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Chapter thirty-five

Kai

“You ready?” Monty knocks my shoulder with his catcher’s glove. I give him a sharp nod, trying to keep my focus where it matters.

On the mound.

I just have to get through tonight and then I’ll be on a plane home to Vancouver. To Isabelle. I don’t know what to expect, seeing as it’s been radio silence since I left her at my apartment, but there’s a kernel of hope deep inside of me.

The guys think I’m crazy for not reaching out to her. But I know Iz. I know she’s got to figure out how she feels and what she wants on her own. Hell, I learned that lesson the hard way when she moved to Italy.

At least this time, she knows exactly where I stand. And hopefully, she knows I’ll do whatever it takes to make things work.

We take the field for the national anthem, and I push all thoughts of Isabelle into the back of my mind. But as I jog back to the dugout, my gaze catches on Coach. He’s…smiling? Like, broadly. Which is weird.

I give him a nod as I approach the dugout, and he turns and gestures to the stands off to the side.

And that’s when I see her.

“Holy fuck,” I blurt out, coming to a stop. Two rows up, right on the aisle, in a seat that’s gotta be worth a small fortune, is the love of my life holding a small sign.

I want to stay with you.

It doesn’t mean a damn thing to anyone but me. And maybe her mom, I suppose, who I belatedly realize is sitting next to her, grinning widely.

But not as wide as I am.

I look to Coach Stirling. The game’s about to start, but I’m not needed right away since we’re at bat. He gives me a nod, and then I break so many goddamn rules, I don’t want to think about it. I set off into a run and vault up to grab onto the railing just in front of her.

“Get your ass down here, Iz,” I shout, but she’s already moving, the sign abandoned as she hurries down the few steps. My arms are not exactly loving the job of holding me up, and I can only hope it doesn’t impact my game, but I don’t fucking care.

“You mean it?”

She nods, then she lifts the hat from my head and inspects the brim. I know what she’s checking, and as soon as her gaze meets mine, she winks.

“Someone’s got to make sure you have your lucky hats.”

I push myself up and manage to peck her lips with a kiss that’s nowhere near as long as the one I want to give her before I have to drop to the ground or risk my arms giving out.

“I love you, Isabelle Murphy,” I yell up at her, still grinning like a fucking fool. The crowd beyond our immediate area has caught on to something happening, and I’m guessing we’re currently being featured on the jumbotron by the rumbling roar I can hear.

“I love you, too, Kai Yamaki,” she calls back, leaning over the railing. “Now go win this game for me, okay?”

A few shouts of protest from our opponent’s fans come at us, but they’re good-natured, for the most part. Baseball fans are the fucking best.

“You got it, baby.” I run my fingers along the brim of my hat and blow her a kiss before turning and jogging back to the dugout.

“Was that really necessary?” Coach grumbles as I skip down the steps.

I slap him on the shoulder as I pass. “Sure as shit was. Hey, you might be my stepdad-in-law some day.”

“Don’t push it, Yamaki. Win the goddamn game first.”

I give him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.” Next thing I know, Darling’s pulling my head into his shoulder and knuckling the top of it. “Damn, brother, that was somethin’ else.”

“Seriously, quite the grand gesture.” Sin grins from the bench where he’s pulling on his batting gloves. “Happy for you, man.”

“Thanks, guys.” My cheeks are starting to ache but I can’t stop smiling. She’s here. She’s here, and she’s staying.

All of sudden, I drop to the bench. “Holy shit.”

“I think he’s finally getting it.”

I look up at Mav, Sin, Darling, and Monty, who are all crowded around me.

“Get what?” I ask hoarsely.

“What it feels like when you realize you’ve found the love of your life, and by some fucking miracle, she loves you back,” Monty comments.

Sin stands and grasps my shoulder. “We’re happy for you, Yami.” He heads to the stairs, taking them two at a time to hit the field and bat.

“The coach’s stepdaughter is a risky choice,” Mav says in his wry voice. “And here I thought I was the bad boy.”

“Not anymore. Sadie tamed you years ago,” Monty teases, earning a mock glare from Mav.

“He’s not wrong,” I say in agreement, my shock starting to subside. “And before she was Coach’s stepdaughter, she was my Isabelle. I got dibs.”

“Dibs? Don’t say that in front of her,” Rhett suggests, before lowering his voice. “Or Coach, for that matter.”

The sound of a bat connecting with a ball has all of us turning our attention to the game, where Sin is sprinting for first base. He makes it there with barely half a second to spare before the first baseman catches the ball.

“Phew. Okay boys, let’s win us a game so Yami can get back to his girl.” Darling claps his hands together and the guys disperse, leaving me and Monty on the bench.

“You good?” he asks, and I nod.

“Better than good. She loves me. She loves me and she’s staying.” I let my head roll to the side, then lift it from the back wall. “Shit. She’s staying. But her family. Her job. The restaurant. Fuck, what are we going to do about all that?” I move to stand, and only Monty’s hand on my arm stops me.

“Yami, my man. How ’bout you give her a chance to explain her decision before you start freaking about it. Stay in the happy place. She chose you, brother.”

I sit back down on the bench with a thud.

She chose me.

And I’m gonna make it my mission in life to make damn sure she never regrets that.

We win the game.

I mean, it was obvious right from the start we were going to.

I pitched three no-hit innings in a row, only letting one guy make it to third in another inning, before my arm finally started to get tired.

After enduring a lecture from the coaches about not burning out too early, I took it down a notch.

We still won.

And after the fastest shower and change I’ve ever done, I burst through the door of the locker room, my eyes scanning the crowd that’s waiting for the team.

It takes longer than I want to find her.

But as soon as I see Isabelle, I push through the people that are in my way, and I lift her into my arms and keep moving down the hallway, ignoring her laughter and feeble attempts to get me to put her down.

“Hold still, woman,” I huff, finally spying the door to the conference room we all met in earlier today for a pregame meeting. I’m hoping it’s empty.

Shifting my grip on Isabelle to one hand, I use the other to open the door, and thank fuck, it is, indeed, empty.

I don’t set her down until the door is shut and locked behind us. Even then, the most I do is let her slide down my body until I can wrap my hand around her ponytail, knock the hat off her head, and kiss her the way I wanted to earlier.

We don’t come up for air for a while. I’m too starved for her. Thank God she’s staying in Vancouver. Because I don’t know why I thought I could handle long-distance with her, when this kiss after just three days apart has me feeling like she’s my first drink of water after being lost in the desert.

“Kai,” she murmurs against my lips, but I just shake my head. I’m not done kissing yet.

“Kai.” This time, she pushes on my chest slightly, and with only a slight grumble of discontent, I back off.

“Make it quick, baby. I’ve got a lot of kissing to do.”

She giggles, and it’s music to my ears. “I’m definitely okay with that plan, but can we talk for just a minute? I need to say some things to you.”

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, I drag her over to a chair, drop down on it, and pull her into my lap. She shifts a bit, but I just hold on tight. “If you’re gonna talk and not kiss, you’re gonna be in my arms for it.”

“Fine.”

I peck a kiss to her nose, smug that I shut her up so easily. “Now. Talk.”

She lets out an adorable huff but follows it up with a soft smile that’s so full of love, I swear it takes my breath away.

“I love you, Kai. I love us. And I can’t walk away from that again.

You’re what I want for my future. Above all, I want you, and me, together.

Everything else that matters, doesn’t matter as much as you.

That’s what I needed to realize, and I’m sorry I had to break us eight years ago to figure it out.

But I know now that family, friends, my career, that can exist anywhere.

But there’s only one of you, and it’s in Vancouver.

And that’s reason enough for me to stay. ”

I exhale slowly, feeling my eyes grow damp.

“Damn, Iz,” I whisper, gathering her in close and bringing my forehead to meet hers.

“Are you sure?” I hate that I have to ask.

But even with her words, even with her flying here to be at my game and surprising me with her decision, there’s still a tiny, insidious voice in my head that says this can’t be real.

“More sure than I ever have been about anything in my life,” she replies, with such confidence, it overrules that damn voice, silencing it for good. “Didn’t you used to say we were the endgame? I still believe that. Do you?”

I’m nodding before she even finishes talking, and I don’t give a fuck if she needs to talk some more, I need to kiss her.

My lips are on hers, taking everything she’s offering and giving even more in return.

I love this woman with every beat of my heart, every breath that I take, and every cell of my body.

She’s more than just my endgame, she’s my everything.

And it looks like I’ve got a second chance to prove that to her.