Chapter 43 Dane
DANE
Ilinger in the corner of this expansive suite for far too long watching Ethan and Hannah talk to my friends like they’ve known them their whole lives.
Mimi and Hannah I wasn’t concerned about at all.
Seamus and Ethan…I thought they’d be standing there looking at the field like two awkward sloths next to each other. But no, they’re talking animatedly, smiling, and laughing while a bromance blooms in the air.
Ethan continues to talk, laying out a silly facial expression while he tells a story and Seamus watches him in anticipation as he comes to the punchline. Seamus chuckles then places his hand over Ethan’s shoulder to balance himself as he leans forward laughing.
I repeat. Seamus is fucking laughing.
I don’t even get him to laugh like that. What the hell?
This annoys me even further about these two because it just goes to show how perfect they are. For me and for how easily they slip into my friend group so quickly.
Also, the fact that I’ve got Hudson as my best friend, I will certainly whip out that card with Ethan, using all my resources to get them to fall in love with me.
It’s not beneath me.
Hannah looks unbelievable in her Smashers jersey.
Her dark wavy hair flows half way down her back and covers all of the lettering but the number displayed is Hudson’s.
It’s the same jersey that Ethan is wearing, except he topped his off with a backward cap and I could fall over and die from how hot he looks.
I make my way toward the bar and ask for three espresso martinis, smiling at the memory from when we had way too many of these at the club in Paris. The flashbacks of the moments after at the forefront of my mind.
“Are you sitting anywhere, sir?” I point over to where Seamus and Ethan are standing, behind a small row of seats that Mimi and Hannah are sitting in. The game is just starting and I swear everyone is already on pins and needles. “Great, I’ll bring them over to you,” she adds with a smile.
I suck in a deep breath, centering myself before I make my way over there. I haven’t had a ton of time to dive into the feelings I’ve had about them breaking into my office. Frankly speaking, I fucking loved that part.
It’s the moments after that kill me. The judgment on Ethan’s face when he thought I couldn’t be faithful to just them. It mirrored that of my PR manager whenever she would have to put out tabloid fires that came out as rumors, or questionable rumors.
Again, my past behavior might not be the cleanest, but the fact that no one really knows the entire truth is something I’ve always had going for me.
I just hate it now that I’m trying to be serious with someone, or someones in my case.
Fortunately, I haven’t needed my PR manager much but if anything gets out about me and my fellow students at Polytech, well that’s going to be a logistical nightmare for her. I know I shouldn’t pursue anything, but I’ve never been able to stop myself when there’s something I want.
It’s embedded in my DNA. I want it. I do it. Act now, questions later.
Some people say it’s my worst quality. I sort of think it’s my best.
I shrug to myself as I push my body off the barstool and walk toward them.
Stepping in between them, I plaster a smile on my face as I wrap one arm around each of them and peer over their shoulders at the field.
“Did we win?” I ask, even though the first pitch hasn’t even been thrown yet.
Ethan looks over his shoulder at me, the lopsided grin tells me he’s happy I’m here. “Do you even know anything about baseball?” he asks, giving me shit.
“I prefer extreme sports but baseball is okay.”
“Ah yes. The Dane Campbell motto of life. The more risk, the more reward,” Seamus replies in his best Mr. Miyagi interpretation, not looking at either one of us.
“Wait. Did you just say a joke? I mean it wasn’t like a full joke, like half a joke, maybe. But it was still snarky as hell even though it’s 100 percent accurate,” I reply, still surprised and slightly jealous of the way Ethan has brought out a bit of fun in Seamus.
I pat Seamus on the shoulder as he glares at me, then move around on the other side of Ethan, so now he’s standing between us.
“You like taking risks,” Ethan states, factually, not questioningly.
“They’re usually worth it.”
His neck swivels over to me, as if he needs to see my face to determine his response.
“What if it fails?”
“You keep trying.”
“What if someone gets hurt?” he asks.
I’m a smart guy and I most often have a witty comeback resting on my tongue. But right now, as we’re talking metaphors of the relationship that’s blooming between me, him, and Hannah, I want nothing more than to prove how great this could be for all of us.
“I met my best friend in Kindergarten. She was this awkward little thing with the brightest blonde hair I’d ever seen. She brought me a dandelion and told me to make a wish.”
“A dandelion?” Ethan asks, his attention fully on me but his eyes flicker to where my tattoo sits on my back.
I can’t seem to answer with words so I just give him a tight-lipped smile and nod. His facial expression shifts into something deeper when the realization hits him that I’ve only ever tattooed myself with things that mean something to me. Things that mean a great deal to me.
“Yeah, my wish was her. I was immediately obsessed and went out of my way everyday to get her attention in any way I could. She was the coolest five year old on the block and I wanted nothing more than to be her friend. We became best friends and spent every single day together. I was in love with her all through elementary school. And I know what you’re thinking.
We were kids. But I knew she was the one, even way back then, I just knew.
In seventh grade, after years of hiding how I felt, I finally told her—risking everything—and she kissed me.
It was the most rewarding moment of my life but I regret not saying something sooner,” I peer over at him, “If I would have told her sooner I would have had more time, more kisses, more touches before the cancer took her from me.”
I can tell by the look in his eye that Hannah didn’t tell him about Celeste. I love that about her, knowing she would never tell someone else’s story. I suppose she of all people knew I would tell him eventually.
“How long were you together?” he asks.
“All through middle and high school until our freshman year in college.” I muster a close-lipped smile at him, trying to provide comfort to him, myself too, as I look down sliding my hands in my pockets.
“Even through all of it, still my only regret is not telling her sooner so I could have more memories of what we had.”
“Sir.” The waiter steps up next to me with a tray of three espresso martinis.
Ethan’s eyebrows raise and I don’t miss that little smirk that ticks up at the corner of his lip.
“Speaking of memories,” I add with my typical goofy undertone, happy for the change of topic, and he chuckles, taking one glass in each hand.
I grab the last one and nod a thank you to the waiter.
“What was her name?” he asks.
“Celeste.”
He holds up his glass. “To Celeste. And…taking risks.” We tap the rims of our glasses together and just as they connect the crack of the bat sends a ball into the outfield and over the fence.
Hudson Byrnes hits a three-run homerun bringing the score to 3-0 in the first inning.
The entire stadium erupts and Ethan and I cheer along with them.
His arm wraps around me as we chant along with the crowd.
As excited as I am for Hudson and the Smashers lead, I’m happier with the moment we just had because it felt like leaps and bounds of progress in such a short amount of time, and for the first time I feel a comfort in where this could go.
Hannah comes running, jumping into both of our arms. Ethan and I think the same thing and peck a kiss on her cheek. Her cheeks flush in heat as we share a look with each other and there are so many unsaid words that float in between.
Seamus is now standing next to Mimi as she glances over at me with a wide, giddy smile and I know I look just as silly as she does but I don’t care.
This is the most hopeful I’ve been since reuniting with them, and even if we have to hide what’s happening between us for now, it’ll be worth it in the end.