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He turns for the stairs and starts jogging up. Did he say, We all?
“Did I miss something?” I shout up the stairs after Noah.
He stops and turns over his shoulder.
“Oh, sorry. Elijah wanted you to come, and I figured he’d asked you. Would you please come, Liv?”
There’s that devilish smirk on his face as he says the word come, and I have to bite back a laugh. They’re both such jokesters.
I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“Of course I will.” I look down at Elijah. “I wouldn’t miss it. I mean, I have to be there to cheer on your home runs, don’t I?”
Elijah smiles but shakes his head.
“Liv, we’re ten. No one hits home runs. But you can still cheer.”
I’m chuckling again, and my heart swells as I’m floored once again by how effortlessly charming Elijah is. Not far from the tree at all.
After a few minutes, Noah comes jogging downstairs, changed and ready to go to a Little League game. And the funniest part is how damn good he looks dressed down.
It’s springtime at night, so Noah has smartly decided to wear a jean jacket, and the hint of a band tee actually pokes out from underneath. His hair is slightly ruffled, his bangs falling just slightly in his eyes, and he’s rolled up the sleeves of his jacket, revealing the thick muscles cording his forearms.
My heart stutters a little at the sight of him, and my eyes linger a bit too long as they roam hungrily over his body.
When he hits the bottom of the stairs, stopping just in front of me, I have to actually blink myself out of my thoughts.
“What?” Noah’s brow furrows. “Did I get toothpaste on my shirt?”
He pulls the cotton forward, inspecting the Led Zeppelin logo for a stain. I’m smiling again, and I step back, pulling my purse off the island.
“No. You look great. Shall we?”
Elijah passes me as he goes for the garage door. “Please! I don’t want to be late and miss warm-ups.”
“Let’s go!” Noah grins and holds open the door for us as we pass by. We all pile into Noah’s other car, an SUV, and he drives us to the baseball field just a few minutes down the road.
“You lucked out having your game so close.”
Elijah nods at me as he continues to toss his ball up and catch it in his glove.
“This time, yeah. Next one is way on the other end of town, I think.”
Arriving at the field, Elijah hops out of the car and yells that he’ll see us after. Noah shows me where the concession stand is, and we get a big box of popcorn to share.
It’s been ages since I’ve had this particular brand of event food, and memories flood me as the familiar taste of artificial butter hits my tongue.
“Man, I remember having this stuff all the time when I’d watch my friends' games during college. We’d buy extra boxes and take them home. It goes perfectly with cheap beer.”
Noah laughs.
“Haven’t been to many sporting events since?”
“I did in Ireland. It’s different there. Their cheap popcorn isn’t the same as ours. Good, but not what we grow up with, you know?”
He nods, and we both take big handfuls of our nostalgic snack.
The game is ridiculously fun to watch. Every single one of the boys on both teams tries so hard but also manages not to get too hung up on competition.
