Chapter 32

Bailey made good on her promise.

She has taken me on three dates—once to the skating rink, once to eat street tacos because I love them, and then to watch Elemental, a kid's movie. I won't lie, it's been hard for me to forgive her, but the more time I spend with her again…the more I miss her. She still makes me feel warm inside and gives me butterflies whenever those green eyes are on me. And that's hard, especially since I want to forget about what happened so badly, but I know she needs to work for it if she wants us to move on from that. I'm giving her those seven days she requested, yet I don't know if it will be enough.

After those dates though, I've been away for out-of-state games the whole week. During this time, she has communicated with me every day through text messages and video calls, even waking up earlier before work to speak with me. I can see the effort she's making, and it hurts my heart the way I'm treating her. A little cold. Not as bad as when she first came to my condo and begged for my forgiveness, but still unlike me. I wish I didn't have to, but I can't just forgive her this easily and move on from it. I have to have a shred of dignity, even if it kills me.

I gather my bag and descend the steps of the private plane, following my teammates. Once I reach the car, I exhale roughly and run a hand down my face. I'm supposed to be going to Bailey's place right now, but the last thing I want to do is spend time with her. I don't want to be around her and hold back from kissing her, touching her, feeling her body against mine. I'm weak for her, and I'm afraid I"ll cave if I go there now. Except I'm too curious. I want to see her space, her plants, what makes her—well, her.

Before I know it, I'm pulling into a parking spot right next to her car. I turn off the engine and just sit here, contemplating leaving. But I made myself a promise to see this through. I need to give myself this chance. The last thing I want is to wonder what if for the rest of my life. And that's why I get out of the car and head up the steps, then knock on her door. My hands shake as she opens it, but the bright smile she gives me is blinding, and it immediately relaxes me.

"You coming in?" she asks after a long moment of me standing there and staring at her and the open door.

I clear my throat, "Yeah, sorry." I step in, and I'm immediately hit with the aroma of food. "That smells amazing." My stomach growls loudly and she laughs.

"Don't worry," she says with a chuckle. "It's almost done."

I glance around the place, and I can't believe she lives here. There's water damage and mold, and I know it can't be healthy to be exposed to it. But then again, she knows that yet I also know she's stubborn. But even with how fucked up it looks, she has made it her own. There's a small kitchen across from a queen-sized bed, the duvet a soft sage color that reminds me of her eyes. There's a long dresser that spans the length of the wall next to her bed, and the surface is filled with plants. She wasn't joking when she said she had a lot of them—it's basically a garden in here. But there's nowhere to sit, nowhere to eat. If she were with me, if she lived with me, she wouldn't lack anything. But I shake those thoughts out of my head. I can't think about that yet.

Bailey frowns, "Do you hate it?"

I smile, "I could never hate anything that belongs to you." She smiles back, and my heart squeezes in my chest. "But where do I sit?"

"The bed, silly."

Bailey grabs my hand and pulls me toward the bed, and I sit down. She goes right back to cooking the pasta, and I just watch her. She's wearing sweatpants and a long T-shirt. My T-shirt. It says Seattle Sailors on the front and number ninety-eight on the back. Fuck, it looks good on her. It would look even better with nothing underneath, with her thighs spread wide open for me as I fuck her.

"So, how was your trip?" she asks me as she continues to stir the meat. She's trying to make conversation—small talk.

"Fine," I answer, then mentally slap myself when she turns around and raises an eyebrow at me. I can't just sit here and give her one-word answers. It's awkward, Theo. "It was uneventful. I slept the entire way."

"Of course you did," Bailey mumbles, going back to the food.

"How was your shift last night?" I ask her with a smile, but she's not looking at me.

"It was good. I'm just tired." She turns around and walks toward the bed, and it's now that I notice that she's not wearing a bra. I swallow hard and look up at her face, trying not to notice every little thing about her. Except I'm failing. As if she knows exactly what I'm thinking, she grins. "Those kids are giving me a run for my money."

I chuckle. "I bet they are."

"But it's worth it," she says. "I love it there."

"That's good, Bailey." And I mean it. I'm happy that she's happy. She definitely needed a change of pace, and I won't lie, it makes me feel warm all over that she chose those kids. "I'm happy for you."

"Did you guys win?"

"Nah." I shake my head. "We lost pretty bad. The other team had a shutout. We've been playing like shit for a few games now."

Guilt flashes in her eyes and I look away, not wanting to hurt her feelings. The truth is, I've been playing like shit ever since she walked out of my condo all those weeks ago.

"I'm sorry," she replies softly.

"So, this is a lot of plants. I guess you weren't lying." I smirk. "Do you really name all of them?"

"Yep." Her eyes light up as she points at them. "See those tags? They say their names so I don't forget them."

"Wow, that's dedication." I chuckle. "They're pretty, though."

"I got you one." She grins, going to her dresser and pushing one to the side. "It's a love fern."

"Bailey—" I laugh, "What the hell is a love fern? I'll kill it."

"Then you'll be killing our love for each other." She shrugs. "It's from a movie I like."

"Of course it is." I chuckle, and she's suddenly in front of me, standing between my spread legs. She looks down briefly at my crotch, and I know she can see something when a little twinkle appears in her eyes. I'm wearing gray sweatpants, and I know she loves them. "Bailey…" I warn, my nostrils flaring. I only have so much self-control.

"What?" The innocence in her voice is feigned, and she grins. "Food is done," she tells me as a timer goes off.

Bailey brings the food to us and we sit on the bed, sprinkling the pasta with parmesan cheese. I eat quickly, like a man starved, even though I ate about three hours ago. But I eat constantly, whether it's a snack or a meal. She looks at me and seems amused by how I'm devouring her food. Hopefully, she takes it as a compliment because the spaghetti is delicious, and eating next to her on a bed is not as bad as I thought it would be.

It took a lot to bring me here, and I don't take it for granted. Maybe I need to be a little softer for her. She's trying so hard. She hasn't even brought Cheyenne here. Her best friend doesn't even know where Bailey lives. Yet here I am in her space, eating dinner on her bed as she wonders if I'm judging her and her living conditions. If she can afford it or not. And I'm definitely not judging her. I just think she could have it better. She could be with me, and I'd give her the world. If only she had let me.

When we're done eating, I gather our dishes and wash them. It's the least I can do since she fed me, and she doesn't have a dishwasher. So I put away her leftovers in Tupperware and finish washing the pot and pan. Before I start to pull away from the sink, as I dry my hands, I can feel her body heat behind me. She plasters herself to my back, and I can feel her hard nipples grazing me.

Bailey rests her head against my back, wrapping her arms around my waist. I close my eyes, hating her proximity. Because I want her so fucking badly it hurts. I attempt to take deep breaths to calm the erratic beating of my heart, but it's useless. And as her hands go underneath my shirt and she palms my pecs, my nostrils flare. It's taking all of my self-control to not shove her toward the bed and fuck her.

"W-what are you doing?" My voice is hoarse as she lightly rakes her fingernails down my torso, all the way to the waistband of my sweats.

"Please, Theo," she whispers. "Give me a chance. Just one more."

My eyes open once more, and they sting. Fuck, I don't know if I can take much more of this. I need her.

I turn around to face her, and she takes a step back. But when she sees my unshed tears, she steps closer and cups my face with both hands. I avert my gaze, refusing to show her my pain, except she squeezes me once with a request to look at her. And I do. Her eyes are brimming with tears again, and my heart aches. It fucking hurts.

"Can I kiss you?" She asks me softly. "Just once. If you're not going to give me a chance, at least give that much to me…please?"

My hand cups her jaw, and then I slide it to the back of her neck. Bailey tilts her face up for me, and I bend down to capture her lips with mine. The first press of her lips against mine sends sparks flying inside of me, and I groan when she parts her lips for me. She takes my bottom lip between hers and sucks hard, and I feel it all the way down to my dick.

Fuck.

I bend down and pick her up, my hands on her ass, as I carry her and drop her on the bed. She looks up at me as I crawl across the bed and over to her, settling between her spread thighs. And then I devour her mouth properly, grinding myself against her pussy, feeling pure bliss envelop me.

I kiss her for what feels like hours.

And because seemingly I love pain, I also hold her all night.