“Try what exactly?” she asks, moving off my lap. I don’t want to let her go, but maybe that’s what she needs for this conversation. She’s now sitting next to me, on her knees, staring at me with wide expressive eyes. She wants this too. I can see it. But she’s also scared, and I understand that as well.
“I think we should try long distance.” I feel like a fifty-pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that the words are out there.
“That’s crazy,” she says, but it’s not convincing.
“Is it? Sure, we just met, but you’re the first girl I’ve ever met who sees me for me, and I’m not ready to let that go just yet.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, her voice soft.
“So, what do you think?”
“How is this going to work? Griffin, we’d never get to see each other.”
I run my fingers through my hair. “I stayed up all night last night thinking about it. We won’t get a lot of time with each other during these next four years, but after that, we’ll have all the time in the world. Well, unless I get picked up, then I’ll be traveling a lot, but for home games and all that, I’ll be home.”
“When you get picked up,” she says, giving me a look that dares me to challenge her. “It could be anywhere. That would still be long-distance.”
“You could come with me.”
“This is absolutely insane, Griffin. We barely know each other.”
“Then let’s start with that. We agree not to see other people right now and take the time to get to know one another. We can video call, and talk on the phone, and text, and email. Hell, we can go the snail-mail route if you want. We’ll take the time to get to know each other, and then we can go from there.”
She shakes her head. “That’s a pretty big commitment for two people who just met.”
“I agree.” I take her hand in mine. “It’s also going to be hard as hell to watch you drive away from me the day after tomorrow.”
“I have to go back.”
“I know you do. I know that our lives are in two different locations, but I think our minds and maybe even our hearts are on the same path.”
“You have girls throwing themselves at you all the time.” She bites down on her bottom lip.
“I do,” I agree. “And the first one not to is the one that I want to keep.” Her eyes soften, and I can tell I’ve got her. She’s going to give us a chance. I’m going to have to fight like hell to be the man she deserves with so many miles between us, but I’m up for the challenge, especially when Peyton Monroe is my reward.
“Can I think about it?” she asks, and my heart sinks. She must notice because she’s quick to defend her question. “I just need to wrap my head around this. I need to let it sink in that you want me. Not just for while I’m here but for… longer.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You don’t have to decide right away if you’ll take a nap with me.”
“Seriously?” she asks.
“I’ve barely slept since the day I met you, and I’m exhausted. I think knowing that you’re here with me, I’ll be able to sleep.”
“That’s not what I expected. I slept in today, but I could still use a nap.”
I stand from the couch, and she does the same, following my lead. I adjust the pillows on the other side of the sectional and lay down, patting the space in front of me.
“Here?”
“Right here.” I pat the space a second time. She moves to settle in next to me, and I wrap my arms around her. Placing a kiss on her temple, I close my eyes and soak up the feeling of having her in my arms like this. This moment feels right. She feels right. It kills me that I have one more day with her, and then I don’t know when I’ll get to see her again, but my gut tells me I need to hold this girl with both hands. I need to fight to convince her that taking the time for us to get to know each other better, even over the distance, is the right move for both of us.
Peyton Monroe just changed the game, and she doesn’t even know it.
CHAPTER 9
Peyton
Griffin is holding my hand tightly as he leads me into the kitchen. “There they are,” his mom, Anna, smiles warmly.
“Sorry, we fell asleep.” He stops next to the kitchen island, and to my surprise, he pulls me into his arms. “Dad, this is Peyton. Peyton, this is my dad, Gary.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say respectfully, thrusting my hand over the kitchen island for him to shake. “Thank you for lunch, you didn’t have to do that. It was delicious.”