This time, I was the confused one, because she certainly didn’t have anything to do with us bumping into each other at the coffee shop.
“What do you mean? She didn’t know I was going to be at the coffee shop in Atlanta that morning.”
“I don’t know. I think, in some way or another, she led me to you. My mom mentioned her at dinner the one night when I asked about you. So if Millie hadn’t opened a studio in town, then maybe you and she would have left.”
I shook my head. “And where would I go?”
“It’s a big world, Tate.” He didn’t look up at me, his focus on thebacon.
“This is my home.”
“Your career could take you far away from here if you let it.”
I hadn’t thought of that, and he was right, but the thought of leaving the only place that held memories of my mother was too much to bear.
“I’d always come back here, just like you do.”
He finally turned and smiled, that panty-dropping kind of smile with that stupid dimple I really loved, and I stared at him, totally and utterly dazed.
“I want to kiss you again,” he said, and I stepped back, my coffee sloshing over my hands, burning my skin.
“You can’t say things like that.”
“I just did.”
“I told you it was a mistake. We’re just friends, Griffin. I won’t be another notch.” I reminded him of our previous conversation.
“It wasn’t a mistake for me.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead, which made my heart skip a beat, before stepping aside to let me pass. I headed to the breakfast table in the corner of the kitchen and sat down, pouring syrup onto my pancakes. He took the seat next to me. I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t even think straight.So much had happened this weekend.
“So…what’s been going on with you since we graduated?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested and unfazed by our previous conversation.
“Considering I already told you I’m a fitness influencer, there’s not much else to talk about,” I told him.
He swallowed his food, staring at me in amusement. “Claws are out again, kitten.” My cheeks darkened, and I ducked my head, focusing on my plate. He reached over and tipped my chin up, forcing our eyes to connect. “You are so fucking stubborn.” He shook his head. “What do I have to do to convince you it wasn’t a mistake?”
“How about you just try to be my friend? You want to rush into something when, last time I checked, you couldn’t even handle being my friend,” I said softly.
He brushed the pad of his thumb over my cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. I made mistakes. I was a dumb kid,” he whispered.
A soft smile tilted my lips all while something shifted between us. The air was electrified, though neither of us acted on it. Looking like he really didn’t want to, he dropped his hand and rested it on the table beside his plate.
“Why did you pursue baseball when your dad hated it?” I asked him, changing the subject.
“It’s my life, not his,” he said instantly, like it was a programmed answer.
“Is he still against it?”
He nodded. “I don’t care anymore. There were some rumors going around that his money got me onto the team, but for me, it’s something I love to do every day. Pitching…it’s everything.” I could see the love for the sport shining in his eyes. “It’s not easy. The training. The drills. Some days, it’s downright exhausting. But it’s one hundred percent worth it.”
I cleared my throat. “I knew you followed your dream,” I said quietly. He looked at me in surprise. I shyly looked down at my plate, my face, neck, and ears on fire. “I followed you through college, and when you went pro. I followed all your games.”
He chuckled. “Look at me.”
Swallowing thickly, I forced my head up so I could look into his beautiful gray eyes.
“What?” I whispered.
