Page 174 of The Plan

“You did?” She sounds so damn happy. I lean up and kiss her. “Wanna tell me what it was?”

I let out a sigh and dig my face in the crease of her neck, breathing in her scent. She runs her hand through my hair and doesn’t push.

“It was about my addiction.” After a beat, I add, “The root of it.” I always figured it was shitty genetics. Family history of addiction equals I have an addiction. It made sense, but the shrink has other ideas.

“Do you feel better knowing it?” I feel myself smiling at her question. I like that that’s what she asked instead of asking what the root was. I lean up to look at her and kiss her nose. She smiles, and I just stare at her in a daze.

“I didn’t at first. The shrink says I was in denial, but I think it’s just choosing not to believe it was true.” She breaks into a laugh and then cups my face.

“That’s the definition of denial, babe.”

I squint my eyes at her. I know that, but saying I’m in denial doesn’t sit right with me, but after today, I know I was.

“The root of my addiction is lack of family involvement.” Her brows scrunch, but I get why because it’s the same reason I was in denial. “I didn’t think that was the reason at first. My siblings and parents have always been my family. They involved me a lot, but it was the lack of family for that first decade of my life and from my bio family.”

“The twins one hundred percent fill the void now, but I grew up watching how Mom was with the twins, and while she treated me the same, I went home to someone who was her completeopposite.” Vid watches me carefully and kisses the top of my head before I go on.

“I always felt involved in all our family activities, but there was always that voice in the back of my head telling me I didn’t belong with them.” We talked about how I didn’t want to be in the family picture when they first adopted me, and that’s when it clicked.

She gives me a small smile and runs her hand through my hair. “You do belong with them, and now you belong with me too.” She leans in, quickly tapping a kiss on my lips. “I’m your family now.”

I feel a smile touch my lips as I look between her soft eyes. I love this woman. Everything about her I just love. She’s so beautiful, and not even her face, but… her entire soul and being is just—God, I love her. I want to spend the rest of my existence in her presence. How ever she’ll have me.

A brow suddenly forms in between her eyes, and I feel myself smiling at that, too. “What?” She turns her head to the side, and my smile grows. Instead of answering, I shake my head and bury my face in the crease of her neck.

“I feel better about tomorrow's game too.” My voice comes out a bit muffled, but I’m sure she understood me. Our team hasn't gotten eliminated so far, but tomorrow is the last game of the World Series, and it’s going to make or break us—August’s words, not mine.

I would call him dramatic, but he’s right. It’s the WorldSeries, so we're all a bit nervous about this game, whether we admit it to each other or not.

“Well, I’m glad you feel better about the game. I just want to give you a heads up, though.” She taps my head, but I don’t look up. “I’m going to be rooting for the other team.” At that, my head shoots up, and I look at her. I almost climbed off at her.

“The fuck?!”

She breaks into a laugh, and I squint my eyes at her.

“Did you forget who you’re playing against tomorrow?” I squint my eyes at her harder, and she bites back a smile. “You’re playing against my mom's team, Sire. How am I supposed to bet against my own mother?” She laughs again when I climb off of her and fold my arms.

The main reason our team is so nervous is because we’re playing against Tampa. Not just because it’s the Tampa Bay Rays but because Vid’s mom is their coach. I’m sure she can coach the worst team in the league and make it to the playoffs, maybe even win.

We’ve only made it to the final round of the playoffs twice since I signed with the team four years ago, but both times, we’ve lost to Vanessa Gomez. I know we technically lost to her team, but it feels like losing to her.

Vid grabs my chin and turns my face so I’m looking at her, and I shoot her a playful glare. I can’t really be mad; she’s her mom, and I’m only her boyfriend.

“I was only teasing. Change your face.” She smiles when I smile and kisses me. When she tries to climb on top of me, I playfully push her off.

“Uh uh. Bet all your money on her team.” She laughs and straddles me anyway as I go on. “When we whip their ass tomorrow, and you’re broke after you lose that bet, I’ll still let you have some of my hundreds of millions that this hand is worth.” I wave the hand I pitch with in her face, and she playfully shoves it away, hysterically laughing.

“That hand wouldn’t even costonemillion if it wasn’t for me.” She points at her chest. “You know, the one that healed you.” She pokes my chest and reminds me of the physical therapy that put me back in the season.

“You were also the one that made me a better pitcher,” I mumble and immediately regret saying it as she shoots up.

“So you finally admit it! My advice did help!” I throw my head back as I laugh at her excitement. When we first met, she told me I wasn't throwing my best at my first game. I was an arrogant asshole, as she put it, and told her thanks, but I knew what I was doing. I pitched the way she told me to the next day, and here we are now.

I hook my finger into the belt loop of her jeans and pull her closer, but she looks like she’s waiting for my response and doesn’t sit on me. “Yes. I admit it.” I quickly give in and pull her back onto my lap. Her smile is beaming, and I no longer regret saying it.

“You may as well also admit that you were being an arrogant asshole.” I bite my cheek so I don’t say the words. I deny it way too much to just admit it now. She crosses her arms, still on my lap, and she waits for me to say it.

“We can sit here and wait all day.”

---