“How is he?” I asked, even though I already knew. The question hung heavy between us.
“Not good.” Dustin’s voice was quieter now. “The treatments are taking a lot out of him.”
I swallowed hard. “Right.”
There were a thousand things I could have said. That I didn’t care. That it wasn’t my problem. That he deserved whatever was happening to him. But I didn’t say any of them.
Because, for all the anger I still carried, there was another part of me that couldn’t ignore the way Dustin’s voice wavered when he talked about him.
And that part, the part that still cared despite everything, was the one that finally whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Dustin let out a breath, like he’d been holding it. “Yeah. Me too.”
For the first time in years, it felt like we were standing on the same side of something. Maybe not as close as we once were, but not as far apart as we used to be.
And for now, that was enough.
CHAPTER 31
GRIFFIN
PRESENT
Tate hadn’t called after the interview, and I knew she watched all the games and interviews. It hadn’t been enough to sway her decisions, and I was getting fucking sick and tired of this cat-and-mouse game. I had made my intentions clear more than once, and she was choosing to live in the past. I wasn’t the same stupid kid anymore. I would never hurt her like that again.
The silence between us was fucking up my game. I was trying to prove to my team manager and leaders that I was good enough to be a starting pitcher, and so far, all I’d done was show them why they shouldn’t renew my contract for a second year.
I needed to fix this shit between Tate and me this morning before our game tonight. I couldn’t afford another loss, and my team was starting to put the pieces together. It was now when I finally realized why the team manager advised against relationships, practically forbidding starting a new one while in the middle of a season. I never thought I’d be one of those guys. I thought I loved the bachelor life, but it was empty. None of those women knew me. Hell, half the time they couldn’t even remember my first name.
“Sort your shit out with Tate,” Hunter had grumbled last night when we finally landed at the airport. We’d trudged to the team bus the airport well after midnight, all three of us exhausted from the rigorous schedule. The adrenaline rushes from the games and traveling never seemed to help.
“Dude, you know I love her, but either cut her off or find a solution because we’re about to be eliminated in the fucking playoffs.” Graham dragged a hand down his usually freshly shaven face that was covered in a five o’clock shadow. The last seventy-two hours had been hard on all of us.
I chose to ignore them both because I didn’t have the right answer for them. Cutting Tate loose seemed like the right choice. She hadn’t called or texted. The ball was in her court, and she wasn’t making a move. But now that I’d had a taste of her, knew how sweet her lips were and how she felt tucked against my body while she slept, I craved so much more.
The next morning, I woke up with a plan. I had a few hours to either convince her to be at my game tonight wearing my name, or I had to let her go once and for all. I grabbed one of my jerseys that had my number and last name on it along with an extra ball cap. I wanted her at my game tonight, and if she came, I would win. I just knew she was my good luck charm. She had to be the reason behind everything that was going right in my life.
I stopped at a grocery store outside of town for her favorite flowers and to grab a few of her favorite things that I’d noticed over the last few weeks. I pushed the cart around the store looking for the protein shakes I’d noticed she loved, then the protein bars, and even the dark chocolate. I was in luck when I found two bouquets of pink peonies and started heading for the checkout counter when I saw her.
She was pushing a cart through the produce section,extremely skittish as she checked over her shoulder every few seconds.
I changed direction, heading toward her, and wrapped a hand around her bicep to get her attention. She instantly tensed before shrieking and jumping in fright.
“Hel—Griffin?” She was about to scream for help before looking up at me and instantly going limp in my hold. “Oh god, it’s only you.” She raised a hand to her chest and took a few slow breaths.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded but her eyes darted around like she half expected someone else to jump out and grab her.
“You should probably let go before you cause a scene,” she suggested, looking down at where I was still holding her. I let go and pulled my ball cap down further, hoping to hide my identity. I was not in the mood for there to be any pictures or questions asked. I needed this moment to be private.
“Right. Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded, looking down at her feet before finding my eyes again and then darting them over to my cart that I had forgotten about.She was lying through her fucking teeth.
“Griffin, why do you have my favorite flowers in your cart?”
I was about to answer when someone cleared their throat.
