Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Foster
My palms are sweaty as I walk onto our bus.
We’re on the road for the next ten days, and Callie will be completely moved in by the time I get back. We hired a moving company, and she told me numerous times that she has it handled, and I’m to stay out of it. That I have more important things to worry about.
Callie’s not wrong, but still, I don’t love the idea of her having to be in proximity to that Jerry guy without me there.
Now that I’m in the front of the bus and see Hayes laughing with Decker and Easton at the back, my throat closes up. I have to tell him that his sister is moving in with me.
Callie and I did play rock, paper, scissors, and I lost, but I would’ve done it anyway.
I initiated this little bribery to get her to move in with me.
Another thing I do not fully understand.
Why do I need her to live with me? If it was only about safety, I could have found her a better space with a doorman and a security guard, but I’ve chosen to share my space with her.
And it’s true that I want to get to know her better for the sake of us being co-parents, but we don’t have to live together to do that.
“Reap, you’re never gonna believe this story.” Hayes waves me to the back of the bus, sliding over to the window seat.
I nod to a few of the other players as I make my way down the aisle.
The DICs who think they’re hot shit and make me wish I still batted just to play their little game with Hayes, Decker, and Easton on who can tag the most bases every month.
It’s the infield versus the outfield, and it just so happens that their names are Drew, Ian, and Camden—hence the DICs. But it fits. At least it fits Drew.
Last month, Hayes made them go over to his house when the infield lost, and he cooked instead of paying the tab at the fancy restaurant they usually go to.
I slide into the seat next to Hayes and see Decker’s smile fall as if I’m a killjoy to his little party.
Good, you’re my killjoy too, brother.
As usual, whenever Decker and I are together, we’re like the elephant in the room. I hate it, but not much can change now. We’re way too far gone.
The bus pulls away from the curb, headed to the airport, and Hayes tells me the story. “Easton and Decker went to the Trojans game last night and someone embarrassed themselves in front of the new general manager.” Hayes laughs again, and Decker smacks Easton on the back.
Easton shrugs him off. “It was nothing.”
“He hit on her like she was a diamond girl.” Hayes laughs harder and leans forward, his feet coming off the floor. There must be more I’m missing.
“You didn’t recognize her?” I ask, unsure if I would have had she not entertained adding me to their roster last year before the Colts made a better offer while she was still debating because of my reputation. “She’s the enemy.”
“Yeah, it’s bad enough we have to share a city with the Trojans,” Hayes says.
“They’re just baseball players like us,” Decker chimes in with his “let’s all be friends” bullshit.
It’s one reason I never wanted to come here. I hate the fact there are two professional teams in Chicago, but I don’t hate the rivalry. Especially during the Crosstown Classic.
Easton scowls at me and leans his head on the headrest of his seat, staring out the window. “It wasn’t that bad last night.”
A laugh barrels out of Decker. “Yeah, it was. That swagger did not win you brownie points. I hope you never want to be traded to the Trojans.”
“Like I would.” Easton scowls, but I’ve never seen his face so red, so whatever did happen must’ve been bad.
Then his attention shifts to me, and there’s a gleam in his eye like he’s about to push me in front of the bus we’re currently on.
“But we have more important news to share this morning. Why don’t you tell us what you did last night, Reap?
” Easton’s eyebrows lift in my direction.
Fuck. Callie and I left the condo this morning to grab breakfast, and I saw Easton and Decker climbing into an Uber. I’d hoped they hadn’t seen us, but I guess I was wrong.
“Did you have a woman stay at your place last night?” Hayes asks, his grin so wide he assumes I have a funny story to share.
“Yeah, he did,” Easton says.
I cut him a look to tell him to mind his own fucking business, but who am I kidding? He wants the heat off of him.
“Is there a Miss Chicago?” Hayes asks, his eyebrows waggling.
I crack my neck a few times to think about how to approach this. Callie isn’t like the women I keep on reserve in each city, so she’s definitely not Miss Chicago.
“Oh shit.” Easton elbows Decker.
My brother only gives me a disapproving look as though he’s my fucking father—although our dad wouldn’t have given one shit about me fucking my best friend’s little sister.
“This is going to be so much better than my story,” Hayes says.
“No, it’s not,” Decker says.
“Do I know her?” Hayes interrupts.
“Actually, you do.” Easton has a shit-eating grin.
There was a time when I was younger that I would’ve jumped over and pinned him to the side of the bus.
Hayes looks confused, and I know I just need to force out the words. I never want him to think he’s the butt of the joke.
“Just listen to me first,” I say.
Hayes glances at Decker, so I swivel my body so my back is facing them.
“No fair,” Easton complains.
“It was Callie.” I put up my hand to stop Hayes’s reaction, but the fact that his smile falls immediately tells me how he feels about the idea of the two of us together. “We found her landlord in her apartment dressed in her bra and panties. She couldn’t stay there, so I offered her my spare room.”
“You what?” Decker interrupts, and I flip him off over my shoulder.
Hayes’s eyes narrow. “You were at her place?”
Shit, we never talked about why we would say I was with her. I should’ve had answers ready for all this, but I know the right one isn’t telling him that we were at the doctor’s office to make sure everything is okay with the baby I impregnated his sister with. At least not here. Not now.
“I ran into her.” And now I’m stacking lies on top of lies. “And walked her back to her place. When she opened her door, her landlord—”
“That fucking Jerry guy, right? I told her he was weird.” Hayes doesn’t harp on any of the other details, and I breathe a little easier. “So, you offered her your place?”
I nod. “I didn’t want her staying there. She said she’d change the locks and stuff, but still—”
He shakes his head. “Yeah, man, for sure. Thanks. She can stay with Leighton and me if she wants. I’m sure they’ll talk about it while we’re away. But thanks, it means a lot that you would look out for her like that.”
Guilt hits me hard and swift like a baseball bat to the face. He’s thanking me for being a decent guy, and I’ve been anything but.
“You’re shitting me, right?” Decker says. “He’s on board with his sister living with him?”
He must be talking to Easton, but I don’t give a shit what his noble-ass opinion is.
At the same time, it feels weird to accept his gratitude because there’s more he needs to know, but Callie and I decided last night to give it a little more time.
After next month’s appointment, we’ll tell him.
Dr. Amato said that’s when the probability of a miscarriage will decrease drastically.
Six more weeks before we blow up our world.
“I don’t think Callie will want to move in with us though. Our lives don’t really fit with a single woman who still likes to go out. I’ll help her find a new place though.”
“No rush.” I straighten in my chair, thankful that part is over.
Hayes leans back against the seat and closes his eyes.
I’m surprised he’s not pulling out his phone to fill Leighton in on the news.
Leighton has to assume I’m the dad, especially when she finds out Callie is living with me, so this next month needs to pass quickly so we can tell Hayes and not have this entire thing explode in our faces.
I pull out my phone to text Callie.
Told him, and he’s surprisingly cool with it.
Hmm… Leighton must have rocked his world last night.
He actually thanked me for taking you in.
You didn’t tell him that you bribed me?
I like to keep some things to myself.
More than some.
We’ll play a game of truth or dare when I get back.
No. I’m going to introduce you to one for one.
What’s one for one? It sounds like torture.
Ask Hayes if you want to know. Good luck and see you in ten days.
She includes the blowing kiss emoji, and for some reason, that one little image makes me want to forget all our rules.
Decker leans across the aisle. “We have a good thing going here, don’t fuck it up.”
I turn to face my twin. “Stay the fuck out of my life.”
“You’re the one who came to Chicago.”
“It’s not an invitation to interfere. She’s just living with me because her landlord is a sleazy bastard.”
Decker straightens and grabs his headphones. “You’re not as good a liar as you think.” He puts them on, and I’m happy he’s out of my head and my decisions.
Hayes smiles at me while he puts on his headphones, and I rock my head back, closing my eyes.
Callie and I have this totally under control. And when we’re rocking the co-parent thing, they’ll all see that we made the right decision.
If only I hadn’t been up half the night, stopping myself from knocking on her door and asking for a little friends-with-benefits action. It’ll get easier with time, right?