Page 26

CHAPTER 26

CHRISTINE

G riffin left for Atlanta eight days ago, and even though I’ve been busy with my classes and schoolwork, I’ve missed him desperately. E.Z. has been snuggling with me at night, but I still haven’t slept well. Seems like I need Griffin’s arms wrapped around me to sleep soundly.

As I wander through the terminal, I hear an announcement for the passengers to board their flight. I keep moving and find a vacant seat in a location that will allow me to easily spot Nelson.

Slipping my duffel bag from my shoulder, I place it on the floor between my feet. I tug my phone from my pocket and type out a text.

Me: Hey! I’m at the airport.

It only takes a couple of minutes before I get a reply.

Griffin: Hey! Glad you’re here. Can’t wait to see you.

Me: I also can’t wait! As soon as Nellie arrives we’ll head to the hotel.

Griffin: I hope you’re ready. I’m gonna kiss the fuck out of you when I see you.

Me: Is that a promise?

Griffin: You bet your sexy ass it is.

Me: Then I’m crossing my fingers Nellie’s flight is running early. I’ll let you know when we arrive at the hotel.

Griffin: Sounds good. I love you.

Me: I love you too.

Exiting my texts, I open my Kindle app and start reading. Quickly entrenched in the story, I lose track of time and forget where I’m at. My gaze doesn’t leave the phone’s screen until I hear my name being called. My head snaps up, finding Nelson walking toward me. His white smile is as wide as mine. I jump to my feet and run forward. He catches me as I’m about to slam into him, and pulls me in for a hug.

“Hey, stranger,” he says in a hoarse tone.

I squeeze his lean frame tightly. “Oh my God. I can’t believe you’re here.”

He draws back and we take a good look at each other. “You look great,” we say simultaneously and then laugh. We’ve been like siblings from the moment we met.

“What do you say we get out of here?” he asks.

“Let’s go.” I retrieve my bag from the floor and we walk through the terminal side by side. Occasionally we glance at one another, as if we can’t believe we’re together.

When we get outside, the bright sunshine momentarily blinds me, and I have to fish around inside my duffel bag for my sunglasses. Once I slide them on, Nelson taps my arm and points toward a black sedan.

“That’s our Uber.”

“When did you book that?”

“As soon as my plane landed. I knew you’d be waiting for me and figured since I carried my bag on we might as well get the hell out of here.”

I hold out my fist and he bumps it with his. “You’re awesome.”

He laughs. “Clearly, you forgot just how awesome I am if you’re so surprised.”

“I guess I did.”

The Uber driver greets us and we climb in the back seat, both of us balancing our bags on our laps. My heart races as the car leaves the airport. I can’t wait to see Griffin.

“How excited are you right now that you’re about to see your big lug of a boyfriend?” Nelson asks, smiling.

“So damn excited. It feels like I haven’t seen him in a month.”

“That’s hilarious but also great.”

My nose scrunches. “What’s funny about that?”

“You’ve never been so gone over a guy before. I swear, in college, you barely remembered when you had a boyfriend.”

I snort. “That’s not exactly true.”

“It’s not a lie either,” he points out.

“I can admit that in the past I haven’t been the most attentive girlfriend, but that’s changed. All it took was falling in love with the right guy.”

“I’m glad you’re so happy. It’s nice to see you finding a balance between work and play.”

Glancing over at him, I raise an eyebrow. “How are you doing with that balance?”

He chuckles. “It’s a work in progress. I’m struggling with the play-to-work ratio.”

I laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”

He shrugs. “I’m getting it out of my system before I meet the woman of my dreams.”

“Now that’s hilarious,” I say.

I take out my phone and check the time. The hotel is only ten minutes from the airport, so we must be coming up on it soon. I type out and send a text.

Me: We’re almost at the hotel.

Griffin: I’ll head down to the lobby. See you in a few.

A couple of minutes later, our driver pulls into the hotel entrance, and the butterflies take flight in my stomach. I’m excited to see Griffin and introduce him to my best friend.

As soon as our driver parks the car, Nelson and I climb out. I hook my bag over my shoulder and hurry toward the main entrance. I dart into the opening between the revolving doors while Nelson waits for the next door to pass before stepping inside.

Griffin is waiting when I step into the lobby. He moves me off to the side of the entrance. Taking hold of my bag, he slings the strap over his shoulder and embraces me. His lips come down on mine as I gasp with surprise. Even though we’re in public, where anyone can witness, he kisses me to the point of me barely remembering my name. When he pulls back and sees my flustered state, his lips twist into a cocky grin. “Welcome to Atlanta.”

“Wow. That was some greeting,” I say, fanning my face.

“I couldn’t help myself. I missed you too fucking much.”

I love his way with words and how open he is about his feelings. I never have to guess about what he means. There’s no game-playing or manipulation.

“I missed you just as much,” I say.

Griffin’s eyes leave me, angling over to where Nelson stands. “Can I help you with something?” He’s not outwardly rude because fans sometimes ask him for his autograph in public and he always complies. But this time with our reunion being interrupted, I can tell he’s annoyed.

A choked laugh slips from my throat, and Griffin’s focus returns to me.

“What?” he asks.

“Griffin, this is my best friend, Nelson. AKA, Nellie.”

Nelson moves closer, smiling, and extends his hand. It takes a few seconds for Griffin to take hold and shake it. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Christine.”

Griffin lets out a harsh laugh. “I wish I could say the same. Until a minute ago, I thought Nellie was female.”

“You did?” I ask. “I thought for sure my mom and I had spoken about him in front of you.”

“Nope.”

Uh-oh. He’s annoyed.

“Griffin, Nelson, and I need to check in and then we can figure out the schedule.”

“I already did that for you.” He reaches into his front pocket, pulls out a key, and hands it to Nelson. “This is for your room.”

“Thanks, man. You didn’t have to do that. I need to give them my credit card information anyway,” Nelson explains.

Griffin waves his hand. “That’s not necessary. I put the room on my tab.”

Nelson shakes his head. “I can’t let you do that. The game ticket itself is more than enough.”

“It’s non-negotiable,” Griffin says firmly. “If you’re Christine’s best friend, you must be a great guy.”

“I think he’d rather be your best friend,” I say. Nelson laughs but doesn’t deny my statement. “See?” I point out.

Griffin chuckles, clasping hands with me. “Let’s head up.” We cross the lobby and step inside the elevator. Griffin pushes the button for the fourth floor and the doors slide closed.

“What floor is Nelson’s room?” I ask Griffin.

“The fourth. He’s right down the hall from us.”

I lean my head on his arm. “You’re so thoughtful.”

“Shh. That’s a secret. I have a reputation to maintain, at least until after the game tonight.”

The elevator doors open and Griffin leads the way. “This is our room, and Nelson, yours is down on the right.”

“Thanks again, Griffin. I appreciate it.” Nelson’s gaze shifts to me. “Let me know what time I need to be ready. I’m gonna unpack and explore a little.”

“I will. Have fun.” I wiggle my fingers in a wave as Griffin opens our door. He ushers me inside with a firm hand on my back and then locks up behind us. I sit on the bottom of the bed, watching him walk toward me. He drops my bag on the floor and slides one hand under my legs and one around my back, sweeping me up in his arms. He carries me up the side of the bed and sits on the top of the mattress. He leans his back against the headboard and shifts me until I’m straddling his lap.

His hands framing my face, he says, “I’m so happy you’re finally here. This week has been exhausting.”

“You told me you were doing well when we video chatted.”

“It hasn’t been that bad. I just haven’t slept well without you.” His arms drop down to curl around my waist.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. E.Z. was a poor substitute for you.”

He grins. “I bet he doesn’t want me to come home.”

“Too bad. I need you home ASAP.”

“How was your flight?” he asks.

“Quick and uneventful.”

“Why didn’t you tell me Nellie was a dude?”

The way he slipped his question into our conversation makes me chuckle until I see the serious look on his face. “I wasn't purposefully keeping it from you. Our time together has always been focused on you and me.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be afraid to share things with me.”

“I promise that wasn’t the case.”

He studies my face carefully, but I see the hint of humor in his dark gaze. “Are you sure you didn’t want me to be jealous when I met him?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well, I was.”

“Yeah, I could tell. But I figured once you realized Nellie has a man crush on you, you’d see there’s no reason to be. He and I are like brother and sister.”

“Have the two of you ever kissed?”

I jokingly slap his chest. “Eww, no. That’s repulsive.”

He shrugs. “Hey, he’s a good-looking guy.”

“Maybe you should kiss him, then,” I quip.

He bops my nose. “You’re funny.”

“Thank you for being so wonderful about Nelson despite being so surprised. And you didn’t need to pay for his room.”

“I know, but I wanted to.”

I slide my hands over the top of his shoulders and press a kiss to his lips. “I really love you a lot.”

“I love you too, but please don’t get junior going. At this point, I’m counting on my blue balls to make me even more aggressive on the field.”

I laugh. “Okay. What do you need from me? I don’t want to be in your way.”

He glances at the nightstand clock and then back to me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I have a few hours free, and what I’d like more than anything is to take a nap with you.”

“I’d love that.” I scoot from his lap and off the bed, stripping down to my t-shirt and underwear.

Griffin swings his feet to the floor and stands. He removes everything but his boxer briefs and then draws the covers back for us. I scramble over to the far side of the bed as he climbs in. We settle into our favorite sleeping position—him as the big spoon and me as the little one.

He sighs contentedly, stirring the wispy hairs along my temple. “God, I missed having you in my arms.”

I place my hand on top of his where it rests on my stomach. “Well, I’m here now, so sleep tight.”

“Mhm,” he hums drowsily.

I lie awake long after Griffin’s drifted off, thinking about what tonight has in store for him and his teammates.