Chapter 43
Mac
If you had asked me a year ago if I’d be spending a Saturday in June at my teammate's son’s birthday party, I would have said no.
But then I managed to bring Eliza Pierce into my life in a more permanent way, and I’ve found myself doing things I couldn’t have predicted.
I’ve given her a key to my apartment because I hate the thought of not spending every night with her.
I’ve been leaving the office at a more reasonable time and doing actual activities.
One weekend we spent an entire Saturday at the aquarium.
We slowly made our way through, reading about all the fish and visiting the other animals.
We watched all the shows they put on that day, and when we walked through the gift shop on our way out, I couldn’t resist buying her a stuffed otter.
She hugged it to her chest as she smiled at me, and if I didn’t know before I knew then that I was absolutely gone for her.
I’ve encouraged her to slowly bring more and more stuff to my flat, hoping that the more she has there the more time she’ll spend there.
It’s been working, too. She spends almost every night at my place, in my arms where she belongs.
And right now we’re standing in a friend's backyard, and I know that I get to take her home tonight.
She’s talking with her friends as they watch the kids playing on blankets in the grass.
“You’re staring,” Josh says, and I take a sip of my beer before turning to face him.
“Pardon?”
He chuckles. “You’re staring at Eliza, but not just that, you’re staring at her with a love drunk look on your face.”
I feel the eyes of all the guys on me now, and I take another slow sip of my beer.
“Mac’s got it bad,” Matt says through a laugh.
“They are dating. There was obviously something there,” Caleb says, and I instinctively reach back and squeeze my neck.
“Yeah. It’s been nearly six months since we started dating,” I say.
“Are you planning on proposing?” Matt asks, and I nearly choke on my beer.
“Whoa,” Grayson says. “It’s a normal question. You really that against it?”
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and shake my head.
“It’s not that I’m against it.” I sigh. “I’m not sure it’s what she wants.
I know how much she respects her parents' opinion, and I’m not sure they’re my biggest fan.
I am ten years older than her and I work a lot.
We’ve made it work so far...” I look over at her with her friends, completely relaxed and carefree. “I’m not sure she wants it long-term.”
The guys exchange a look with each other before Josh says, “If she didn’t, the girls would have heard about it. Your best option is to ask one of them, probably Hannah. She’s the closest to Liz and probably more likely to spill, after she makes you jump through hoops.”
“Those girls know everything about each other,” Matt says. “If you want information without going straight to Liz, they’re your best option.”
“They’re right. I went to Liz when Hannah and I first got married.”
That turns the attention of everyone to Grayson. While they drill him with questions, I’m able to find Eliza again. She’s now with the kids, lying on her stomach as she wiggles a toy at Jayden and he giggles like crazy.
She’d make an amazing mom one day. The thought she’s put into the decision is more than a lot of people do.
And also seeing her with her friends' kids, the way she’s fully embraced this role of aunt to all of them and she loves it, tells me she'd be good with her own. I truly believe that she’s the only person I’d think about having kids with.
At my age, I’d be older than sixty when they graduate high school.
I put my beer bottle down on one of the tables and walk across the patio to join Eliza on the blanket. She smiles up at me as I approach, and the second I’m beside her, I drop a quick kiss on the top of her head before turning my focus to the two kids on the blanket.
Eliza is talking in a funny voice with the stuffed bear, and both kids are smiling and giggling. Her smile is just as big. I don’t know what to do, she’s already engaging with them, but I had this need to be beside her to hear her voice and listen to these kids giggle because of her.
After a few minutes, Liv and Zoey come to collect the kids and tell us food is done.
Eliza looks at me, her smile still vibrant, and I reach forward and tuck her hair behind her ear.
She mixes it up between wearing her glasses and her contacts.
Today she’s wearing her glasses, and I love when she does.
Eliza in her glasses makes me feel like she’s comfortable and not working to put on an image for the people around her.
She wears her contacts to work, when we met her parents for dinner, and when she met my father.
When she spends the day at home or out with her friends, she’s like this.
Hannah asks Eliza about our upcoming trip to London.
This time, Eliza is taking time off so she’ll be able to do some more sightseeing.
She’s also meeting with my mom while we’re there.
Every time my mom has reached out since we left she’s asked about Eliza.
I think sometimes she’s more interested in her than me.
I know my mom loves me and she’s just happy I’ve found someone.
I also know I’m going to have to find a way to break her heart in a couple weeks when I have to tell her that Eliza and I aren’t together anymore.
Hannah’s phone goes off, and she smiles as she answers a video call.
The second it connects, she’s screaming, and everyone is looking at her with shock.
Crying comes from the other end, and Hannah immediately turns the phone to face Grayson and he’s taking it from her, his eyes misting as he smiles.
“Congrats, Chlo,” he says to the woman on the other end of the line.
I turn and look at Eliza, not knowing who Chlo is.
“Chloe, it’s Grayson’s younger sister. From what’s happening I’m guessing she just got engaged to her boyfriend, Everett.”
Hannah’s now standing behind Grayson as they talk to Chloe, and the table all listens in.
“Send me all the pics, Chlo,” Hannah says.
“Everett actually arranged for us to have a photographer at the proposal. It was perfect. I’ll send you all the pics she sends us.”
Hannah’s smile grows. “You found yourself a keeper.”
“I did. We just wanted you guys to be the first to know. We have a few more calls to make. We’ll talk soon!”
Hannah blows her a kiss.
“Bye, Chlo, love you,” Grayson says and hangs up.
Hannah, still filled with excitement, plants a big kiss on her husband's cheek before taking her seat again.
“So Everett was ready for everyone to know Chloe’s his,” Zoey says with a laugh.
“I still swear he was going to punch Grayson at Christmas when we met them at the bar. The man was seeing red when Grayson hugged her,” Hannah says.
“As if Grayson wouldn’t have done the same thing with you, Hannah. I believe he did when he was the one that outed you had gotten married in Vegas all because Luke was flirting with you,” Eliza says.
I had heard through the grapevine and locker room talk that Grayson had just dropped that information in the middle of a group dinner, but I hadn’t heard it was because another one of our teammates was flirting with her.
“Matt showed up to one of Zoey’s dates with a baby strapped to his chest because he was jealous,” Hannah retorts.
“Caleb moved Bailey and Charlie into his place after only a few dates,” Zoey says.
“Are you guys having a pissing contest about which man did the most insane thing because they were in love?” Liv asks.
The girls exchange looks before nodding, and Hannah says, “Basically,” and they all fall into fits of laughter.
“Don’t get me wrong, I have zero complaints now,” Hannah says, taking Grayson’s hand. “We ended up right where we’re supposed to be.
Zoey looks at Matt and says, “Same,” followed by Bailey looking at Caleb the same way.
“Don’t think you get off the hook, either, Josh. You agreed to a secret relationship and summer checklist all to be able to be with Liv,” Zoey says.
“And I’m right where I’m supposed to be,” Josh says, looking down at his wife.
Hearing all these stories has me making a decision that’s either going to bite me in the ass or end up being the best decision I’ve ever made.