Page 91 of Make My Heart Malt

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Lay it on me. Rylee has been giving me tips on how to help customers with their problems.” Nora crosses her arms over her chest, waiting for my answer.

“But I’m not a customer.”

“Humor me.”

“Okay. For starters, my friends and all my family are here. I’ve never lived anywhere besides Harbor Highlands. Everything here is familiar and comfortable.” I shrug. “It’s what I know.”

“All I’m hearing are excuses. I understand. It’s hard to upend your life and do something completely different. Go somewhere completely new. Where you don’t know anyone. When I came here, I was alone, but I found my place. In Seattle, you won’t be completely alone because you’ll have Garrett. And the way he looks at you, he is not going to let a single bad thing happen to you. Go be wild and free. Try something new. You know we’ll always be here for you, no matter how many miles are between us.” She gives me a warm smile.

She’s right. Everything she said is right. Apparently, I needed someone else to tell me in order to believe it. I wrap my arms around her shoulders. Her body stiffens. “Thank you.”

She blows out a slow breath. “You can make it up to me by getting tickets to a baseball game. Or hooking me up with a hot baseball player. I’m sure Garrett knows a few.”

I pull away, a wide grin on my face. “I’ll see what I can do.”

When I arrive at Garrett’s condo, I punch the code he gave me into the door lock, and it opens. I roll my suitcase across the threshold, and the door softly clicks behind me. I flip on the first light switch, and sconces light up a short hallway. On either side of me is a half bath and a laundry room. A den with a desk and bookshelves is on the right, and the end of the hallway opens up to the living room and open kitchen. I never imagined what Garrett’s condo would look like, but the sleek and modern design with touches of gray and white fits him. I drop my suitcase off next to the couch and continue to meander around in the living room.

A few art pieces decorate the walls, otherwise, it’s mostly bare. A dark gray leather sofa sits in front of the TV. I drag my fingers over a few men’s health and lifestyle magazines sitting on the coffee table. Next to the TV are a few framed pictures of Garrett and some teammates, and one of us he took at the wedding. I pick up the picture of us and stare at his smiling face. Even though the picture was taken only months ago, it feels more like a lifetime. We’ve come a long way since then. I gently place it in its original spot. Lastly, there’s one of his parents. Tony is missing, which doesn’t surprise me.

I pass through the kitchen, turning on more lights until I reach a bedroom and a full bath. Everything is too clean and tidy to be Garrett’s bedroom, so this must be a spare. I spin around and leisurely stroll to the other side of his condo, collecting my suitcase as I pass by.

With the flip of a switch, the darkness is replaced by a warm, inviting glow. Everything is neat and tidy, except for his bed, which is haphazardly made.A smile flits on my lips. Even all these years later, he still hasn’t learned to make his bed. Growing up, his mom always got on his case about not making his bed and many times forced him to make it before he left the house. I drop my suitcase off in the corner of the room and flip on the switch to the en suite bathroom. The vanity is mostly clear except for a comb and a bottle of cologne. I lift the bottle up to my nose, basking in the familiar scent, before I spritz a little into the air.

Back in the bedroom, I spot a baseball sitting under a glass case on his nightstand. I bend at the waist to read the inscription on the plaque. “First Home Run Sophomore Year.” My lips pull into a soft smile. It only feels like yesterday that I was sitting on the bleachers, watching him hit his first home run. We’ve come a long way since then.

My gaze drops. I bite my lips between my teeth, contemplating if I should open his nightstand drawer. I don’t want to invade his privacy, but we’re dating, so there shouldn’t be any secrets. What’s wrong with a little snooping? I hook my finger under the handle, twisting my head to the side, so I'm not looking, and I tug it open.Oops.I peek with one eye closed as if I’m waiting for a bomb to detonate at any second, but when nothing happens, I open my other eye for a closer inspection. All that sits inside is a remote control next to a couple of batteries, a book, and an unopened box of condoms. My heart does cartwheels when I catch sight of the plastic bag filled with all the pennies I gave him. With my hip, I slide the drawer closed before walking to the living room. I flop down on the cool leather couch, a neon pink sticky note on the remote control drawing my attention. Then I read the words, “The TV is already on the channel for the game. Love you, Tates. See you soon.” My heart swells that he was thinking of me.

For the rest of the evening, I watch Garrett’s game while chatting on the phone with Rylee. Of course, Garrett plays amazingly. He doesn’t hit a home run, but he hits a few doubles which lead to runs by other players. Seattle beats San Diego eight to five. After the game, I strip out of my clothes and crawl into Garrett’s bed. With my nose to the pillow, I inhale deeply, knowing when I open my eyes, he’ll be here. I drift off to sleep with my arms wrapped around his pillow.

My eyelids flutter open, and I twist my head to peer over my shoulder. Garrett lifts the blanket and crawls under the covers. He wraps an arm around my waist as he tucks his warm body against mine.

He nuzzles the back of my neck. “It feels so good to be home.”

My heart flutters when he says “home.”

THIRTY-NINE

ONE LAST SCARE

Garrett

Coming home to Dessa in my bed and waking up with her next to me is my new favorite thing in the world. I don’t know how I survived the last ten years without her. Looking back, I was living, but wasn’t truly experiencing life. Not until Dessa entered my world again. She’s my home. I press a kiss to her bare shoulder.

She stirs awake and rolls to face me. “Good morning.”

“It certainly is.” I lift my chin and stretch to press my lips to hers.

A low moan sounds from her throat as she snuggles closer to me.

“Can this become a permanent thing? Waking up next to you in my bed? If I can have one thing, itwould be this.”

“It is pretty amazing.” Her fingertips brush across my temple, swiping a strand of hair away. “But I do have a confession.” Her hand falls and rests on my chest. Her gaze follows suit. “I snooped in your nightstand.”

My heart lodges in my throat, and I freeze while trying to keep my expression neutral.

“I didn’t dig around or anything. My finger just accidentally pulled the drawer open.” She giggles.

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