The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,112

with me besides you. You’re going to think I’m crazy right now, but I have never had a girl back to my place before.” Of course, she looks at me as if I am crazy, just as I expected her to. “I swear to you. I’m weird about that stuff. Even when I was seeing Lora Rae, the one time we flew into Tampa, we stayed at a hotel. I didn’t bring her to my condo. I went by myself to get my clothes.” I laugh. “I never wanted anyone to be a part of my private life. Only you know me in that way, and that’s how I always wanted it to be. You are the only person I would ever give myself to completely. I let down all of my barricades with you. I’ve known for a long time that you are the only person I can ever love.”

“Mikey, I promise you that I feel the same way. I feel as if a weight has been lifted from me since the day you told me you loved me. I know you think that I’ve been in love before, and I guess that I thought so, too, but now I know I wasn’t since it felt nothing like this. After what happened to me in high school, I played it safe. I always got involved with guys that I knew would not hurt me. You and I always had a strong connection between us, yet I was scared of the kind of feelings I had for you. You were always running around with other girls. I knew you loved me, but not in that way. I told myself that it wasn’t that kind of love and I made myself believe it. You are the only person I trust with everything that I have, though. I want to give every part of myself to you. I want you to always want only me.”

“You are the only person I will ever want,” I say as my lips cover hers and I taste the warmth of her mouth. Her arms wrap around my back, pulling me close. My hand slips under her shirt—

“Yo, Mikey… are you here?!” Luke calls from the front of the house.

De pushes me off her and pops up. I roll onto my back and let out a deep sigh. “Can you believe this? This is payback for all of the times we did this to them growing up,” I say, letting out a chuckle as she tells me to get up. “Remind me to start locking the doors.” She shakes her head and again signals for me to get up.

“We’re right here,” she calls out, rushing out of the room. “I was showing him the house, it’s the first time he’s seen it,” I hear her saying nervously.

“Sorry we burst in here, but we have big news,” JJ says excitedly.

“You’re pregnant?” I say dryly, coming out of the bedroom.

“No, I’m not pregnant,” she says, laughing.

“What?” De and I ask simultaneously.

“Guess who’s joining you tomorrow at spring training?” Luke says.

“No way, are you serious?” I ask eagerly.

“Yeah, I just got the call while we were at the beach. They said they want me to start working out with the team.”

“Oh my God, what does this mean?” De asks happily.

“It means, for one, I’ll be staying put, and two… I gotta knock them dead the next few weeks so they’ll keep me around,” he says, laughing.

We celebrate the news together. I can’t wait to finally get back on the field with him again. It’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait to show them how unstoppable we are together.

I think of how our lives have ironically been filled with so many game changers over the years. Although some may have been difficult, maybe we had to go through them to get here. At this moment, it seems as if our lives can’t possibly get any better.

Epilogue

(Deanna – five years later)

“Aunt DeDe… Aunt DeDe…” I hear my adorable three-year-old niece call excitedly from behind just as I put the baby in his carrier and he’s about to fall asleep. “I feed baby Mikey!” she screeches.

“Hey, Livvy,” I say as she climbs across my lap, making herself comfortable. “Shhh… Baby Mikey’s gonna go to sleep. Next time you can feed him. Where’s Mommy?” I ask, looking at the baby who is now wide-eyed and smiling at one of his favorite little cousins.

“Changin’ Lukey’s diaper,” she says, fidgeting on my lap