Chapter Twenty-Seven
Leaving Indy’s house two days ago, after Dylan walked in on us together, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
She let me hold her, her body curling into mine as we lay there for hours, clinging to each other like the world beyond her bedroom didn’t matter.
It should have been peaceful—the calm after the storm—but it was anything but.
Both of us were ripped open, hearts bleeding, lying broken in the aftermath of the destruction we’d caused.
And still, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. Not for a second.
Sometime between late afternoon and evening, when the golden glow of the sunlight radiated its warmth through her bedroom window, Indy told me she needed to take some time alone.
To process.
To feel.
Her heart had just been shattered by the only other man in her life capable of breaking her.
I nodded once and climbed out of her bed, every instinct screaming for me to stay.
She assured me she loved me. That she only needed a little time.
Reluctantly, I’ve been giving it to her.
But I’m terrified she’s going to change her mind about us.
“Hey, Gareth! Get your head in the game!”
Declan’s stern voice cuts across the field where he stands in the shade of the dugout.
This practice has been a complete disaster. I’ve missed catches I could have made with my eyes closed. Let Austin strike me out like I was a goddamn rookie.
All because my thoughts won’t stop drifting to her.
Two days have felt like an eternity. It feels like a piece of my soul is missing without her near me.
I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her softly. I want to pour every ounce of emotion into showing her how much I love her.
Then I want to fuck her hard—remind her she’s embedded into my heart just as permanently as I’m embedded in hers.
The ball whizzes past my face, close enough to feel the rush of air.
Fuck.
“FOX! Get over here.”
I throw Jensen an apologetic look before jogging toward Declan, swallowing my pride.
“What’s up, Coach?” I ask, playing dumb even though we both know better.
Declan narrows his eyes. “I don’t know, Gareth, you tell me. If this is your warm up, how the hell will your performance be the rest of practice?”
I drop my gaze, shaking my head. “My head's not right today.”
“I can see that. You need to leave?”
“No,” I say quickly. “I’ll focus.”
“Alright then.” He slaps my shoulder. “Get back out there. We’re twenty minutes in. Do better.”
I jog back onto the field, rolling my shoulders loose as I head back to Jensen.
“Having a hard time playing catch?” he teases, tossing the ball into his glove.
“Shut up and throw it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“What isn’t wrong?” I mutter, shaking my head.
Not wanting to discuss the tightness in my chest, or the constant state of stress I’ve been living in, terrified Indy will tell me goodbye, I turn and walk farther into the field, widening the distance between us.
I force every thought out of my mind except for baseball, focusing on the practice and willing muscle memory to kick in.
Eventually, I get my head in the game.
An hour later, sweat drips down my spine, my hair damp from the heat radiating in my batter’s helmet, when Coach finally calls for a break.
I rip it off just as Jensen and Austin wander over to me. Austin tosses me a bottle of water.
“Glad to see you snapped out of it,” Jensen muses before tilting his bottle back, draining the entire thing in one shot.
Austin frowns. “What’d I miss this time?“
“Evidently we both did,” Jensen tells him.
They both look at me, waiting for an explanation.
I finish off my water slowly, buying time, letting the liquid cool me from the inside out.
“Long story short.” I exhale. “Dylan found out about me and Indy. He came back from his trip a couple days early and showed up at her apartment—found us in bed.” My jaw tightens as I relive the memory. “He lost his shit. Accused us of betraying him.”
“Oh damn,” Austin murmurs.
“Yeah. Then he tried to fight me. I kicked him out of Indy’s place. And later she asked me for space.”
“She probably just needed a minute to think,” Jensen says with a gentleness that surprises me.
“I know. I’m just afraid that too much space will make her change her mind about us.”
Austin lets out a soft laugh. “I don’t think you have to worry about that, bro.”
“I hope not.”
“No, seriously. Doesn’t look like she wants space anymore.”
“What?”
I follow his line of sight, and there she is.
Perched in the VIP box like she owns the damn thing with her legs propped on the railing, her pink hair pulled up onto her head, blue eyes locked on mine.
A slow grin tugs at the corner of my mouth.
Two days.
And she’s still choosing me.
INDY
It’s been two days since my world as I knew it imploded.
I can’t remember a time where Dylan and I went more than a few days without talking.
Silence between us only ever happened when he was out of the country, stubbornly refusing to upgrade his phone plan to include international.
Even then, our brief moments of silence were always filled with promises of photos and stories the second he returned.
Growing up, we were inseparable, two peas in the same pod, with inside jokes and a secret language only siblings could understand. Dylan’s always been my rock and my best friend.
Now, knowing how infuriated he is with me, not knowing when we’ll see each other again or I’ll hear his voice…
It’s like grieving someone who’s still alive.
I called him that night, right after Gareth left, hoping we could have a civil conversation. I thought if I could just make Dylan understand…
But he didn’t answer.
Not the first call.
Or the second.
My texts sat unread. Each one a painful reminder that he was choosing not to speak to me.
I never thought I’d actually lose him, but I know loving Gareth means accepting I won’t have my brother in my life. And no matter how much that breaks me, I can’t walk away from Gareth.
I won’t.
He owns every part of my heart, body, mind, and soul. Every breath, every thought. They’re all for him.
And two days without seeing him has felt like being dragged underwater without knowing how to swim. The guilt weighs me down, but it’s the longing for Gareth holding me under.
It doesn’t have to be like this, though—I’m the one who asked for space.
I’m the one who asked for time to think.
I’m done needing space.
The drive to Coit Stadium is long, the road stretching endlessly in front of me. Anticipation coils tight inside of me, so fiercely it feels like I might burst. Fingers turning white on the steering wheel. Knee bouncing.
When I finally pull into the private lot reserved for players and staff, my entire body is shaking. Nerves and excitement twist together, crashing into me and making me dizzy.
The sickening thought—question—swirling through my mind.
Has he changed his mind about us?
When I walk up to the security guard, he eyes me skeptically, not believing my claim of being Gareth’s girlfriend—an unofficial title that feels nerve-wracking to claim out loud—until I pull my phone from my purse and pull up our most recent picture together.
He’s kissing my cheek while I smile ear to ear at the camera—a tangle of limbs as I lay in his arms.
The picture feels like it was taken months ago, when in reality it was just last week.
My legs carry me to the VIP box, and I take a seat in the very front, making myself comfortable. The air’s hot and humid, the afternoon sun beats down on me relentlessly as I watch the guys practice.
My eyes are locked on the field, watching the players rotate through practice stations. My breath catches in my lungs when Gareth steps up to bat—composed, focused, in his element.
He doesn’t know I’m here—he hasn’t sensed me yet, either. But Austin’s seen me.
He throws me a knowing wink, like he knows this is what Gareth’s been waiting for.
Twenty minutes crawl by at the pace of a snail, when their coach tells them to take a break.
My heart leaps when Gareth pulls his helmet off, drenched in sweat, hair plastered to his forehead. He talks with a couple of his teammates, his throat bobbing as he drains a bottle of water, completely unaware I’m watching his every move.
God, I’ve missed him. Two days was too long.
Austin glances up in my direction.
Then Gareth’s gaze follows his line of sight.
Relief crashes over him the second our eyes meet, and everything about him changes in that instant—his shoulders relax, the tightness in his jaw disappears.
Then he smiles, stealing my breath away.
And my entire world settles back into place.
Looking down at my Golden Boy, I know without a shadow of a doubt—without any hesitation or uncertainty—
I’m looking at my forever.