Dating: For the Assist

by Stephanie Street

  I glared at her. “This is not funny!”

  “Not at all. It’s amazing,” she agreed. “Does this mean you guys getting back together?”

  Every eye in the room was back on me, even the spa employees. “No! It does not mean that!”

  “Why not? You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?” Dannika, who was sitting beside me, wore a big frown on her green face.

  “I-” I stopped. Something inside me wouldn’t allow the lie to pass my lips. I couldn’t tell my friends and my mother I didn’t love Drew anymore because it wasn’t true. I did still love him. Any doubts I had about that were completely nullified last night on the basketball court. And it wasn’t just because of that amazing, toe-curling, wonderful kiss. It was because he was still Drew. My protector. My friend. My lover. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  And I’d thrown it all away.

  Suddenly, I burst into tears.

  Everyone froze for a moment before they all rushed to my side.

  “Piper!”

  “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  Each of them offered words of comfort, but I was inconsolable. What ensued was a group hug/therapy session that involved a lot of green goop and tears.

  I spilled my guts to all of them about what had happened five years ago and why I’d broken up with Drew. I told them how I wanted to be better for him, for our relationship, for myself. But I never seemed to get to the point where I was healed enough to want to reach out to him.

  “And then, it was too late.”

  No one moved after I said that. They all just sat beside me on my lounge and Dannika’s that had been pulled closer.

  “Oh, honey,” my mom sighed. “It’s never too late.” Scooting closer, she took my face in her hands. There wasn’t much green stuff left, but neither of us paid attention. “Sweetheart, I wish you would have told me what you were going through. Listen, Piper. You have healed. Maybe not all the way. But I would bet my last dollar that’s because the hole still in your heart is the one left by pushing Drew away and not because of what those jerks in high school did to you. Don’t you see? None of us are complete on our own. Not really. That’s what love is! It’s that thing that keeps us from shattering when everything goes sideways. We aren’t meant to be alone, Piper. Friendships. Relationships. That’s what life is all about. You love Drew. And I know from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, that boy adores you.” My mom paused and I realized she had each of us listening with rapt attention. “You will never be whole, never, without the ones you love.”

  Glancing around at all of my best friends, I could see the truth of what my mom was saying reflected in their eyes, a truth I’d been slowly coming to on my own over the last thirty-six hours. My heart ached, had been aching for years, because it yearned for the man I loved.

  Now, I just had to convince him we were meant to be.

  25

  Mia

  “I just need to rest for a while.” Grayson was hovering. And as much as I loved him, he was driving me crazy. Women had babies every day. I was just tired. We’d been doing a lot. And as relaxing as a day spa was supposed to be, I was exhausted when we got back to the hotel. My aching body was crying out for my own bed. At least I’d remembered to bring my body pillow. And honestly, we were close enough to home, I could have asked Gray to cancel our reservation. But I didn’t want to disappoint Luke and Dannika who’d planned things so we could all be together to celebrate their marriage and wedding.

  Grayson stood in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just go home? We can just back for the ceremony tomorrow and skip everything else.”

  Shaking my head, I slipped out of his grasp and pulled back the covers on the king sized bed in our hotel room. “No, it’s just one more day. If I lay down for a little bit I’ll be ready for dinner and then call it an early night. The girls are all getting ready up in Piper and Dannika’s room in the morning. I can get more sleep if we don’t have to drive back into town.”

  Grayson tucked the blankets around my body.

  “Sssssst!” Hissing, I grabbed the underside of my swollen belly. This baby was getting heavy, pulling on everything as I lay on my side. The body pillow helped, but sometimes I got cramps that hurt so much I was glad I’d told my doctor I wanted to leave the epidural option open in my delivery plan.

  Grayson frowned and his brow pinched with worry, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked to the other side of the bed and crawled in behind me. Holding me would have been enough, but since this was Gray we were talking about, he rubbed my lower back and shoulders until every part of my body relaxed.

  “We only have a couple more weeks.” My voice sounded loud in the quiet room.

  “I can’t wait.” I knew that was true. Grayson had been a bundle of happiness since I showed him those two blue lines. He’d been even more ecstatic when we found out we were having a boy. He hadn’t even squawked when we blew almost two solid paychecks on outfitting and decorating the nursery. Probably because we’d done it in a sports theme. No, that wasn’t true. He’d have been just as excited to paint pink and cover the room with ballet slippers and tutus.

  “Me too.” But mostly I just wanted this baby out! I just wished I didn’t have to give birth to get it accomplished. I was absolutely, completely and utterly terrified of giving birth. As uncomfortable as I was with the baby still on the inside, at least I knew what I was doing. Eat well, take my vitamins, rest. But labor? Delivery? And then having a small little human who would be relying solely on me to take care of him?

  Talk about scary. And overwhelming.

  “I feel so unprepared, Gray.” It was the first time I’d admitted that to him.

  I felt him shift behind me until I could see his concerned face leaning over me. “What? Why? We have everything we could possibly need and probably more-”

  I shook my head, cutting him off. “No. Not that. I know we’re ready that way. It’s me. I don’t feel ready to be a mom.”

  I’d surprised him, I could tell, but then his face cleared and he laughed a little. “Well, sheesh, that’s a relief!”

  Frowning, I rolled back to glare at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Babe,” he settled his arm around my hips. It was too heavy to lay on my belly and I always pushed him off when he tried. “Are you kidding? You’ve been such a rock, so sure of everything and knowing exactly what you want and I’ve been over here shaking in my boots since you showed me that positive pregnancy test.”

  “You have?” I was shocked. I thought he was the rock in this relationship.

  He nodded. “Mia, I’m terrified. In what world am I qualified to take care of a baby? None. I keep thinking someone is going to force me into a dark room to take a test to determine my worthiness and I’m going to fail miserably and they won’t let us bring our son home from the hospital.”

  I had to laugh at that. “Me too! Well, maybe not the dark room part, but the rest of it for sure.”

  “I’m worried about everything. How we’ll be able to keep affording everything he needs. How will we know what he needs. And not just stuff, but teaching him what he needs to know. How to be a good person and grow to be a good man. I mean, I’m not equipped to do that-”

  “Now who’s kidding?” Picking up my belly with both hands, I struggled for the next thirty seconds to roll over and face him. “Grayson, there is no other man I would want to teach our son how to be a good husband, provider, friend.” Reaching out, I took my husband’s face in my hands. “No one else could teach him how to be a better man than you.”

  Grayson’s eyes filled with moisture which he quickly tried to blink away. Scooting closer, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me as close as our little son between us would allow. “I love you, Mia Levitt. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. And we’re going to get through this. You are going to be an amazing mom. I can’t wait to see you in action.”

 
“As long as you forgive me for screaming at you during delivery, we’ll be just fine.”

  Grayson laughed. “Give me your worst.” He kissed my lips ever so softly.

  “Hopefully, I’ll give you my very best.” Then I kissed him not quite as softly.

  I wasn’t much more rested once we made it down to dinner later, but I was definitely more at peace and much more in love with my husband than I ever thought possible.

  26

  Dannika

  “It’s my wedding day.” I held my phone close to my ear. I was hiding in the bathroom of the suite Piper and I had been sharing for the last two nights. Tonight I’d be with Luke. Our first night as a married couple. I couldn’t wait. But right now I was hiding from all the women on the other side of the door so I could speak with my groom.

  “I think it’s mine, too.” Luke was smiling. I could hear it in his voice.

  “It is. What a coincidence.”

  “Not a coincidence at all. In fact, I’ve been wondering why we didn’t do this a long time ago.”

  “We’ve been busy.” We were still busy. Luke with his budding career as a concert pianist and me with my master’s degree.

  “If I ever get too busy to have time for my girl, someone please knock some sense into me.”

  “I love you.”

  Luke breathed out a laugh. “Danni, you have no idea how much I love you. You are my everything.”

  “T-minus four hours.”

  “That’s four hours too long.”

  “I better go. I can hear them outside the door.”

  “Sounds scary.”

  “It is, believe me. I’m about to suffocate on all the fumes in here.”

  “Don’t do that. You have a wedding to attend.”

  “Yeah, ours.”

  “You’re killing me. We should have eloped.” The growl in his voice made my toes and fingers tingle.

  “Then we wouldn’t have been able to set up Piper and Drew.”

  “Yeah, how do you think that’s going?”

  We hadn’t had a chance to talk about it after the spa day, which had been very telling as far as Piper was concerned.

  “They still love each other. I think now it’s just a matter of who’s gonna stop being stubborn first.”

  Luke laughed. “Well, then we have a big problem on our hands. These two have avoided each other for five years.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I think those days are numbered. Piper is miserable. And so is Drew. They’ll figure it out.”

  “I hope so, but I’m just glad we figured us out.”

  “You mean you, because I always knew we would be perfect together.”

  “I’m not even going to touch that one,” he said making me laugh. “We’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

  “Yes, that’s all that matters. See you in four hours, Mr. Hines.”

  “I’ll be there, soon-to-be-Mrs. Hines.”

  Piper

  “You look so gorgeous. My brother isn’t going to know what hit him.” We had a rare quiet moment as I helped her into her dress in the dressing room at the church. Everyone else was outside waiting. Even Gloria had kissed Dannika’s cheek with tear filled eyes and left us to have this moment together.

  Dannika laughed. She was so happy. And I was so happy for her. “I better after all the work it took for me to look like this.”

  “You’re gorgeous no matter what. Luke would have married you in sweats and a messy bun.”

  Dannika gave me a sly smile. “He does like a messy bun.”

  “Ew. I don’t want to know.”

  Dannika laughed again. “Seriously, though, thank you.”

  I hugged her. “No. Thank you. You’re my best friend. And now, you’ll be my sister for reals. I’m so, so happy for you. Luke couldn’t have chosen a better wife than you.”

  Dannika pulled back and fanned her face with her hands. “You can’t make me cry! It’ll ruin my makeup!”

  “Nope. Nothing can ruin this day.” I gave her one last hug before helping her from the dressing room. Her dad waited on the other side of the door ready to escort her down the aisle to Luke. If I thought about it too much, I’d be a mess before I even got into position.

  “Love you,” I told her with one last quick hug. “See you in a few.”

  “Thank you, Pipe!”

  Taking a deep breath, I walked to where the rest of the wedding party waited. Grayson and Mia, Noah and Tierney. Jared and his girlfriend, Kara, who was a good friend of Dannika’s. She’d introduced them.

  And then there was Drew.

  At the rehearsal dinner last night, I’d had to walk down the aisle with Drew twice. Each time, I almost passed out from being so close to him after those kisses on the basketball court. But he hadn’t said anything or let on at all that my proximity had any effect on him. I’d gone to bed with an aching heart and so confused about what was happening that sleep had been a blessed relief.

  I steeled myself to not fall apart at my brother’s wedding. This day wasn’t about me. It was about Dannika and Luke. I’d just have to put my own angst aside and deal with it later. It should be easy. I probably wouldn’t see Drew again at least for another five years.

  Everyone was in position. Each couple held hands and talked softly at the back of the church as they waited for me to take my position beside Drew and then for Dannika and her dad to bring up the rear.

  With sweating palms and nerves strung so tight, I feared I might faint, I approached Drew. As much as I wanted to avoid looking at him, I couldn’t. As soon as he came into view, my eyes locked on him. To my surprise, he was already looking at me.

  His direct gaze never wavered as his eyes searched mine. I wondered if he could read the longing in them.

  I stepped to his side and was immediately enveloped by his warmth, his scent. It wasn’t overpowering, it was just him.

  I slid my hand into the crook of his elbow like we’d practiced. His muscles rippled under my touch and my eyes shot to his face. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as I assumed.

  Prelude music still played and I was glad for a couple of moments to compose myself. But then he said something that shot that idea all to heck.

  “I love you, Piper. I never stopped.” The words were so soft, I was sure I was the only one who heard them.

  I opened my mouth to respond. But nothing came out.

  Drew turned his head, his eyes meeting mine, holding me captive. “You need to know I’m never letting you go again. Not at the end of this aisle and not after, either.”

  Wait? What did he mean?

  Before I had a chance to question him, the music changed and that was our cue to start moving. Drew led me down the aisle. On either side, our friends and family watched as we marched slowly by. Too stunned by his quiet declaration, I hardly was able to take it all in, but I did see one set of eyes at the front of the chapel.

  My mother.

  Her brown eyes, just like mine and Luke’s, were filled with tears. And love. The smile on her face said she knew exactly what was happening with Drew. I didn’t know how, but she knew.

  At the end of the aisle, I started to pull away from Drew just as we’d practiced, but instead of letting my hand slip free of his arm, he clapped his own over the top of it and pulled me to stand at Luke’s side where he and the other guys were supposed to be during the ceremony.

  My cheeks flamed. What was he doing?

  “I told you I wasn’t going to let you go,” he murmured close to my ear.

  Ohmigosh!

  But then I saw Mia and Grayson, coming up behind us. Without missing a beat, Grayson led Mia to stand on the side opposite us where the bridesmaids were supposed to stand. They moved into position and then both looked right at me. Mia smiled and Grayson sent me a knowing wink.

  They’d all planned this!

  Jared and Kara were behind Mia and Grayson. They broke off from center and came to stand beside Drew and I. Jared settled in at my side and reached for my ha
nd. He gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it again, but the subtle show of support broke the dam holding back my tears and they spilled over onto my cheeks.

  And my brother! The groom! Stepped away from his position in front of the minister to hand me a handkerchief. In disbelief, I accepted it and Luke leaned over to kiss my cheek.

  “I love you, sis.” And before I could even respond, he was back where he was supposed to be, waiting for his bride.

  Drew’s arm snaked around my waist as Noah and Tierney stood beside Mia and Grayson. My friends. Our friends. Mine and Luke’s.

  And Drew.

  What could I do, but sink into his side? I loved him.

  The music changed again and the wedding march began. All eyes shifted to the back of the chapel where Dannika held onto her father’s arm. I searched for Drew’s hands and held onto them as my best friend made her way to the front where Luke waited.

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

  True to his word, Drew didn’t leave my side all day. Even during pictures, he wasn’t far from where I stood, his eyes never leaving me. It was all I could do to drag my gaze away from him to smile for the camera.

  Finally, after the festivities at the reception, he held me in his arms on the dance floor. For all the time he’d been at my side, we hadn’t had a single moment to talk.

  “You planned that? Earlier?” My heart raced, being so close to him. All I wanted to do was leave, but there was still another hour of the reception.

  Drew nodded. “Are you mad?”

  Shaking my head I had to laugh a little. “No. Not at all. Surprised maybe.”

  Drew’s direct gaze never left my face. “Surprised that I love you?”

  This was it, the moment of truth. “Yes, honestly.” We were in the middle of the dance floor, but it didn’t matter.

  Drew didn’t answer. Lifting his arms from around my waist, he reached out to frame my face with his hands. And then he kissed me.