Wildflower (Kris Bryant)

8 Be With You Always

Kris

With a blink of an eye I was in the middle of the baseball season and I wasn't so new to this professional baseball thing. I was still a rookie, I get reminded of that every single day, but it wasn't all so new to me. I was in a nice grove and I actually enjoyed this life that finds me. Starting this journey I thought it was going to be overwhelming and I'll be in way over my head, but that isn't the case. Of course it's a lot easier when you have a personal assistant who was extremely cute and extremely intelligent. Nothing seems to get past her which is both a curse and blessing. Because she makes my life easier but all the more harder as I try to make her fall in love with me. Not that I ever thought she would deny herself that, she's a free spirit who will take things as they come. I just hope she chooses to experience those wonderful things with me.

"Why do you hate baseball" I wonder as we enjoy a nice dinner at my apartment. She told me I couldn't keep eating out because it wasn't a good lifestyle for me as a athlete or for my wallet. So she was making us dinner after we had a day game and she met me here after.

"I don't hate baseball" she defends. She continues to look into her pot of goodies as she talks to me.

"You hate coming to games and I don't think I've ever heard you talk about baseball unless it was a part of the job" I accuse.

"It's just not what I'm familiar with. I've never seen you read and I haven't accused you of hating reading" she defends.

"Okay. You got me there. But I still feel like you don't like it" I insist.

"I heard it's bad for your heart" she smirks and I start to laugh.

"It gets intense" I agree.

"I wouldn't mind it if I watched with you. But if it's just me watching I wouldn't know what was happening or anything like that. I would just be sitting there asking myself questions I wouldn't know the answer to. I'll probably pull out a book and read in the middle of the game" she claims and I smile. Of course she would.

"Well what if you become a baseball girlfriend" I question carefully.

She turns to me as she tries to figure out what I'm trying to get out of her. She reads me just like one of her books, I know I wouldn't get out anything she didn't want to give. "Girlfriend" she questions.

"I mean... if that's what you want. I would love to have you as my girlfriend" I say with a blush on my cheeks. She just smiles at me as she looks me up and down.

"Are you sure that's what you want? You already have the responsibilities of a baseball player and a significant figure in this city. You sure you want me to add boyfriend to your agenda" she asks.

"That would be my favorite thing on there" I insist.

"Well I know I won't have to worry about seeing you or knowing where you're at. This is honestly the perfect job for a girlfriend" she teases.

"You think" I wonder.

"Yeah. It helps that my boss is super sexy and kind and for some reason likes me too" she claims.

"I think you're wonderful" I admit. "You're my favorite part of this city."

She walks around the island from the stove to where I was sitting and watching her cook and she pulls me into a kiss. My fingers get tangled in her hair as I pull her closer. I feel her arms wrap around me and I was sure that this was bliss. And what words couldn't say in that moment was said. And I don't think I ever wanted this moment to end.

But it does and I let her go to finish up making our dinner and we move out little at home date to the living room where I put on a game and try to teach her some baseball things. Luckily she's like a sponge so she picked up pretty quickly. She was asking a million questions and not silly question, really good questions even the casual fan wouldn't know about. She actually got pretty into it which is adorable.

In fact she gets so into it she gives herself a coughing fit. So she pulls the perfectly folded napkin off her lap to try and contain her germs as she continues to back away. I softly pat her back as she chuckles at me and my lame idea of helping. But when she pulls the napkin away I see red on it where she was using it and I freeze. She looks at it for a second before quickly folding it up and setting it on her empty plate.

"Are... are you okay" I ask carefully.

She looks over to me with a unreadable expression on her face that worried me. "What do you mean" she questions.

"It looks like there was blood in the napkin you used" I say softly.

She pauses for a second before replying to me. "It's just some red sauce from the spaghetti" she defends.

I feel like she was lying because she didn't drop a speck of anything on her the whole meal. The napkin had been folded in her lap the entire time. I know, my eyes haven't left her all night. But if she coughed up blood there's no way she would be this calm right now. She would have freaked out or said something. But she was calm and she seemed off but not "I'm dying" off so I drop it.

We clean up our plates and she floods me with more questions about baseball. I answer them all to my best of my abilities and she got the hang of it. Maybe now she'll want to come to a game and not just so she can read a book outside.

Eventually it gets late and she has to head home. So I walk her out to her car and she turns to me before getting in. She grabs my face and plants a kiss on my lips making me feel like I can fly.

"Do you have to leave" I ask. I wasn't trying to be the needy boyfriend, but I wasn't trying to say goodbye to her either.

"I do" she assures me.

"Why" I ask. "I hate when you leave."

"I hate leaving you too" she admits. "But this isn't goodbye. It's a see you later" she says as she cups my cheek.

"I'd rather you stay" I insist. She rests her forehead on mine and I close my eyes.

"Keep me in your heart and I can never leave you. I'll be with you always" she promises.

"Then you'll be with me always" I say.