Page 55 of Crossed Up

Taking a deep breath, I squeeze her hand. “You should think about being an inspirational speaker, Wrenny. You’d be great at it.”

Crew must hear our laughter because he comes barreling out the front door and dives onto my lap, making the swing rock back against the house. “Woah there, little raptor! Let’s not break Aunty Wren’s swing, yeah?”

He giggles, settling himself on my lap with a proud grin. “Uncle Rho says it’s not fun unless something breaks.”

Wren cackles and Kaci’s laughter joins the fray as she exits the house. She joins our little group with a shake of her head. “That sounds like something Rhodes and his father would say.”

Her smile brightens when she notices me. “Hey, sweetie! You want to come join us in the pool? Crew here is ready and raring to dive in, and I set out snacks for all of us!”

I smile warmly at Rhodes’s mom and tickle Crew, my smile growing with his happy squeals. “Absolutely! What do you say, Crew-bug? You ready to swim?”

He hops off my lap, nearly elbowing me in the stomach in the process. “Yes!”

The three of us laugh as he sprints through the house. Looking at these two women who took me in last year without question, I know Wren is right, and I don’t have to be afraid to lose everything I’ve worked for. Dating Aidan will change things, but I have a feeling it will be for the better.

24

AIDAN

The thump of my bat bag hitting the foyer floor sounds like a gunshot in the eery silence of my darkened living room. Nearly all the lights are off save for the small one over the stove that Lyla must have left on for me. It’s after ten p.m now, more than three hours later than I should have been home, so I don’t blame her for not waiting up.

With a sigh of exhaustion, I start going through the closing shift, checking that all windows and doors are locked and checking on Crew upstairs before making my way back down to my bedroom.

Fucking Daniels just had to shoot his mouth off at practice, and because his immature ass was in hot water for talking about the owner’s daughter, the rest of us had to run the field for over a goddamn hour before hitting the weight room.

Lyla checked in a few times by text today, but the pictures of her and Crew were my favorite. Wren sent me one of Crew spider-monkeyed to Lyla’s back standing next to the pool, and the way they were smiling at each other had my heart threatening to beat straight out of my chest. I immediately made it my phone’s background, much to the amusement of Rhodes and Copeland.

Trudging back down the stairs, I pause when my bedroom door comes into view. There’s low light coming from in the room, and any tiredness I was feeling dissipates, replaced immediately by anticipation as I recall my text exchange with Lyla earlier.

I’m more grateful than ever that I took a shower before leaving the training facility, so I don’t have to stop and do that now, but when I push the door open, I see my girl asleep in my bed, only covered by a thin sheet.

I don’t hesitate to strip down and slide in next to her, wrapping her warm body in my arms and taking a deep hit of her perfect cherry-vanilla scent.

All the tension I’ve been carrying since I threw down the relationship gauntlet a few days ago melts away at the feel of my girl safe in my arms, and I know that in spite of the things I said, I’ll wait for her as long as she needs.

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I wake what feels like minutes later to wet warmth surrounding my dick. Groaning, I thrust upwards, unsure if I’m dreaming.

The answering gag has my eyes flying open and my heart racing. Throwing off the covers, I see a sleep-tousled Lyla on her knees between my legs, my cock halfway down her throat.

A gravelly moan works its way out of my lips, and my hands fist in the sheets beneath us as I fight the urge to tunnel them into her long hair.

She backs off with a pop and shoots me a wicked grin I can just barely make out in the soft moonlight flooding through the open windows. “Missed you.”

My heart stutters in my chest when I hear the honesty in her voice. Sitting up, I pull her in for a soft kiss. “I missed you too, angel.”

“So… I talked to Wren today.”

I raise a brow in her direction, but I’m not sure if she can see it. “Odd topic to bring up when you’re naked, but alright. And was this a good talk?”

She nods slowly. “I was going to wait until after your game on Thursday, but I don’t feel like I can go another day without talking about this.”

Fear grips my chest in a vice as my dick deflates, and I wonder if this is where she ends things. “Ly…”

“No, let me get this out. Please.”

The pleading tone of her voice gets me, and I shut my mouth so she can continue.

“I’ve been so afraid that by agreeing to a relationship with you, I would be giving up every piece of independence I fought so hard for since I left Maryland. But today, Wren reminded me that it’s okay to not be alone all the time, and that I’m not weak if I choose you and Crew. I’m still scared and I still have things to work on in regard to my past, but if you’ll have me, I want to be yours.”

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