Unchartered Waters ✅

Chapter 31: Braves Game

Alex's POV

Saturday, October 30

9:01am
Chase
Do you want to come to the Braves baseball game with me tonight?

I know he talked about wanting to spend time together and make up for the last time, but it still shocked me when the text message came across my phone this morning as I ate breakfast.

I mean, okay, I wasn't shocked he was going to the game. He loves his Braves. Of course he would make sure to attend the World Series events and be a part of history. However, the shock was that he invited me to join him. We had just spoken together the other day, and already, here was my first invite.

9:06am
Alex
I know you want to spend time together, but I don't know man....

To be honest, it wasn't like I spent my time watching a lot of baseball. Actually, I didn't watch a whole ton of sports in general. I was the type of person that would rather be doing stuff than not.

So what was I supposed to be doing tonight, anyway? It wasn't like I was heading to a dirt event, and I wasn't one of the cools kids supposedly like Denny or Kyle with a Halloween party to attend. So my day was more than likely going to consist of time in the shop, followed by dinner and perhaps a scary movie or two. But really, who wanted to watch a scary movie alone

9:08am
Chase
Are you going to some race or something?

Man, of course that's what he'd say for me. Anybody that knew me was certain my life consisted of racecars, my dogs, racecars, my truck and oh yeah, more racecars. It was odd to not be headed to an event on Saturday night, by the way. I could go watch some World of Outlaws action but I wasn't one to just sit on the sidelines, either.

Probably why I wouldn't be the best for watching a game or something.

9:10am
Alex
Surprisingly, no.

9:13am
Chase
Then why don't you drive down to Georgia, and join me at the game? You can stay the night at my place, and we'll fly out to Martinsville in the morning together.

Do you realize with each text message that I read the temptation just grows more and more? It's like he knows how to wrap me around his finger, and sweeten the deal just enough that I join him.

I wouldn't have to worry about finding my own way to Martinsville tomorrow, or dealing with traffic now. I would also get not just 24 hours with him, but tomorrow and Monday as well since after flying home, it wouldn't be advised to drive back till then. And oh wait, I could see this turning into fly into Hendrick together on Monday, so we spend Monday night together.

He was already pulling me back into the similar groove that we began to experience a bit, before the deepest confessions and a freeze.

Perhaps that's why I didn't want to say yes. I didn't want to commit to all this time, fall right into his arms, and repeat the process. He told me he couldn't handle another broken heart and frankly, I couldn't handle being left on the sidelines due to fear again. That's why we committed to taking it slow.

But this was just going to a baseball game as friends. We'd be in a public setting together so it's not like nothing super personal could happen to hit other boundaries. Then that night, we couldn't stay up late due to Martinsville in the morning, and with how tired you are after, we couldn't dare do much Sunday night either. I had possible ways to escape the additional time spent should the pressure and worries begin to form again.

Besides, this is maybe what we both needed. Maybe we needed to take advantage of our feelings expressed together, and dive right in before the fear crept in again. Maybe if I took the dive, showed him everything, he would accept and boom – I wouldn't be stuck on the sidelines again, ever.