Page 112 of Cross Check

“Nothing,” all four women say, and I frown.

“You just said she likes me!”

“Grant.” Piper’s voice is gentle, and she puts a hand on my arm. “She’s stuck between her attraction to you and a lifestyle she’s chosen for herself. She doesn’t want to give that up for anyone.”

The words hit me like a freight train, but she’s right.

How many times has Amelia told me she cares about her career? That she would never give it up for a man? How often does she talk about not wanting to dim her accomplishments and success for another person?

All these months I’ve been focusing on how I felt without ever stopping to take a second to figure out what might be going through her head.

Fuck, I’m selfish.

“Oh.” I nod. It feels like someone is kicking me in the ribs. “I never considered that.”

“I’m sorry.” Piper sighs. “I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”

“Don’t be sorry. I needed to hear it. This conversation has been very enlightening,” I say.

“At least it’s not you,” Lexi offers. “She clearly liked spending time with you, and that’s a nice thing to know.”

“I guess so.” I groan and lean back on the couch. “Thanks for this perspective.”

“Would you wait for her?” Emmy asks, and my eyes meet hers. “Even if it took five or ten years, if you knew that one day she’d be able to act on her attraction to you, would you wait for her?”

“Yes,” I answer without any hesitation. “I’d wait a thousand years just to spend one minute with her in the way that I want.”

“Good.” Emmy smiles. “You’ve never struck me as a quitter, Grant Everett.”

Madeline opens the wine bottle. We go through two pizzas. Piper paints my fingernails with clear polish, and Lexi gives me a hydrating face mask to put on.

The night is fun, but Amelia lingers in the back of my mind. She might have pulled away because she doesn’t want to put herself into a situation that will cost her her job, but I don’t give up on people. I’m optimistic to a fault, and I can be patient.

I will be patient.

She’s worth the wait.

THIRTY-SIX

AMELIA

JUNE, FOUR SEASONS AGO

“DC is going to repeat.” Lainey sets down her empty beer bottle and props her feet on my coffee table. “It took them seven games to figure it out, but they’re twenty minutes away from being Stanley Cup champions for the second year in a row.”

“The Goldminers should be out there,” Sienna says. “Fuck Los Angeles.”

“Yeah,” Lainey agrees. “Fuck Los Angeles.”

“You two have always been my biggest fans.” I laugh and stand, taking advantage of intermission. “Anyone want another drink?”

“I’m okay. I’m meeting up with someone after this, and I want to be cute and tipsy, not wasted and sloppy.” Lainey grins. “He’s a baseball player.”

“You know what they say about baseball players. They can handle a bat and balls.” Sienna giggles and looks my way. “I’m all set on drinks, but I’ll take another brownie.”

“Coming right up.”

I head for the kitchen, needing a second to catch my breath. I might be wearing a smile. I might be the picture of a perfect host, easy and breezy and all life is good, but inside, I’m struggling to keep it together.