You and Everything After (Falling #2)(95)

“You know, I kinda like their room better,” she says, scooting into the deep corner of what used to be Nate’s bed with her blankets and pillows piled around her.

I smile at her, then say, “You mean our room.” I let myself relax, and when my phone buzzes under the blanket, I dip my head underneath to read Ty’s message privately.



TY: You know I love you, right?

ME: Yeah. I know.

TY: Good. Now watch your back…babe ;-)



My face buried deep in my sheets, I shake my head and grin from ear-to-ear, stopping short of kicking my feet and squealing because of how he makes me feel. I’ll let him get over this, and stew for a little while. Then I’ll give in and make my way to the brown room to spend the night—trading places with Nate, because that’s where I really want to be. I’ll watch my back, and he’ll probably get me with something way better than this prank eventually. But I won’t care.

I won’t care, because I love him. I’m in love with him. I love his funny side and his serious side. I love that he’s protective, and I love the part of him that sometimes misses baseball and won’t admit it out loud. I love the way he can talk to me with his eyes, yet never say a word with his mouth. And I love the part of him that thinks he can do anything—especially the impossible.

Tyson Preeter is my boyfriend—a real boyfriend, the kind that takes me on dates and leaves me love notes. The kind I wished for—the kind I promised myself I would have. The kind who loves me.

The kind who made me love me, too.

And I love him for that most of all.





Epilogue





Four months later


Ty


“Okay, so this series…it’s important,” I say, leaning over Rowe, ignoring Cass’s glare.

“She knows that, Ty,” Cass says, and I wave my hand at her, hushing her.

“I’m just making sure. This series, if we win, moves us to number one. Number. One.” I hold up one finger. Just to make my point totally clear.

Rowe leans forward, effectively ignoring me, talking to Cass. “Does he think I’m stupid?” she asks, pointing at me. “He thinks I’m stupid.”

“Yeah, I kinda think he thinks you’re stupid,” Cass jumps on the bandwagon. I pull my hat from my head and rub my face.

“Oh ha ha ha, yes, very funny ladies. Let’s cut the cutesy,” I say, and Cass punches my arm. “Oww!”

“You’re kind of crossing the line,” she says, giving me the face. The one she uses when I’m being too Tyson, as she likes to say.

“What was too much? Cutesy? Fine, I take back cutesy. Now focus,” I say, and now they’re both laughing at me. And I’m frustrated. “Forget it. This is no use. I’m just going to hope you don’t f*ck up baseball, since you’re not taking me seriously.”

“Aw, Cass, look at that. Tysie Wysie’s making a fussy fuss,” Rowe says, and I can’t take it anymore.

“You know, I’m going to try sitting over there,” I say, pushing back from the aisle. Cass stops me though, sitting on my lap and weaving her arms around my neck, pulling my hat from my head, and putting it on hers. It looks better on her anyway. Damn, I’m easy.

“We’re just teasing you,” she says in my ear, kissing my neck, almost making me forget I’m at a baseball game. Almost.

“Yeah, well…it’s just important,” I say, this time seriously. She takes a deep breath and locks onto my eyes with hers.

“She knows. We know. And he’s going to be great,” she says. And with one kiss, I’m calm again.

There are scouts here for this series. We’re playing OSU. And usually it’s OSU that brings in the big teams, the serious scouts, the ones who are looking to pad rosters and fill triple-A ball clubs with talent that can be moved up sooner rather than later. But the Cardinals and the Cubs are here for someone else. They’re here for Nate Preeter. And my brother is a nervous f*cking wreck.

“Sorry I’m late,” Paige says, and Cass stands up from my lap to go hug her sister. They’ve gotten closer. It’s taken months, but the effort on both of their parts has been genuine. I want this for Cass. I want her to have a sibling like I do, one that you count on and trust with everything.

“She brought him,” Cass whispers in my ear when she moves back to my lap. I look past her to see who she means. Houston is with Paige again. He’s been with her a lot. I like him. He’s a good guy, as far as I can tell from the few times we’ve hung out. Paige always says they’re just friends. But I don’t think that’s how Houston sees it.

“Hey man, you want to save me from all this girl talk over here? They’re determined to ruin baseball,” I say, and Cass rolls her eyes.

“He’s just being a baby,” she says.

Houston looks at Paige, whose attention is on her phone, and then looks at me with a slight shake of his head. He’s going to stay right where he is. Wait…for her to notice. I hope like hell for that poor bastard that she does.

“Excuse me, are you Cass Owens?” A skinny kid with a wrinkled notebook slides into the seat next to me, the one Rowe just left to go talk to Nate. She better not be messing up baseball.