start of something new,” she said, almost shy. “A kids’ capsule. I was thinking about Miles, actually.”
I looked closer. The sketches were smaller—mini hoodies, baseball-style tees, little sneakers with embossed lightning bolts and paw prints. There was a line of notes under one design: inspired by players’ families: fun, fearless, comfortable.
“I kept seeing how the players’ kids wear jerseys two sizes too big,” she said, getting faster and more animated as she went.
“And the families, they buy all this bulky stuff that’s not actually made for kids.
What if we did something different? Pieces that let them match their parents but still feel like themselves.
Imagine kids’ bomber jackets with hidden pockets, or reversible raincoats in team colors but soft enough to wear every day.
Or pajamas that look like jerseys but are actually cozy cotton instead of scratchy polyester.
And affordable. Jeez, they need to be affordable.
I know what materials we could use to keep it cost-effective too. ”
Her words started tumbling, one over the other.
“And I could do small accessories—hats with Velcro patches, shoes with the team logo that parents can swap out for initials later, tiny custom backpacks—oh!—and pregame photo drops for social media. Everyone wants that ‘mini fan moment.’ And the players’ wives, the moms, the girlfriends—they’d love it.
The brand visibility alone could double.
It’s the kind of crossover that’ll last.”
I couldn’t stop staring. She was glowing. Completely in her element. It wasn’t just ideas spilling out—it was life. It was her dream taking shape right in front of me. She was stunning.
“That’s incredible,” I said, my voice low because anything louder would’ve cracked. “You realize you just mapped an entire new division of the team brand, right?”
She blinked, a little dazed, like she hadn’t even noticed how fast she’d been talking. “I—yeah, maybe,” she said, cheeks flushed pink. “Sorry. I get carried away.”
“Don’t apologize for that.” I reached over and turned her tablet slightly, the sketch still glowing under our hands. “You should be running the whole damn department. This is next-level stuff, Em.”
She laughed again, quieter this time. “You’re just saying that.”
“No, I’m not.” My gaze moved over her face, her cute nose and full lips and wide, expressive eyes. “You’re… you’re brilliant.”
Her breath hitched just slightly, but she tried to brush it off, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “You think the guys would like it?”
“They’ll love it,” I said immediately. “You’re giving them something that feels personal. And the kids’ line? That’s genius. That’s gonna take off. I know it. Hell, we have the test kid here!”
She smiled, but it wasn’t that surface one—it was softer, proud but uncertain, like she didn’t know where to put a compliment that deep.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t think anyone’s ever thought this highly of my work before. No one has ever called me brilliant.”
“They should’ve,” I said. “They should’ve said it every day.”
Her eyes met mine, and for a second the world narrowed to just that look—her wide, bright eyes behind those glasses, her hand still resting close enough that I could feel the tremor of her pulse.
I wanted to tell her how grateful I was, how I didn’t know how I’d be doing any of this without her, how every time I came home it felt lighter because she was in it.
But all that came out was a quiet “I’m proud of you. ”
Her lips parted slightly, her chest rising as she took a breath. “You don’t have to say that.”
“Sure, but I am.”
For a heartbeat, we didn’t move. The morning light broke over the counter, hitting her hair like sunlight through honey. My fingers twitched at my side, wanting to reach for her but not trusting myself to stop once I did.
She looked away first, tucking the tablet under her arm. “I should probably get ready for the brand call,” she said, her voice soft again, like she needed space to breathe.
I nodded, trying to settle the war in my chest. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”
“Really glad you’re home, Noah.” She leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder in a half hug. It only lasted a few seconds, then she was gone. “If you need anything, let me know. Miles is gonna be so happy to see you.”
I smiled, watched her walk away, and stopped myself from asking if she was happy to see me too.
My life was complicated. I had been in the friend zone my entire life.
I had a kid now. I had parents up my ass making life harder for all of us and stopping by soon.
I started another season that would be long and brutal.
I was in no place to do a damn thing about these feelings, but one thing was certain. My crush on Em hadn’t gone away at all.
It had only increased.