The Red Lounge

Chapter 32

I wasn't too sure what time I fell asleep at, but I knew that I didn't get enough sleep. I rubbed my aching eyes and dragged myself out of the couch. It was 10 am. I searched around the couch for my phone and Elijah's shirt.

I grabbed it from my room after we got off the phone last night. His scent helped me believe that he was around me which eased my mind throughout the night.

I received text messages from Pia, Xavier, and Elijah all asking if I was okay. I sent them all reassuring text messages and headed to the bedroom. There was plenty of light coming into my room which typically would've made me unable to fall asleep but this time around, it helped me fall asleep. I felt safer in the light, so I managed to fall asleep for a few more hours.

I had been thirty minutes late to Xavier's baseball game. He wanted to take a picture before the game because that's when his uniform was nice and clean. I ran onto the bleachers and could see Xavier being visibly upset.

"Go Xavier!" I yelled, standing onto the bleacher and blocking the view. It was rude of me to do, but I had to get his attention.

I had arrived just on time to watch him bat. I yelled again and began stomping. The complaints of the people behind me also helped get his attention. He scanned the audience and flashed a big smile when he spotted me in a red sweater.

With his hit, he managed to get onto second base. Another person went up to bat and Xavier got in position to run. His teammate struck the bat with great force, allowing Xavier to run to homebase and allowing himself to go to third base.

The game went on for about three hours and there wasn't a break in between so I couldn't talk to Xavier. Though, he did occasionally wave at me.

His team won and the people on my side of the stadium all cheered. It was an intense game. At times, I should Xavier's team would lose, and other times I was sure they had the game.

Xavier ran over to me and hugged me tightly, lifting me up slightly. "I think you're my lucky charm!"

"Doubt it," I laughed. "You were great out there! That's pure skill not luck."

"Thanks Mo, that means a lot. The team is going to head to the diner for some food and celebration. Want to come?"

"Sure! I haven't really eaten today!"

The team went to the same diner Pia and I went to before school started. The team divided up and took seperate booths. Xavier waved off some of his friends and told them he'll catch up with them later. We sat at a booth in the corner of the diner.

"I remember seeing you here for the first time," he admitted with a smile.

I furrowed my eyebrows and took a sip of my vanilla shake. "Didn't we meet at your frat house?"

"Yeah, that's were we officially met and talked but I saw you here with Pia. I was pretty hidden away in the back with a few pals, but I spotted you. Cant miss that curly hair of yours."

"Oh, so stalking me huh?" I joked.

"I wouldn't call it stalking, more so, looking."

I playfully rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You're really something."

"But you like it," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, whatever," I scoffed and smiled.

Xavier and I shared some chili cheese fries while we waited for our cheeseburgers to be cooked. He had made a ridiculous joke about our math professor that I nearly choked on one of the fries. We finally caught our breaths from laughing so hard and that's when I felt a firm hand land on my shoulder.