Page 36 of Grand Slam

“You do?” I’m surprised, but so fucking relieved I sag back against the cushions on the couch.

“We’ve been a little off lately,” Emerson says like she’s spent all day thinking this very thing over. I could interject and tell her everything is great, but I’d be lying. She’s right, things have felt off, forced even.

“I didn’t want to have this talk over the phone, but?—”

“Wait,” I say, quickly stopping her mid sentence. “Just give me a minute.” I’m up off the couch, pacing my living room. “Just wait,” I tell her again trying to come up with the perfect thing to say.

“Kelton,” Em whispers, and my stomach feels like it bottoms out. “I didn’t call to tell you this wouldn’t work. I called to find out what we can do to make sure it does.”

“Whatever it takes,” I tell her without hesitating.

We talk for a few hours, and three words dance on the tip of my tongue the entire time. But I don’t want her to be hundreds of miles away when I tell her, I want her in my arms. I want to see her face, taste her lips and I want her to see mine too.

When I wake up the next morning, I’m still on the couch, the phone resting on my chest and I can’t help but smile.

Picking it up I see that we are still connected and I press it to my ear.

“Em,” I say and if I listen close enough I can faintly hear her soft snore. If I close my eyes and focus it almost feels like she is right here with me.

“Em,” I try again only this time a little louder. “Babe?”

Her breath gets louder and then I hear a rustling.

A little side noise, things getting muffled and then once again clear.

“Hello.” Her voice is laced with sleep. The low raspy whisper I’d heard the few nights she’d slept in my bed.

“Morning,” I offer, my cheeks aching from the smile on my lips.

“Good morning,” she replies. “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“This is how we make it work.” I sit up. “We may not be side by side, being able to touch one another but we can still fall asleep sharing our days. We can wake up and start our mornings together too.”

It may be a little cheesy, but I don’t care. Until I have her back here in the way I truly want her to be, this will have to work.

Emerson tells me I am crazy with a laugh but never once disagrees. So it’s decided and for now it would have to work.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Emerson

“Good morning, Kelton.”I wake to the sound of Liz hollering out as she passes by. Smiling before I even open my eyes, I roll over in search of my phone. Being awarded his chuckle first thing in the morning is something I am getting used to.

“She’s up early,” he says in reference to his sister.

“She starts the internship this morning,” I say and am met with silence. We’ve done better but I know whenever something new develops for either of us that means we can’t just pick up and move ourselves to be closer to him, it hits a little harder.

“Oh yeah, I remember her saying something about that.” There it is, the push through.

“It’s only for six weeks,” I tell him with a smile. He has no idea what she and I have both been up to over the last few weeks since we’ve been home. “Her professor wanted her to get a littlehands-on in the stock exchange world so she is shadowing some powerhouse.”

“She may even teach the guy a thing or two,” he adds in reference to his sister and I couldn’t agree more.

“I am sure you are right, but the he is a she.”

“This could end badly.” I can hear him rustling around and I know already he is making a morning power shake. I’ve watched him make them, a bunch of yuck in a blender, a few yummy things to make it not so blah, and some protein powder.

I hear the blender, and smile, knowing I know him well. It’s a good feeling.

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