*Noah*One whole month has passed since we beat Ole Miss and I still can’t quite wrap my head around what that means. It’s been an absolute whirlwind since then, with things never really slowing, but Jane has been there for the whole ride. That’s what made the whole buildup so much easier and the celebration that much sweeter. Ever since the night I opened up to her, things have only gotten better. She’s the first person I’ve felt secure enough to be vulnerable to, and I trust her fully to guard that. It’s difficult to imagine a life before or after her, it feels like she’s always been here. And she’s the one who’s there when the invitation to the MLB draft comes in. “Noah, this is amazing,” she squeaks, jumping into my arms. I hold her tightly, enjoying the closeness. “It’s still up in the air,” I say shakily, but I can’t keep the smile off my face. “Nothing’s one hundred percent certain yet.”“You know where I stand on all of that.” She draws back to look at
*Jane*I knew that Noah was going to be picked. There was never a doubt in my mind, even if I could tell that he was beginning to question. But when the announcer called out his name, inviting him onto the stage, I couldn’t contain my happiness and excitement. I watched as Noah walked up, and received the Yankees hat. I watched as he shook hands with who I knew were very important people. I watched as he stood for photos and I’m watching now as he speaks to the press, all vying for information on this new rising star and his plans for the future. It fills me with such a feeling of pride and contentment, watching all of this. And I truly am so happy for him. But …There’s a small, nagging part of my brain that can’t help but ask the question … What now?What truly is next for Noah and me?If he joins the Yankees, that means he has to move. The whole long-distance thing is something I always thought would never work. But then again, I never planned on falling in l
*Jane*“Are you ready for your entire world to change?” I adjust the straps of the little floral ruched bust top I’m wearing and direct a pointed look at Rachel, not needing words to express my sarcasm. But despite my attitude, my fingers still toy with the frilly material, something I only do when I’m more than a little nervous. “What?” my friend asks defensively, not taking her eyes off the mirror as she adds the finishing touches to her makeup.“A little dramatic, don’t you think, Rach?” I move to sit on her bed, crossing my legs in an attempt to stave off the anxious foot-tapping. “It’s a party. We’re not exactly curing cancer or braving the frontlines.”Rachel rolls her eyes. Her eyeliner is perfect. “Please. This is when the rest of our lives really begin.”“I thought the rest of our lives started when we moved to campus and started classes.”She shakes her head, her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders. “Not at all. That was just the logistics of things, y
*Jane*I wake up feeling like I’ve got a mouth stuffed full of sand. The mini migraine pounding through my head isn’t helping either. Fortunately, all things considered, I’m not doing too bad.With a groan, I raise my head, trying to figure out where I am. I realize that I must’ve just thrown myself onto my bed last night, given that I’m still in my party outfit with hair that looks like I stuck my finger in a power outlet. When I look for Rachel, she’s in a slightly less dignified position —she ended up just sleeping on the floor, with one shoe missing. I absentmindedly note that it’s been abandoned halfway on the trek between the bathroom and where she decided to pass out for the night. “Rach?” I ask groggily, my voice sounding rough. I pick up a pillow to throw at her, and it bounces off her head. “Are you alive?”She makes an unintelligible sound and raises a hand to flip me off. “Oh great, you’re in good shape then.”“My head is killing me,” she grumbles, s
*Jane*“You look perfect,” Rachel says, wringing her hands together like a proud mother. I take a look in the mirror and have to admit that the outfit I picked out does look good. I’ve chosen a pale pink sweater that’s tucked into a mini skirt and finished it off with a pair of complementary booties. Rachel let me borrow one of her necklaces and curled my hair so that it falls in soft loose spirals around my shoulders. The whole thing draws attention to my best features—my legs and my collarbone.“How are you feeling?” she asks, going to take a seat on my bed. “Nervous,” I confess, my hands going straight to the hem of my sweater to fight with non-existent creases. “Just breathe. It’s just a regular date and there’s really no reason to be anxious.”Just then, a knock sounds at our door and Rachel jumps from her perch, clapping her hands in excitement. I roll my eyes at the huge grin on her face. “What happened to this being just a 'regular date', Rach?” I ask,
*Jane*Of course, he has a penthouse apartment. I don’t know why I was even surprised at this point. I look around, perplexed at the sheer amount of luxury around me. The left wall of the living area consists of a series of oversized floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city below, offering a view so spectacular that I walk over to get a better look. I don’t know if he decorated the place himself but it’s done well, with minimalist features that are simple but masculine. Absentmindedly, I pull at the oversized jacket he draped over my shoulders tighter around me. I’m struck again by the difference between the way I grew up and the lifestyle he is obviously accustomed to. I’d be lying to myself if I claimed it wasn’t at least slightly intimidating. “I’m surprised you’re not offering me a nightcap,” I joke, turning to look at him. He’s keeping a respectful distance, similar to how he did the night of the party. Like he’s waiting for my cues before he tries an
*Noah*When I wake up, the sun hasn’t even fully risen yet and there’s a beautiful blonde still sleeping in my arms. Jane Thomas. She looks so content, with her hair falling over her face and her chest gently rising and falling with each breath. For a second, I just stay frozen, watching her long eyelashes flutter slightly as she sleeps, memorizing the shape of her full lips and remembering what they felt like against mine. Something stirs in my chest and I know that if I don’t get up and move soon, that feeling will awaken something else and I’ll end up missing practice completely. Careful not to wake her up, I gently pry my arm out from under her head and let her rest on a pillow. It’s colder in the morning, so I pull up my covers until her bare shoulders are covered. I give her one last look over, appreciating the way her curves look wrapped up in my sheets before I make my way to the shower. As I wash up, I mentally go over the events of the night before, try
*Jane*Noah’s sudden change in mood took me by surprise. I tried hard not to take it personally, not when I knew that it most likely had nothing to do with me. And it wasn’t like he’d been overtly rude, just…distant. Colder than he’d been this morning. Still, I hate the sudden flip. “Don’t worry about it too much. Athletes tend to be very emotionally volatile when it comes to their sport,” Rachel says knowledgeably. “I can guarantee you that he’ll come crawling back to apologize for brushing you off once he realizes what he’s done.”It took a solid ten minutes of in-depth information poaching of my last conversation with Noah before Rachel ascertained that what he did wasn’t worthy of a red flag. Once she was sure of that, she tried to get me to relax and see that it wasn’t as bad as I thought at first. I knew even before her advice that it must’ve been related to the practice session he had. Granted, I still don’t know much about baseball. Noah’s thorough explanation