Chapter 55
I woke up earlier than normal today after taking a sleeping pill and going to bed early last night. The closer we get to finding out the results, the more anxious I am. I just want this whole thing to be over, or at least know what to expect. The not knowing is killing me.
MILLER
How’s it going this morning?
ME
I just can’t help thinking it’s bad news.
MILLER
Gabbyyyyyy. Good news! Good news!
ME
I knowwwwww. I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
MILLER
Don’t put the bad vibes into the universe.
ME
Who wants cancer? Wtf.
MILLER
Not you.
ME
I don’t. I know I don’t. I’m just in a place. It’s a weird place. Carry on. Happy Thursday.
MILLER
You’re going to be fine. We’ve got this.
ME
Sorry, Mills. You’re right.
MILLER
I know I am.
“Morning, Princess.” Chase crawls onto the couch, distracting me. He was still sound asleep when I crawled out of bed and I didn’t want to disturb him.
“Morning, baby.” I run my fingers through his hair when he lays his head in my lap.
“How did you sleep?”
“Good. Glad I took a few days off. You were right.”
Grant all but demanded it the other day, but I finally relented and agreed to take the week. I wouldn’t have been able to focus at work anyway and I’ve got the time piled up.
“Can you say that again so I can record it?” He pats his pocket like he’s looking for his phone.
“You’ve been hanging out with Miller too much.”
“Have you heard from the doctor yet?”
“Not yet. It’s only nine. I doubt they’ve been open long.” It’s been three days since the biopsy and knowing they could call today has me on edge already.
“I’m sure it’ll be soon.”
“What time are you leaving today?” There were still three more games left in the regular season, luckily all at home.
“I still have some time. Hate to say it, but I’m glad the season is almost over. I’m exhausted. My body hurts and I’m ready for a break.”
“You’ve had a busy two-and-a-half months outside of baseball too.”
“Yeah, whoever made my schedule was trying to kill me.” He pokes my side.
“You did that to yourself. No one told you to steal a horse and get community service. Plus your trips to the community center.” It’s admirable the way he’s stepped up to the challenge of managing it all.
He hasn’t complained one bit, and now that the MLB officially declared his three-day suspension in July sufficient, his plea deal has been satisfied.
“Wouldn’t change it.”
“You wouldn’t?” I ask, surprised.
“Nope. It gave me you. I can’t regret that.” He leans up and gives me a kiss.
“Are you always this charming?”
“Only with you.” I lose myself in his touch, falling deeper in love with this man. He’s right. It’s hard to regret any of it now that we’re here together.
Around lunchtime, my phone rings on the coffee table, a local number on the screen. Chase hands it to me and sits up beside me on the couch. “Hello?”
“Is this Gabrielle Pierson?”
“Yes, this is she.” I put the call on speaker so Chase can hear as well. He grips my hand in my lap and wraps the other around my shoulder, surrounding me as the lady on the phone identifies herself as an administrator from the breast health center.
“Your results have come back, and the findings were benign.”
“Benign? So everything is okay?”
“Yes, the findings were negative. We’ll want to do another diagnostic in six months at which time you’ll meet with someone in this office to discuss the next steps or if you’re cleared back to your ob-gyn for age-appropriate screenings.”
“Thank you so much.” I hang up the phone and bury my face in my hands.
“Good news, Princess.” Chase kisses my hair and pulls me into his chest. “Really good news.” The relief in his voice is palpable.
“I know,” I cry. “I know it is.”
“Are these happy tears or sad tears?” He strokes my back as I curl in on him.
“I don’t know. I mean who would want to hear they have cancer, you know? But part of me had convinced myself that it was going to be bad news so it’s hard to pivot and feel the relief. That doesn’t make any sense. I’m sorry. Of course, I’m happy. I’m relieved.”
“Nothing for you to be sorry about. Process it however you need to. Get it out.” He moves me to straddle his lap and holds me while I cry. It’s like the dam broke and now I can’t get them to stop. Through it all, he whispers in my ear and rocks me.
“You’re okay.”
“I’ve got you.”
“Let it out.”
“Good news, baby, it’s good news.”
When I sit up and meet his eyes, the love shining back at me makes me cry again at how I almost let this all go.
He swipes my tears, kissing each cheek, the tip of my nose.
“I love you, Princess.” My eyes close when he presses a kiss to each of them.
“Only you.” A kiss to my forehead. “Always you.” He hovers over my lips.
“I love you too. So much. So so much.” Locking my lips over his, I open my mouth to his and swipe my tongue inside, searching, seeking everything he has to give and giving him every ounce I have left.
We make out on the couch until we’re both panting for more.
Just when I think he’s about to take me upstairs, he says, “You should text everyone and let them know.”
“Now?” I motion to his crotch where a very pronounced hardness is pressed against me.
“Get it over with so we can be uninterrupted.” He kisses the pulse in my neck while I grab my phone.
ME
They just called. Said everything is fine.
IVORY
Thank god!
TAYLOR
That’s great news.
MILLER
How do you feel?
GABBY
I feel dumb.
PRESTON
No need to feel dumb.
TAYLOR
How about some strawberries to celebrate?
IVORY
OMG!
“Strawberries?” Chase looks up at me from the phone screen wedged between us.
“I’ll tell you later.” Recalling Ivory’s description of her and Preston celebrating their engagement with chocolate covered strawberries, I wonder how Chase would feel about it. Who am I kidding? The guy tied me to the stairs—he’d probably make it better than my imagination.
“Wanna go celebrate in other ways now?”
“You bet, Princess.” Standing from the couch with me in his arms, he runs up the stairs and dumps me on the bed, where I take my time showing him exactly how grateful I am for him and how much I love him.
Headlights flash in the driveway as Chase pulls in after the game. Instead of waiting for him, I rushed home to get ready for my surprise. We may have celebrated yesterday after the call that my results were negative, but there was something else I wanted to do before the season officially ended.
“Bree, I’m home,” he calls as he comes in the front door and closes and locks it behind him. “Where are you?” The lights are all dimmed downstairs except the light over the dining room table where I’m currently standing in the spotlight.
“Holyyyyyy shit.” Stopping dead in his tracks at the edge of the kitchen, Chase’s mouth drops open as he drops his bag on the floor.
“I thought we could celebrate.” I’m wearing his favorite librarian glasses with my hair pulled high in a ponytail and a new lingerie set in team colors—dark blue with red accents.
“Not that I’m complaining, but I thought we celebrated already. What are we celebrating tonight?” Never taking his eyes off me, he slowly walks across the room. He’s not even touching me and I’m already on fire for him.
“How does ‘us’ sound?” I hold up the paperwork we need to sign as official acknowledgement of our relationship within the organization.
He has no idea I've been working on this. He knew Grant and Coach knew already. We talked about our relationship being the worst-kept secret, but after everything that’s been happening, this part fell to the wayside. I don’t want to wait any longer.
“What’s this?” He takes the paper from me, reading it slowly.
“How would you like to go public?”
“You’re ready for that?”
This man. How did I get so lucky? Taking the paper from him, I place it back down on the table so I can feel his arms around me.
“Yeah, baby, I’m ready. Sorry I made you wait so long. It wasn’t fair, but you knew what I needed and let me keep us a secret. I don’t want to be a secret anymore. I’m all in. Let’s tell the world.”
“Princess, I’d wait eternity if it meant having you in the end. I love you so much.” He picks me up, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist.
“I love you too. I had another surprise, but it didn’t get here in time.”
“I think this new lacy number is surprise enough.” He fingers the garter belt at my lower back. “Is there something on here?” His fingers rub over the stitching on the back, a custom request I made at the last minute when I placed the order.
“Just an embellishment.”
“Do I get to see?” Sliding down his body, I whine at the friction on my most sensitive parts. It won’t take much for me to get off and I’m hoping I won’t have to wait much longer. When my feet hit the floor, Chase uses the belt to turn me away from him and stares at me with his mouth agape.
I brace my hands on the table and hinge at the hips, so the light hits the embroidered number stitched into the white number three on the back of the red lace belt.
“You got my jersey number stitched on your lingerie?” He fingers the fabric again when I bite my lip and nod.
“Yes.” My voice trembles with need.
“Why?” He spins me around and pushes me back on the table.
“Because I’m yours.” I pant as he lowers the cups on my bra and sucks a nipple into his mouth.
“Damn right you are,” he growls and moves to my right breast, placing gentle kisses around the bruises and flicking the nipple with his tongue.
“I have another surprise for you too.”
“What’s that?” He peppers kisses over my collarbone and up my neck.
“Chocolate covered strawberries.” I gasp when he bites down on my earlobe.
“What would you like to do with those?” The grin he gives me is wicked as he spreads my legs wide and trails his hands slowly up my thighs.
“I think you already know.”
“Does my dirty girl want to play with her food?” Oh my god, I can’t think straight when he says things like that while rubbing circles on my clit.
“I was curious.” I swallow roughly, watching as he picks up a chocolate covered strawberry and dangles it overhead.
“Let’s satisfy that curiosity then why don’t we.”