Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Elena's words stay with Tori. And even though she's nervous, she contacts Liam. It’s been well over over a month since they split up.
They text a few times. Light and friendly. She tells him how she's made her life less frantic, how she's slowed down.
One evening, she describes the meetings she’s been going to and what she's learned. You were right all along. I've been enabling my mom for years. I just didn't know it .
It's not your fault. You were raised that way.
I'm sorry for what I said to you. I know I asked things of you I shouldn't have.
There's a pause, and then he types some more. I appreciate the apology .
I'd like to apologize in person. Could we meet?
There's another pause, this one longer.
I'm on assignment. Let's talk later .
Since honesty has become her new policy, she lays it all on the line. Is it too late for us? Because I miss you every single day. Sometimes I can't breathe from missing you so much .
She stares at her phone. Her hands tremble while she waits for his reply.
This is it, she tells herself . My life. Will he ever be in it again?
Except this time the pause goes on much longer.
Seconds slip past. And as each one goes into the next, her heart sinks further into her chest.
She thinks of all the hard truths she's had to learn lately. And there's one that's the hardest of them all. I'm worse than all his crazy girlfriends put together because I asked him to betray himself.
There's nothing from him. No more texts.
Not that day or the next.
It's not easy, but she knows she needs to accept what his silence means.
Brody's softball tournament starts. Tori doesn't go to any of the games because she doesn't want to see Liam. It's too sad and humiliating.
Later she finds out from Blair that he hasn't played yet, that he's had to work all week, but plans to be there for the final game on Saturday. Ironically, it's the one game she feels obliged to attend herself since it's so important to Brody.
Friday night, she's stunned when she gets a text from Liam asking if she's going to the game.
Yes, probably , she tells him .
Good. Because I have an answer to your question.
She stares at her phone, then grips it tighter. What question?
If it’s too late for us.
Is it too late?
Just be there tomorrow .
It's difficult to sleep that night, and even though the game isn't until noon, she's up early. She nearly tells Blair about Liam’s text, but then decides to keep it to herself until she finds out more.
It's a warm September day, so she wears jean shorts and a pink tank top with sparkly butterflies and hearts. She's nervous to see Liam and checks herself twice in the mirror before heading to the park where they’re having the game.
Blair is already there sitting next to Natalie. She sees Lindsay, Fiona, and Sachi too, along with a few other familiar faces.
"Hey, what are you guys all doing here?" Tori asks with amazement.
"Brody works on my car," Natalie says.
"Mine too," Lindsay chimes in.
"Oh my God , he's the best mechanic in the city!" Fiona tells her.
She didn't realize they all took their cars to Seattle Motor Works, Brody's shop.
"Brody invited his whole client list to the game and offered them a discount on oil changes," Blair tells her in a dry voice. "He wants his cheering section bigger than Double A’s Auto Supply. I think my parents are even coming."
Tori laughs and shakes her head. Her cousin's demeanor is laid back, but he has a surprisingly strong competitive streak.
Everyone scoots down on the bleachers, and Tori takes a seat next to Blair. She notices someone out there sweeping home plate with a broom.
The two teams gather on opposite sides of the field.
Tori watches Brody's team, searching for Liam. "You'd think this was the World Series, the way they carry on. "
"I know," Blair says. "Nathan and Brody were on the phone last night until midnight. They're really excited for Liam to play today."
She nods, still searching. Where is he?
"Apparently the brother-in-law from Double A's Auto Supply has been killing it all week."
Brody's team separates, and Tori sucks in her breath when she finally sees Liam. He's wearing the same black T-shirt as all the guys on the team with the familiar SMW lettering on the front and Seattle Motor Works on the back. Some of them are wearing sweats or those cropped baseball shorts. Liam's wearing black track pants with white stripes running down each leg.
The guy who's acting as umpire flips a coin, and Double A’s goes to bat first while SMW takes the field. Liam has a glove with him and heads over to first base.
The game begins. Tori doesn't know much about softball and spends most of the time ogling Liam, though she tries not to make it obvious. He seems relaxed, catching balls and throwing them back to the pitcher with easy grace. He looks out at the crowd too, his eyes scanning. Her heart aches at how much she misses him.
When Brody's team is on offense, Blair tells her how Road has a spreadsheet on his computer. "They spent days agonizing over the batting order."
Tori watches as her cousin goes up to bat first.
He hits the ball into the outfield and runs fast enough to make it to first base. Road goes up next and hits a ground ball that gets Brody to second while her brother makes it to first. One of the mechanics from SMW hits another grounder.
By the time it's Liam’s turn, the bases are loaded. Her stomach clenches for him. Even though it's supposed to be a friendly game, it looks nerve-racking.
He seems calm walking up to the plate. When he gets there, he stops, but instead of lifting his bat, he turns toward the crowd. He appears to be searching for someone.
Her breath catches when his gaze stops on her .
People are watching him, and some turn her way, trying to see who he's looking at.
"It's you !" Blair whispers beside her.
Liam grins and then nods once in her direction before finally getting into position to bat.
The pitcher throws the ball toward him. It's underhand like all softball pitches, and there's a solid sound as his bat hits it.
Crack!
The ball flies high and far, way past the back fence, and out of the park.
Everybody around her starts clapping and cheering as each one of the players makes it to home plate. She watches Liam jog to each base, and when he gets back, the guys are all slapping his palm.
Tori is reeling with excitement, trying to understand why he was looking at her before he hit that ball.
The game continues.
Liam isn’t up to bat during the next inning, though SMW’s team scores a point. Unfortunately, Double A’s team scores two. When it’s finally his turn again, the bases aren’t loaded, but there are still two people on them.
He strolls up to home plate, and the crowd goes quiet. Once again he stops and turns toward the stands, though he narrows in on her right away.
Like last time, he grins and nods at her before taking his position.
Crack!
"Oh my God! It's another home run!" Blair squeals.
People are clapping and whistling.
It keeps happening each time Liam goes up to bat, he stops and grins at her, then hits the ball straight out of the park.
All around her, people are talking excitedly, laughing, and patting her on the shoulder. Even people she doesn't know are smiling at her. Everyone telling her how awesome this is.
Tori's reeling with joy because she finally understands what it means. It's what he used to say.
"I hit a home run with you."
When they get to the seventh and final inning, people hoot and holler as soon as he walks up to the plate. With the bases loaded and the score tied, there’s a lot riding on this.
She chews her bottom lip. She doesn't know how he can stand the pressure.
"This is the most romantic thing I've ever seen in my life," Blair says in awe. "I can't believe he's hit a homer every single time."
Liam turns toward Tori and grins. She grins back. Her stomach's filled with butterflies, nervous for him as he takes his position. Can he possibly do it one last time? The pitcher throws it.
Crack!
Unbelievable.
People in the stands jump to their feet, screaming and shouting their heads off.
The guys on the bases all run toward home. They swoop in and pick up Liam, who's laughing and seems surprised as they carry him around.
"You have to go down to him!" everybody tells her. "Do it now!"
The opposing team comes in from the field, and they take turns shaking hands. Brody's whole team looks ecstatic, like they've died and gone to heaven.
There's a sense of unreality as Tori makes her way down the bleachers trying to find Liam. When she gets down on the field, she senses a lot of attention on her from the stands. The crowd quiets as people watch her walk toward where the guys are grouped.
Brody sees her first and then says something to Liam. He turns. Their eyes meet, and a thrill rushes through her.
People whistle and holler when they come together, when she throws her arms around his neck and he lifts her off the ground.
"Rubia," he whispers in her ear. "Finally."
She hugs him close, surrounded by his familiar scent, her heart so full it's ready to burst. "I've missed you so much. "
He kisses her, and everyone in the stands goes berserk, clapping and cheering. The whole experience is surreal.
"I can't believe you did that," she says trying to catch her breath when they draw apart. "Hitting all those home runs. That was the craziest thing I've ever seen!"
He strokes her cheek, his gaze tender. "The only home run I care about is the one I hit with you."
"So you've been listening to country music?" Liam asks with amazement, stroking Tori's soft hair.
They're lying in her bed together. After the game they went to celebrate with everyone at a local pub. Brody and Road were both laughing and calling him a show-off. "You can show off like that anytime you want, as long as you're playing for my team," Brody said with a grin.
Liam stayed and shared a beer with everyone, but to be honest, he couldn't wait to leave and be alone with Tori.
That electric feeling is back, humming all through him. He knows he’ll remember this day for a long time.
"I have one of your playlists on my phone," she admits grudgingly.
He eyes her with satisfaction. "I finally turned you into a country music fan. I told you it would happen."
"I suppose you're going to gloat now."
"Maybe a little."
"I only listened to it because I missed you so much."
He trails his fingers down her skin. "That's sweet."
"Yeah, I guess so."
He chuckles. "You just don't want to admit how much you like it."
"All right, fine." She rolls her eyes. "I like it."
"I knew it."
She looks up at him. "What about you? Did you listen to any hair bands while we were apart? "
"No. I didn't miss you that much." She kicks him under the covers, and he laughs. "Okay, don't get violent. I may have listened to a Bon Jovi song or two."
"See." She smiles. "They're the best, aren't they?"
"I have to agree they’re good."
"Look at us making musical peace over here. There's hope for the world." She slides her hand across his chest, and he captures it with his own.
"I may have also bought a large bag of tangerines," he admits. "More than I could ever possibly eat."
"Really? You were smelling them?"
He nods, his face warms with embarrassment. "They reminded me of you."
"Well, I slept with your T-shirt under my pillow every night."
"You did?" He likes hearing that. "I guess I don't feel so pathetic after all."
"It sounds like we were both pathetic."
He squeezes her hand. "That's okay. I love you even when you're pathetic."
"And I love you even when you're sniffing tangerines."
They regard each other in the quiet bedroom. Afternoon sunlight filters through the blinds. He pulls her close, kissing her soft lips. She feels so right in his arms. It's like he doesn't even remember his life before he met Tori. She's changed everything.
After a couple hours in bed, they get up and make dinner, then sit out on her back patio to eat, enjoying the warm evening.
He watches Fancy run around and play with the other dogs, glad to see her so happy. She obviously missed them too.
He never dreamed when Rachel left that this is what his life would look like. Her abandoning him and Fancy turned out to be the best thing for both of them.
He picks up his glass of iced tea and takes a sip. " Is this a new flavor?"
"It is." She seems pleased. "Basil and raspberry. What do you think?"
"Mmm, I like it."
"Do you? I know it's kind of unusual. A bit odd."
He smiles, considering her. "I like things that are unusual and a bit odd."
They gaze at each other, and there's no denying it. He's so damn in love. She's the one. She's always been the one.
After dinner, he reaches for her hand and pulls her up from the chair. "Let's dance."
Tori glances toward the house. "Should I put some music on?"
He draws her close, her soft body pressed into his. "Since when do we need music?" he says in a low voice.
She laughs as he holds her close. Barefoot, the two of them slow dance on the grass to the sounds of a summer night.
He lowers his head to kiss her and sees a worried expression on her face.
"What is it, rubia?"
"I have to say this." She takes a deep breath. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened between us."
"It's okay." He strokes her back. "I know how difficult it was with your mom."
"It was wrong what I did. Is that why you waited to contact me? Were you angry?"
He shakes his head. "I couldn’t call because I was on assignment, and this was too important for a text." He grins. "And then I decided I’d just show you how I felt at the game."
"That was amazing." She caresses his jaw but still seems worried. "Can you really forgive me?"
"I already have. You're everything. I want to spend my life with you."
"You do?" Her expression turns thoughtful and then coy. "Agent Castillo, that almost sounds like a proposal."
"It's a promise," he says, knowing he does plan to propose .
She sighs with happiness. "You really are the one. If only I’d known it all those years ago."
"That reminds me. I have a food request for our future wedding reception."
"A food request?" She gives him a curious look. "What would that be?"
He grins. "I want to serve chocolate milkshakes."