Page 97 of I Wish He Would

“Okay, your romance-movie knowledge is coming in handy. I apologize for ever making fun of it.” Mallory bows to her.

Shayna laughs at her antics. “I may not even be right, but the context clues are all pointing to that being the case.”

“We can’t forget how obvious his feelings were in the picture you sent us.” Tess grabs her phone and pulls up a photo before handing it to me.

I try to look at it objectively. I’m in my blue dress, smiling at the camera when my sister snapped the picture. But Austin’s head is tilted as he looks down at me with an expression that brings tears to my eyes. Even if he hasn’t voiced the words out loud, his face really does say it all. A man doesn’t look at a woman like that unless he’s totally, completely, irrevocably in love.

“You’re right.” I sniff, seeing everything so clearly now. “But what if he gets traded to another team?”

Tess takes her phone back and double taps the screen, zooming in on Austin’s face. “That doesn’t look like the face of a man who will let a little distance keep him from the woman he loves. It looks like someone who will cherish you until the day he dies.”

“He reeks of romance.” Kelsey fans her face.

Mallory nods. “I could literally send that to Griffin to study and use in his next rom-com movie.”

“And even if he’s living across the country, y’all have maintained a friendship while he’s been on the road for games over the last three years.” Shayna smiles reassuringly.

She’s right. We already know how to communicate. We have what it takes to go the distance. Now I just need to find a way to show him I’m not scared of anything that’s to come as long as we get to tackle it together.

“Okay, then I should do something big for him tomorrow. A grand gesture to show him I’m all in. No matter what.”

“What’s tomorrow?” Mallory asks.

“Austin invited us all to his game. He said he’d give me a tour of the field beforehand too.”

Shayna taps her lips until her eyes light up. “I have the perfect idea.”

I wouldn’t expect anything less from our rom-com–loving bestie.

“Staring at the door isn’t going to make her appear any faster.” Fletch leans against the lockers with only a towel on, looking the picture of casual.

Meanwhile, I’ve been dealing with nervous jitters all day. Alyssa has come to so many of my home games that I’ve lost count, but bringing her onto the field and introducing her to my teammates feels like a big next step. One I’m ready to take, but I want everything to go perfectly.

“Would you put on some clothes?” I grab a spare towel and chuck it at him. “I don’t need you scarring my girlfriend for life the first time you meet her.”

“You’re just scared she’s going to see my abs and leave you for me,” he jabs.

I scoff. “You’re just jealous that I’m dating someone who enjoys my company for longer than a night.”

Fletch’s teasing eyes turn icy. “Whatever, man.” He grabs his uniform and steps back into the connected bathroom.

Great, looks like I poked the bear. I’ll apologize to him later.

“What’s got his boxers in a bunch?” Hayden steps out of the bathroom, hitching a thumb over his shoulder.

“A stupid comment I made. I’ll apologize before the game.”

“You better.” Dawson appears behind Hayden. “We need him at his best for another game like last night.”

“And I don’t want him pitching angry.” Cooper grimaces as he steps into the locker room. “When he’s mad, his pitches feel like torpedoes.”

“No one’s going to be pitching angry.” I look at the still-closed door where loved ones can access this area, then back at my teammates. “Why were you all in there at the same time?”

“We were showering.”

My brows furrow. “Before the game?”

“We just practiced in ninety-degree heat for a few hours. Do you want us to stink when we meet your girlfriend?” Dawson laughs.