“Yeah. I thought it was Dad.”
He spins around. “I made sure that there were always some in the house, because if I wasn’t there to make you smile, at least they would.”
“You never stopped loving me, not even for a second?” Tears slide down my cheeks, and he reaches out to wipe them away with his thumbs.
“Never. I may have stupidly found people to fill the void, but I never stopped loving you.” He tugs at the waistband of his sweats. “See.”
In bold black lines on his left hip is “IIIXXIIMMXVIII,” and underneath are four words.
“You are the reason.” He whispers, leaning in. His hands frame my face, pulling me towards him.
“The reason for what?” My voice tight and body shaking with soft sobs as I wrap my arms around his neck.
“You are the reason for everything, Isla.”
Kai’s love for me makes me want to be brave.
I’m ready to face our parents.
9
KAI
Tuesday came quickly, what with Isla having to go to classes on Monday and go to the apartment she leased to break the contract, then back to our parents to pack the rest of her stuff. I had a team meeting and a midday practice. We barely saw each other, and when our heads hit the pillows, we passed the fuck out from being exhausted. Now it’s game day, moving day for Isla and dinner with our parents.
Gods, give me strength.
It’s early, and Isla is still asleep next to me in bed. I’ve got to get up and head to the stadium for morning warm-ups, batting practice, and team practice. The game doesn’t start until seven p.m. but it’s a full day beforehand. I don’t want to leave without saying goodbye. “Princess.” I kiss her bare shoulder. “Wake up, baby.”
“Mmm, what time is it?”
I look over at my watch. “It’s five thirty but I’ve got to get going to warm-ups. I wanted to tell you to have a great day at class and that I’ll see you after the game. My spare jersey is in the closet. You better be wearing it tonight.” I pull the coversaway from her body and give her ass a smack while I give her a kiss.
“Have a good practice, baby.” She kisses me back and this warm feeling spreads through my body.
She called me baby.
I’ve always been her big brother, brother, or my name.
Never, baby.
“I love you, Isla.” Her lips curl into a small smile against mine.
“I love you too, Kai.”
The dressing room is loud,with all the guys chattering about the game tonight. Season-opening games are always nerve-wracking and this is my first in the MLB. I let out a breath and all I can think about is hoping to catch a glimpse of Isla and my parents in their seats. I haven’t checked my phone all day so I don’t know how the moving has been or what the plan is for after the game.
I know I told Isla I wasn’t nervous about telling our parents, but for some reason, the nerves are hitting me now.
“You good, Kai?” Gael sits down next to me, hitting me in the shoulder with his glove.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. First game jitters.” I do some deep breathing exercises to help relax.
“You’ve got this, bro. The coaches have you as a starter for a reason. Your reaction time is killer and your throw is on point. Don’t worry too much.” Gael hypes me up. The guy really is such a positive vibe for the team. Even in college, he was always uplifting everyone. It was rare that he would ever be negative.
“Alright, guys!” Coach Johnson yells from the main doors, “Game time!”
We run out onto the field together, and the crowd is wild! The stadium looks completely full as we take our spots on the field. I get to third base and let out a breath, looking in the stands, hoping to see her face. The tickets I got for them are right at the third base line, so I should be able to see her and our parents easily.
