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“What, aren’t you glad we’ll soon be married buds again?” I chuckled as I scrolled through the music in my phone, looking for the perfect playlist to play this afternoon.
“You’re crazy for buying an engagement ring for a woman you aren’t even with.” He leaned against my fridge, and my smile grew wider as I thought of the ring.
“Yet.” I emphasized. “Tell Sarai to start shopping for her bridesmaid dress.” I smirked as I left my apartment, leaving Daniel behind mumbling how crazy I am.
Perhaps I am crazy, but at least I know what I’m crazy over.
I arrived at work a lot sooner than I had anticipated. I looked at the reserved sign and sighed as I remembered getting Naomi’s car towed away from my spot. That was a dick move, but how far I’ve come since then!
Walking inside the building, I greeted those I knew, and those I didn’t know as well. Ever since attending therapy, a lot of things had changed with me—or I’d like to think so.
I had become a lot more respectful and considerate towards others, realizing the fact that their lives didn’t necessarily revolve around mine—unless they were my manager, then it did, unfortunately for him.
“I never thought I would see the day Alexander, the star pitcher, looked so gleeful,” Leo grumbled, and of course he just had to be the first one to comment on me. I was now used to it and really didn’t find him offensive and as stupid as I used to.
Don’t get me wrong, I still found him stupid, but not to the same degree as I did in the beginning. “My last game is coming up next week—do you blame an attractive 43-year-old man for being so gleeful?” I used his words, and he sighed as he rolled his eyes. “You don’t look like you got much sleep, man; are you good?”
The dark circles under his eyes and his messy hair only proved he had a rough morning. Leo was someone who prided himself in his looks and how kept he looked every day, but I guess today we’d swapped roles.
“Yeah man, I’m just tired,” he said softly as he drank his coffee. By the looks of it, it must taste really bitter. “Everyone else is stressing about the season's games and here you are so excited.” He cracked a smile. “What kind of drugs are you on?”
“Oh, that must be the medication my therapist was so gracious to put me on. Maybe you should also try going to therapy,” I suggested as I closed my locker.
“I’m fine with the man here. I can’t deal with more talking,” he groaned as he massaged his temples. “Why won’t this light stop flickering?” he asked, annoyed, as he stared at the fluorescent bulb, frowning.
“Man, you sure you’re just tired?” I was concerned; he really didn’t look good. “Shouldn’t you go home?”
“Fuck, no. Anywhere but there.” He shook his head as he got up, throwing away the paper cup he was drinking from.
“Something happened with the lady?” I asked carefully, and he clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes.
“Isn’t there always?” I should have been offended by his tone, but Leo had always been patient with me, and it was only fair for me to treat him the same way. I guessed a lot had happened with his girlfriend. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to say it that way.” He massaged his forehead, sighing.
“It’s okay if you’re not feeling okay. You can just go relax at my place. Daniel is probably still there,” I offered as I retrieved my keys from my bag.
“Nah, I’ll be cool. Let me just go get some painkillers from the infirmary.” He walked past me, still massaging his temples. I still thought he should go home, but I couldn’t force the guy to.
Heading down to the gym, I greeted the players and immediately got on the treadmill, starting with a light jog, gradually building up to a run.
“Hey, Alex.” Aaron lightly slapped my back as he climbed on the treadmill next to me.
“You good?” I asked as I kept on running, trying to keep my pace and my heartbeat up. Cardio had to be the most exhausting part of fitness, but it was good; it kept the blood pumping, and somehow it was exhilarating.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Have you seen Leo?” he asked as he looked around the gym.
“He said he’s going to the infirmary. He isn’t feeling so good,” I said. I wasn’t so hard on Aaron anymore because Naomi was gone, and I knew he hadn’t been around her since she left because he rarely ever talked about her.
Of course he checked in on her from time to time, but since we had gotten so busy with the MLB seasonal games, he had been mostly at work, and I knew once he got home, he just didn't have the energy for anything else.
Did I see him as a threat? Absolutely not. He was just one of those annoying thorns that got stuck under your foot, and you needed patience to remove them. After some light grilling, I came to find out that he didn’t like Naomi but was just overly friendly with her because he knew her and he was still dating her high school friend.
He was still young, so he shouldn’t rush to get married, but if they had been dating since high school then they should have started thinking of what future they wanted together. I wasn’t the best person to be offering advice, since my first marriage was total shit, and I was already thinking of marrying someone who had no intentions of seeing me and wouldn’t respond to my texts but definitely saw them.
Thank God for the read function—as much as it hurt, it still put my heart to ease knowing that she was out there somewhere reading my many messages and constantly thinking of me.
If she was always running around my mind, I just thought it was fair I made her think of me.
In the meantime, I had been working on softening Noah, and it definitely had not been easy. He was one tough man to crack, but luckily for me, he had Mia, and she was a sweetheart.
