Someone Someday (All in Good Time Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter 19

I went to a clinic the very next morning and told the doctor I had unprotected sex and wanted to be tested for any and every sickness she could think of. She had her nurse poke and prod at me until they had sufficient body fluids to run their test. She said some of them would be back within 24 hours, and the rest would be ready within a week. She promised that her nurse would call with the results as soon as they came in.

A week seems like forever when you're waiting for a test result, but I did my best to try to forget about it. I worked the next three mornings and did back-to-back daytime boxing classes the following day. I made it to all of Morgan's games. Laney and Zack came with me twice more, and the other times I went alone even though Morgan left three tickets for me every day at will call.

Before I knew it, the day had come for his very last game of the season. Going to those games had only recently become a routine, but it was one I would miss. I enjoyed the thrill of watching Morgan play and loved getting to know Teresa and Jim. I tried to act like everything was fine with Morgan and me, but his parents must have known something was up because I never went downstairs after a game even though they offered to walk me down there every time.

I hadn't been in contact with Morgan at all. He hadn't tried to call or text either. I was nervous and on edge about the test results and knew if I talked to him my emotions would get the best of me.

It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon on the day of his very last game when I finally heard from him. I was so eager for the contact that my hand shook as I held the phone to read the text. It was a long one, which made me smile as I read it.

Morgan: "I know you've been at my games so I know you still care. Tonight's the last one, and I really hope you're coming. Please come, and please know that I really want to see you. I hate the distance between us, Lexi. I don't want to leave you alone anymore. You told me to take time and think about things. I did what you said, and my feelings haven't changed. I'm not prepared to lose you."

I paced my apartment for a few minutes, trying to decide whether or not I should text him back right away. I went back-and-forth between desperately wanting to make contact with him and desperately dreading whether or not I had some terrible disease. I knew if the doctor called and told me I had something, he'd be lost for good, and I just couldn't risk the extreme back and fourth until I knew for sure. I was still undecided about texting him back when my phone rang an hour later. It was a San Francisco number I didn't recognize, and I picked it up before the second ring.

"Hello?" I said anxiously. I'd been on pins and needles for days waiting to hear from the doctor, and I desperately hoped it was them.

"I'm calling to speak with Lexi Charles," the woman's voice said.

"This is she."

"Hi, Lexi, this is Rose from Dr. Keller's office. I was calling about your lab results."

I had to swallow past the lump in my throat to say, "Yes?" Adrenaline pumped through my body as I waited for the news.

"Dr. Keller wanted me to let you know that your results look normal except for low iron and vitamin D levels."

"What's that mean?" I asked desperately.

"You should probably get on a couple of supplements."

"Like vitamins?" I asked, still confused.

"Yes ma'am."

I sat there in confused silence for a few seconds before I asked, "So am I healthy? Was my blood work normal? You know, with STD's or whatever?"

"Your labs must have been fine, honey, because all she asked me to tell you about was the iron and vitamin D. You can pick those up at any drug store."

"Can you check again for me?" I asked. "I didn't even know I was being tested for iron when I went in there. Maybe they have me mixed up with someone else. Can you check and make sure they did my blood work for STD's and I didn't have anything?"

She took a second to respond. "Hold on a second."

Instrumental music came over the line when she put me on hold. She didn’t come back for three or four minutes, which seemed like a lifetime. I paced through my apartment non-stop while I was waiting.

"Ms. Charles?" she said.

"Yes?"

"Your lab results were normal… aside from the iron and vitamin D, which looks like they were only a little low. You may want to get on a supplement sometime, but there's no hurry. Let us know if you have any other questions, okay?"

"Okay, so I don't have AIDS?"

"No ma'am."

"Or Hepatitis?"

"No ma'am."

"And she checked for all kinds of stuff?"

"Yes ma'am, she did a full work-up."

"And that's for Lexi Cameron Charles?"

She paused, and I could hear the smile in her voice when she said, "Yes ma'am."

"Okay, so I'm all good? Healthy?"

"Except for the iron and—"

"And the vitamin D. I got those. I'll get a supplement. But otherwise I'm healthy. No diseases."

"No diseases," she said.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for calling."

"You're welcome. Let us know if you have any problems or questions."

"I will. Thank you."

We both hung up and I raced down the stairs. I didn't even know where I was going; I just flung open the door and ran down the stairs without even thinking. I was probably going to share the news with Laney and Zack, but it hit me when I reached the bottom of the stairs that they didn't even know I'd been so concerned about STD's this whole time. Of course, they knew I had created distance between myself and Morgan, but they didn't know exactly what was going on in my head.

I laughed at myself as I turned around to make my way back up the stairs. A huge smile spread across my face, and it felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted off my chest. I didn't realize just how heavy that worry was until it was gone. I went up and down the stairs twice just because I was that pumped and hyper about it.

I went back in my apartment, and after I had given myself a few minutes to calm down, I composed a text to Morgan.

Me: "Thanks for the text. It's great to hear from you. I've really been enjoying the games and getting to know your parents. You're an extremely talented athlete. God gave you a gift and it's fun to watch you use it. I'm bringing Laney, Zack, and Henry to the game tonight. We'll all be decked out in our Giant's gear. Henry even has a little outfit. And just so you know, I hate the distance too."

I decided not to tell him my test were clean. I thought I would tell him that in person. I hoped I'd given him enough that he wouldn't give up on me before I had the chance. I set my phone on the counter, but heard back from him within a minute.

Morgan: "Glad you're coming."

It seemed so abrupt. I reread my text, wondering if I hadn't given him enough or had said something wrong.
What was I expecting, though?
I'd been stringing him along, expecting him to wait for me while I dealt with my own issues.

I didn't text him back. I decided to leave it alone and wait till I could see him in person. I was sure he was headed to batting practice anyway, and I needed to start getting dressed for the game.

I took a long, hot shower, feeling truly clean for the first time in a few years. I washed my hair and let the hot water run over me. The sense of relief I had from the news was freeing on so many levels. I put on panties and a tank top, wrapped a towel around my wet hair, and leaned on the sink, staring at myself in the steamy mirror. I took a long hard look at myself, which was something I didn't do very often.

I searched my own eyes, trying to come up with the confidence I needed to move forward with a relationship. There would always be doubt. There would always be a possibility that I'd get hurt, but I knew in my heart that it was worth the risk to take a shot at being with Morgan.

Years of distrust and disinterest toward men and the feeling of being unclean led me to believe I'd never love. Yet, there I stood feeling clean and restored, and ready to give it a try. The girl staring back at me seemed confident and maybe even worthy of a man's love. I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes at myself, smiling slightly and thinking about how amazing it was that I even
wanted
a man's love.

Enough soul searching. I had to get dressed for the game. I plugged my phone into a speaker and cranked up the music, dancing while I picked out my clothes, did my hair, and put on my makeup. I found a tutorial on a cute, messy bun on Instagram and gave it a shot. I didn't get it just like the girl in the video, but it was close, and I loved the way it came out.

Laney and Zack wanted to leave early so we wouldn't miss the first pitch. They didn’t have to twist my arm. I was dressed and ready to go by 5 o'clock.

The first pitch was scheduled for 6:10, and we were in our seats fifteen minutes early. We even beat Jim and Teresa. Morgan always looked into our section and tipped his hat to us sometime during the first inning. Tonight was no different. He found us and tipped his cap when they first came out onto the field. Tonight's acknowledgement seemed more brief than usual, though. He looked into the stands, tipped his hat, and looked away. It was quite possible that I was overthinking the quickness of it because of my change of heart, but I really hoped he'd be happy to hear that I was on board with trying something more than friends.

I spent the whole game worrying about whether or not he still wanted me. We got snacks and drinks from the concession stand as usual, but I had no appetite and could only manage to pick at them. I smiled and cheered, trying to seem unaffected, but I got more and more nervous as the game went on.

During the eighth inning I leaned over to whisper in Laney's ear. "I'm gonna ask the Turners to bring me to the clubhouse after the game. Do you guys want to come?"

Laney took a second to look at me before answering. "No. I think we'll just head home."

I knew she wanted to go and was just saying that for my sake. She'd always been so sensitive to my needs, and I loved her for that. "I'm sorry I didn't take you down there sooner," I said.

She gave me a patient smile and a little wink. "There's always next season."

I reached over and squeezed her leg. "Thank you."

She smiled at me and went right back to watching the game.

"I haven't talked to Morgan but I was hoping to go downstairs to congratulate him after the game," I said to Teresa during the next break in action.

"I'm sure he'd love that," she said. "I think he's been missing you lately. Is your sister coming?"

I shook my head. "She and Zack need to get Henry home. It'll just be me."

My palms were sweating during the last few plays of the game. I hadn't seen him up close or talked to him in days. He sort of felt like a stranger to me, and to top it all off, I didn't know how he'd react to seeing me down there without being warned I was coming.

The Giants won the game, so everyone was in high spirits as the stadium emptied. We told Zack and Laney goodbye and I followed Morgan's parents downstairs just as I did the other times. We were the only family down there. It's not like it was usually packed, but it was weird being the only ones.

One of the trainers happened to come out of the locker room and saw us standing there. "They're having a meeting," he said, gesturing to the locker room.

"Oh, Morgan didn't know we were coming down, or he probably would have told us that," Teresa said.

We looked at each other wondering what to do.

"Let me give my sister a call and tell them to wait for me," I said. "I'll just catch up to them."

The trainer, who was in the process of walking off, spoke from over his shoulder. "They should only be about thirty minutes or so."

Teresa, Jim, and I all looked at each other again, deciding what to do. It was after 9pm, and I hated to make them wait there with me. I glanced around. There were a couple of stadium employees at the end of the hallway, but otherwise it was empty.

"I think I'll wait," I said. "I'll be fine if you guys want to head home, though."

"I hate to leave you here by yourself," she said.

"Will they kick me out for not having one of those cards?"

They both shook their heads.

"Those are only to open the doors," Teresa said. "If anybody asks, you can just say you're here for Morgan." She looked around doubtfully. "I just hate to leave you here by yourself."

"I'm fine," I said. "I have a couple of emails to answer anyway."

"Are you sure?" Jim asked. "We don't mind staying."

I assured them I was fine, and within minutes they were gone. I spotted a tucked-away bench and sat down feeling thankful for the thirty minutes to compose myself.

Chapter 20

Several groups came down to meet players while I was sitting there. It didn't really affect me since I was tucked away on the bench and no one said anything to me.

It was nearly 10pm by the time the first player came into the hallway. I watched the door, waiting to see when Morgan would appear. One by one, they came out and joined their families or left alone. Five or six of them had already come out and exited out the door at the end of the hall.

Another player opened the door, and I could tell by the reaction of the last remaining people in the hall that he belonged to them. They made a big scene about what a great season the guy had before heading for the exit together. I was officially the last "family member" left in the hallway, and it was starting to feel like Morgan would never come out.

Two more guys left the dressing room and headed out the door. They were still walking down the hall when the door opened again. It was another pair of guys, but this time, one of them was Morgan. I could tell by the sound of his laugh before I even saw him. Morgan and the guy he was walking with headed straight for the door without even seeing me. The bench I was sitting on was hidden, but I hadn't realized just how much so until he walked off. I stood and stared at his back, feeling awkward about interrupting their conversation. Then it hit me that I had to do it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a ride home.

"Morgan," I said. I obviously didn't say it loud enough because they just continued walking and talking. "Morgan Turner," I said, a little louder.

Both of the guys turned that time. The hallway was gigantic, and they were quite a ways off, so I took a few tentative steps in his direction to make sure he could see me.

Morgan turned to the guy he was walking with and said something before looking back at me. Then he smiled, dropped his duffel bag and ran to me. It wasn't a jog or a trot, he ran to me, not stopping until I was in his arms. He picked me up by the waist and spun me around, causing me to throw my head back and giggle. He slowly let me sink to my toes, while continuing to hold me tightly. He bent his head and nuzzled it into my face and neck, rubbing his still-damp hair all over me. I giggled again and grabbed his big head, which he continued to burrow into my neck. He squeezed me and rubbed against me letting out little moans and making me crack up. He put a sweet kiss on my neck and then another on my cheek before pulling back to study my face.

"And here I was worried about you not being happy to see me," I said, laughing.

"You're so beautiful," he said, nudging my cheek with his head again and causing me to giggle.

"I have good news," I said.

"You're here?"

"That and something else."

"You're mine?"

I giggled yet again. "That and something else."

"That's all the news I need," he said. "I don't care about the something else."

"I care."

"The doctor said you were fine," he said more as a statement than a question.

"How'd you know?"

"I told you that before you even went," he said.

I looked down shyly. "Well at least now I know for sure," I said. I bit my lip. I was pretending to be shy, but I totally did it on purpose.

He squeezed my waist. "You did that on purpose," he said, smiling down at me.

I glanced down the hallway, but his companion was long gone. "I probably did," I said, looking back at him. Morgan licked his lips before letting them gently touch mine. The contact was torturously gentle. He barely let them touch me. I tilted my head to increase the pressure and when I did he pulled back. I stretched up feeling like I had to chase him to get the pressure I desired. I moaned reaching and stretching as he continued to pull back so we were barely touching. Finally he pulled back quickly enough and far enough away where there were a few inches of space between us. He smiled down at me.

"I like you like this," he said.

"I missed you," I said.

He squeezed me tightly. I relished the feeling of being held by him. I closed my eyes and nestled my head into the crook of his neck just as he'd been doing to me, and then I picked my head up and regarded him again. "Thank you for still wanting me when you know the truth," I said sincerely.

"To me, it's like it never happened," he said.

My face stung with the pain of unshed tears at his words. I made myself hold them back.

"To me it's like it never happened too," I said.

He bent to put his lips on mine again, but this time instead of barely touching me, he took my lower lip into his mouth, sucking on it gently. My whole body tingled and I let out a tiny whimper, which only encouraged him. He put his hand behind my head and deepened the kiss, pulling my lip deeper into his mouth and teasing me with his tongue. For those seconds, I was lost.

The locker room door opened and a motorcycle revved to life, making me jump and forcing us to break the kiss. He picked me up by the waist and carried me the few steps to the wall so we'd be out of the way as his coach drove slowly past us. They saluted each other, and the coach continued down the hallway dodging the duffel bag Morgan had dropped.

Two other guys exited the locker room right behind the coach.

"We should go," he said.

I nodded breathlessly and we took off down the hallway hand in hand.

***

I had boxing class the next day, and Morgan was planning on going with me until one of his teammates needed a favor. We made plans to meet up afterward for some take out and maybe a movie at my apartment. He wanted me to go to his place, but I had to work early the next morning, so we settled on mine.

I was in the dressing room at the gym getting changed. I normally came dressed in my workout clothes, but we were required to buy student uniforms and they'd just come in, so I was changing.

One of the main reasons I (and every other girl at the gym) always came ready to work out was that Summit only had one locker room, and men and women shared it. Most people came dressed for a workout anyway, so there was never really anyone in there. It was a small room separated by a partition of lockers that came up to about my shoulders.

I found a spot in the corner on the far side lockers and set my new uniform on top of them since the floor seemed dirty. I bent to take off the clothes I had on and flung them on top to make the exchange. I felt around for my new uniform, but couldn't locate anything. I was still crouching over, but I let my hand roam over the top, searching for my clothes. Nothing. I had just set two pairs of clothes up there, and now I could feel neither of them. I had on panties and a sports bra, but I still felt really naked. I straightened to take a peek onto the top, but there were no clothes. I felt like I was tripping.

"Hello, is anyone over there?" I said, peering over the top of the lockers tentatively. "Can someone hand me my clothes?"

The set of lockers was at least two feet wide, and I stared across it thinking there was no way I overshot it and dropped my clothes on the other side. It felt like I was in one of those dreams where you end up in a public place naked.

"Hello?" I said again quietly.

All of a sudden I saw Jason Lane's smiling face peek over the lockers. He startled me, and I let out a sharp squeal. I instinctually shielded my body even though I had on a bra and panties.

"Gosh, Jason, you scared me to death. Do you have my clothes?"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded as if I might like his little game. "Stop messing around, Jason. Give me my clothes."

I tried to sound composed, because I knew the more I panicked, the funnier he'd think it was.

"How about, I give you your clothes and you go out with me?"

"I can't go out with you, Jason. I have a boyfriend."

He smirked at me. "Who?"

I saw a figure enter the room like a blur. "Me!" I heard a deep voice say. The sound of Morgan saying it as he advanced on Jason came out like a roar.

I couldn’t see what was going on, but I assumed Morgan had Jason in some sort of compromised position. Suddenly, all of my clothes landed on the top of the lockers. I grabbed them and began putting them on as quickly as I could.

"Is this what happens when I'm not here?" Morgan asked.

"No dude, chill out, I was just messing around," Jason's strained voice said.

"I don't care for this kind of messing around, Jason. It's not funny to me, and it didn't sound like it was too funny to Lexi either. Was it funny to you Lexi?"

"No," I said still shaking as I was getting dressed.

"It wasn't funny to her. So now that you know, you won't be messing around like that, will you?"

"Whatever, man, you need to relax."

"I'll relax when you promise that's the last time Lexi's clothes end up in your hand."

"Chill, dude," Jason said, still straining.

I heard a small thud and a little grunt. "I am not your dude," Morgan said. "And let's get something straight. I'm fully aware that I could lose my job for hurting you, but just so you know, it'd totally be worth it." Another thud and a straining noise. "I won't hesitate to hurt you if you disrespect Lexi again. Are we clear?"

"We're clear," Jason said.

"Tell the lady you're sorry for taking her clothes."

"I'm sorry for taking your clothes," he said like a third grader who was being forced to apologize.

"So now I'm gonna let you go and I'm gonna chill and relax just like you suggested. I'm gonna do class with Lexi and you can partner up with whoever you want, just so you stay out of our way. Does that sound good?"

"Uh-huh," Jason said.

Morgan must have let Jason go, because I heard the sound of footsteps as someone stalked off.

"Are you dressed?" Morgan said.

I came out from behind the lockers fully clothed and smiling. "My hero," I said.

He squinted down at me, still annoyed. "Does that happen all the time?"

I shook my head. "It was the first time I've ever even changed in here. I did it because the new uniforms came in."

I held out my arms so he could check it out. He grabbed my arm and used it to pull me into his embrace, holding on to me tightly. "I will break that guy in half, you know that, right?"

I smiled and reached up to put my hand on his cheek. "I'm happy that you're willing to, but he's harmless. And you know there's no reason for you to be jealous, right?"

"Why's that? Because you're mine?"

"Yep."

"And you'll always be mine?"

"Yep. It's weird, but you're the only one who does it for me." I cocked my head and regarded him sincerely. My eyes roamed over his lips and across the stubble of his jaw. "I thought that phrase, 'I only have eyes for you', was just something someone made up for a love song, but with you, it's actually true. My eyes only see you, Morgan. You're the only one who does it for me." I paused. "I think you're stuck with me."

"I like stuck," he said.

I let out a laugh. "I like stuck too."