"Come on, Dans." Jess whispered as Dansby took strike two, which would have been a ball had he not swung. It was the top of the seventh and the Braves trailed the Red Sox by just one.
"They got this. They have to have this-" Bristol closed her eyes when she heard the ball make contact with the bat, "Dang it, I can't look-"
"Andrew! NO," Jess groaned when he jumped and robbed Dansby of what would have been a RBI double, "Please."
With that out, the inning was over, and Bristol turned and watched her friend closely. Jessalyn always watched Dans leave the field after he had batted, but that wasn't the case this time. Her attention was in left field and the guy who was running towards the dugout, "Did you see that? Your fiance' waved at you-" Bristol nudged her, "So cute."
"Of course. I waved back-" She still hadn't looked, "I always do."
Bristol rolled her eyes. Something was off and had been off all day, "Okay, what's up with you? You've been acting weird since I left with Ender earlier..."
"What?" Jess met her gaze, "I have not. I don't know what you're talking about."
She pointed to the field where Andrew was in the batter's box, "Does Stud Muffin down there have anything to do with this?"
"Huh?" She was flustered and quickly turned her attention to Dansby who stood in his position on the field and pulled at the strings on his glove with his teeth. She smiled sweetly and wondered in her mind what she'd even been thinking about. She couldn't wrap her mind around being with anyone but Dansby and that was the truth.
"You heard me. You two must have talked when I left-" She took a sip of her drink and bit on the end of the straw as she watched Jess shift a bit nervously, "What's going on with you?"
"It's nothing," She shook her head, "Seriously. I just... he came over and said hi, wanted to know how I knew Ender. I told him we were friends..."
"Jessalyn Murdock, did you even care to mention you were engaged to THE one and only Dansby Swanson who is SO in love with you it's almost sickening?"
"He saw my ring. He knows!" She shrugged, "We were just talking. Don't pretend you didn't want to meet Kris Bryant two months ago when we played the Cubs. You were even giddy to be at Wrigley!"
"Okay, Wrigley is a field so I can't flirt with it and yes, I did want to meet Kris Bryant. But you know what? I ask my boyfriend to take me to say hi! I didn't share looks in the corner of a coffee shop in Chicago," Bristol's moodiness couldn't be blamed on pregnancy right now, "Jessalyn, you need to chill."
"I don't have to do anything," Jess shook her head, a bit taken back by the whole situation, "I simply spoke to another baseball player. I talk to Dansby's teammates all the time!"
"Yes, teammates who KNOW you are engaged to Dansby! There's no way Mr. Hair flips down there can know you're engaged to Dansby by looking at your ring... because YOU didn't tell him, did you?"
Jess turned her attention to the field. Andrew was batting so she kept her eyes on her man at shortstop. She wasn't going to answer. It was pointless.
"You didn't. You didn't even tell him!" She shook her head and felt disappointed by the entire situation. Part of her wondered if more had happened than Jess was letting on. Jessalyn had always been the good girl and the one who never got into any trouble... it wasn't a far-fetched idea that she may have been wanting to do something crazy before she officially got married. Bristol knew Jess well enough to know she wouldn't forgive herself for that, though, "Wow."
"Don't 'wow' me. I hate how you act so perfect."
"ME? PERFECT?" She pointed to her stomach, "I am NOT perfect by any means. But I wouldn't cheat on my BOYFRIEND."
"That's a HUGE accusation you're making there-" Jess stood and moved passed her friend, "I'm done with this conversation!"
"Where are you going?" Bristol stood too and watched as she made her way into the aisle, "Jess!"
"To the clubhouse. Don't follow me-" She hissed and stormed off. Over twenty years of friendship and never once had she been so angry at her best friend. Why she was angry was left to be seen. The truth had a way of doing that to someone.
The game seemingly dragged by and Bristol tried to relax but it was nearly impossible. She watched and cheered as Ender robbed Andrew of a two run home run to end the eighth. The game was about to head into the top of the ninth, which would be the final call for the Braves. Dansby would be first up, followed by Ender, since the pitcher didn't have to bat. Bristol debated texting Jess, but then remembered why she was mad.
Dansby stepped up to the plate and it was almost as if he knew he had something to prove. The bat connected with the ball and there was no question about it- it was gone. Bristol jumped to her feet and screamed. She cheered on her best friend as he rounded the bases and looked in her direction. He seemed confused that Jess wasn't there, but Bristol winked at him and waved. He crossed the plate and nodded back to her. An overwhelming sadness crossed over her. What if Jessalyn was getting cold feet? What if she was having second thoughts? Dansby wouldn't be okay. He would never be okay again... she was brought from her thoughts when she heard Ender hit the ball too, and was ecstatic when he too hit a homerun. The Braves actually took the lead! Jessalyn was missing all of the fun.
♥♥♥
"What are you doing, Jess?" She paced the floor just in front of the home team's club house. She knew she was in the wrong spot, but she had to see him. She had to tell him. She had no idea what was going on during the game, but she couldn't go to sleep that night unless she spoke her heart. Bristol was right, she had left out details, and she needed Andrew to know. She didn't want to bump into him the next day and have him thinking she wasn't in love with her fiance' because she was.
"Jessalyn!" She heard her name being called and turned to see Andrew approaching her. He ran his hands through his hair before he carefully placed his hat back on, "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you," She paused, "No, I mean... I need to talk to you. I um... I'm sure you're wondering how I got in here and all, and I'm going to answer your questions. Remember I told you my fiance' worked in baseball?"
"Yeah," He watched her as he held onto the towel that rested around his neck, "I remember."
She was distracted as he took his hat off and tossed it aside. His hands found his hair again before he propped himself against the wall, intently taking in each word she said, "Well, um... I'm actually engaged to Dansby Swanson so." She held up her hand and showed off her ring again.
"I know," He smirked, "What I don't know is why you came all the way down here to tell me this?"
"You.. know?" She frowned as confusion took over. How he knew was beyond her, "Um, okay I just... I mean, I didn't want to leave the impression I wasn't in love with him or something-"
"I never thought that-" The hall was suddenly quiet and it was just the two of them. He turned to face her, causing her back to hit the wall as she tried to get away from him. He'd known her less than twenty-four hours and already she was having this type of reaction, "That's all on you."
She drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes. She couldn't look at him. Her mind was foggy and it was obvious she wasn't thinking clearly. She honestly did love Dansby. But something about a strange guy who was actually a super star approaching her had her crippled. Of course, Dansby was just as popular, if not even more so, but her mind couldn't wrap around the fact she actually wasn't the girl she had once thought she was. She was more- and people were taking notice, "Shouldn't you be celebrating?"
"Celebrating? Why would I celebrate losing game one of the World Series?" He remained extremely close to her and peered into her eyes as they peeked open with his words.
"Losing? But you won-" She shook her head, "You were winning when I came down here-"
Andrew laughed and licked his lips, "Sorry, but- your man tied the game. And your buddy got a homer, too. We didn't come back. I think Kimbrel is secretly still a Brave at heart."
She blinked her eyes and shook her head. It hit her, HARD, she'd missed Dansby hit the game tying home run. He had to know she wasn't there! What if Bristol told him? What if Bristol told Ender and Ender told Dansby? Her heart began to race and she pushed off the wall, "I've got to go-"
"Hold up-" He held his ground and placed his hands on either side of her head. His eyes went from her eyes to her lips and back again, "He can't reenact it for you. You already missed it now-"
Andrew leaned closer and she quickly turned her head. Jess' breathing picked up a bit and seeing the opportunity to get out of there, she took it. Quickly, she ducked beneath his arms and turned to wave back at him, "I've really GOT to go."
As he watched her jog down the long hallway, a smile appeared on his face. He'd gotten to her. Again. And he'd continue to do so. If he'd come that far during one day, he could only imagine how far he could get with anymore.
♥♥♥
"Aw, ENDER!" Bristol jumped into his arms not even caring that Kelsie was interviewing him. She kissed his cheek and snuggled closer.
"And this is exactly why I do what I do- because I get this type of reaction," Ender laughed and kissed her cheek in return, "I don't even know what to say, I'm just so excited to be here... with my team and my girl-" They all three shared a laugh.
As the interview wrapped up, Dansby made his way up behind them. He rested his chin on Bristol's shoulder. She quickly turned to kiss his cheek too, "Ender, your woman is hitting on me..."
"It's okay, she isn't going anywhere," Ender shrugged with a laugh, "She knows what she's got."
"What are you saying about me?" Dansby teased as Bristol ran her hands through his hair, "I don't know, Ender, she's pawing all over me now."
"I like your hair," She mused, turning to face Ender, "I like his hair."
"I'm not growing my hair like that," Ender wrapped his hands around her from behind, "I already have it longer than I'm used to because you don't want it shaved off for their wedding-"
"Well, I don't," She turned in his arms and kissed him, "Thank you for considering my feelings."
Dansby sighed as he watched the two of them, "Bris, have you seen Jess?"
She let go of Ender and turned to face him, "She got a headache and went to the clubhouse. That's all I know-" She lied, but didn't have the heart to say anything else.
"Right-" Suddenly, he felt arms around him as someone jumped on his back. He instantly smiled when hands covered his eyes, "THERE SHE IS!"
"Here I am!" Jessalyn smiled as she slid off his back and let him turn to face her. She moved her hands to his cheeks and held his face, "I love your scruff. Don't ever shave it-" She leaned up and kissed his lips sweetly, "Don't ever change anything about you, Dans."
"Never," He picked her up and cradled her. She let out a scream and he laughed, "I gotta practice for the wedding night."
"What are we practicing for the wedding night?" Bristol moved to stand near them, "I don't think you should practice anything for the wedding night on the field-" She was still highly irritated at Jess, but she wouldn't show it right now and steal the smile off Dansby's face, "Just a month away---" She took Ender's hand and poked Jess' side with her free one, "And you'll be Mrs. Swanson. Don't you forget it!"
Dansby and Jessalyn watched the couple walk off and both looked confused, but only one of them truly was, "What was that about?"
"I don't know. She's trying to make me nervous about the wedding night-" Jess wrapped her arms around his neck as he began carrying her off the field, "I'm not though, I'm excited."
"You're excited? I'm the one who's excited," Dansby nervously laughed, "I don't think I'll make it to our hotel-"
"Where ever that's going to be! Bristol and Ender haven't told me anything," She laughed softly, "I mean, I'm glad they're surprising us, but it'd be nice to know where we're going to be... waking up together for the first time at."
He grinned, "Sure, because that's exactly what we're both thinking about right. Waking up together."
Jessalyn laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. There was nothing in this world that meant more to her than the man carrying her. There was no one anywhere who could give hugs like him, kiss her the way he did, or cheer her up in the way he knew too. No one. And her heart wouldn't allow for anyone to even try.