Page 133 of Under Pressure

“I can’t exactly wait forever for this finale of yours,” I tease.

She pulls back just enough to glare at me. “Is that right?”

“Mmhmm.”

“You’re just impatient.”

It’s already been over a week since she flew to see me in Seattle, but I don’t tell her that. My experience with Quinn is telling me that would cost me the chance of having her in my sheets all night. We’ve been alternating between spending our time at her place and mine. Tonight, we’re at my condo, and I’ve already planned on making her cowboy meatballs and a mug of peppermint tea before fucking her against the living room windows.

The last thing I’m going to do is remind her that I haven’t rated a single drink she’s brought me a ten yet. For some reason that I’ve tried to understand but can’t wrap my head aroundcompletely, this is incredibly important to her. If it weren’t, she would have let it go by now.

“That I am,” I agree, reluctantly lowering our joined hands to my lap again.

She exhales and squeezes my fingers. Her head rests against my shoulder, and I let my lungs fill with her black cherry scent. The last inning is starting, and while I wish I were out there playing with my team, I’m grateful for the break.

Baseball has been my one and only love for so long, but Quinn’s taken that top spot now. I want to spend as much time with her as I possibly can. Baseball will be there waiting for me once I’ve finished healing.

After months of wondering if she’d ever choose me back, she has.

She’s the forever love of my life, and I’m hers.

The clubhouse is loud as fuck.

Kellan’s uniform is dripping in Gatorade from his end-of-game dunk. He shakes his wet hair like Bodi after a bath. Droplets fly across the clubhouse, but no one is paying attention to that. Roman’s talking to Jett until he spots Brielle on my left, and then he’s heading our way. The utter focus in his eyes as he stares at her is good to see.

Their wedding is going to be something none of us will forget, especially with Kellan’s brother’s girlfriend planning it. From what Quinn’s told me, she’s incredibly talented and has done several weddings for professional athletes before. Her boyfriend plays for the Vancouver Warriors NHL team, though, so I can’t say I’m surprised. An in is an in.

Aubrey breaks away and steps into Finn’s spread arms. Jett’s daughter is with her mom, so he busies himselfwith taking his jersey off. I try to remember the last time he had a girlfriend and come up blank. Shit, it must have been years ago now. The guy doesn’t know how to think about anything but baseball and Sara.

It’s been too long since Asher’s been in the clubhouse. He doesn’t look any different than he did before he left. That isn’t saying much, though. The guy is allergic to conversation and wears a scowl so intimidating it could scare a baby.

I make a mental note to find him later and ask him how he’s doing.

“Is it always like this after a game?” Quinn asks.

I pick up some tension in her voice but don’t think she’s as nervous as she sounds. Yeah, there are a lot of guys in here, most of whom she hasn’t met, but she isn’t an overly shy person, and most are too busy doing other things to notice us. She’s probably just feeling a bit out of her comfort zone. I flatten her to my side and kiss her temple.

“No. When we lose, everyone sits and mopes for a while before crawling home to lick their wounds.”

Roman moves past us, and I don’t miss the way Quinn stares after him. Rubbing her thighs with the palms of her hands, she shifts her gaze to Brielle. Something moves between them when Brielle winks at her.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Huh?”

I shift to stand in front of her line of vision, discomfort creeping in. She blinks, looking up at me.

“You okay, Quinn?”

A burst of cheering erupts in the clubhouse, confusing me further. Suddenly, Kellan’s beside me. The supportive smile he offers Quinn settles something that I hadn’t realized was so ruffled. He’s been hard on her since our not-breakup, and I guess I was more worried than I wanted to admit.

Small, familiar hands find my chest, demanding my attention. Quinn’s entire face is red, and I fight back the urge to pullher lip free from where she has it trapped between her teeth. It escapes a moment later.

“We’re not leaving here until you find your favourite. I mean it. Whatever plans you’ve come up with tonight will not be happening until you do.”

Confusion leaches into every word I say. “Slow down, baby.”

Roman enters the clubhouse with a handful of unfamiliar faces behind him. I look from one person to the next, examining the trays in their hands. There are different Blank Page cups on each, with different-coloured liquid in each one. A laugh bubbles up my throat as I find Quinn again. The determination in her eyes is blinding.