The Player | SPORTS ROMANCE | 18+

Chapter 21

TITUS REYES

I was awoken from the best sleep of my life by something wet and cold dripping on my forehead every few seconds.

My face scrunched up in annoyance and I wiped away the wetness from my forehead. When it dripped once again, I groaned and rolled onto my stomach. A sated sigh escaped me when I was spared the torture for a few moments, but then something wet dropped onto my neck.

"Sal." I groaned. "Why are you dripping water on me? Or are you drooling?"

"It's water." A little voice said, and my eyes snapped open, widening to the point of worry.

I held my breath as I turned my head. When my eyes fell on a familiar face – not just familiar because I had seen them before – I sprang into a sitting position on the sofa. Thankfully, I was smart enough to keep the blanket wrapped around me otherwise I risked flashing the two boys and scarring them for life.

"What are you doing here, coach?" Arturo beamed at me, a large smile on his face. The one-year-old matched his expression, his fingers curled into my blanket to keep himself up.

Other than Mia, I didn't have much experience with kids and even then, it was fleeting because I was only able to visit during the off-season and the occasional weekend when I managed to convince coach to spare me from training. I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be standing on it, but he didn't look steady on his feet. In fact, he looked like his legs were about to give out underneath him at any moment now.

The kid babbled something as I picked him up and made him sit on the sofa next to me, but I couldn't make it. honestly, I was just happy that he didn't immediately start bawling his eyes out the moment I reached for him.

The baby was cute and looked more like a De Leon – I only had the two sisters to go off – than Arturo.

He babbled something again, an intense look on his face as he stared up at me, but I still couldn't make it out. I really needed to figure out a way to understand baby talk, though it wasn't like I would ever need that skill.

That thought usually would have made me sad, but I barely flinched this time because my son was right in front of me.

"Coach." Arturo tugged on the end of my blanket to grab my attention, and my eyes widened when it started to slip. I was quick to catch it and wrap it around my waist like a skirt, tucking in the ends.

I cleared my throat before answering. "Yes, Arturo?"

"What are you doing here, coach? Are you here to play baseball again?"

"No." I shook my head but then immediately regretted my answer.

If I wasn't here for baseball, then what was I here for? What was I supposed to tell Arturo?

"Do you know my mama?" He continued, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"Kind of." I shrugged, struggling with an answer. "Your mama and I are old friends. We used to know each other."

"Is that why you're sleeping on the sofa?" He asked, and the baby babbled, pitching his part of the conversation.

"Yeah, something like that." I chuckled awkwardly and rubbed a hand down the back of my neck.

"Can we play baseball later?" Arturo asked, climbing onto the sofa to take a seat beside me. "I want to practice my batting. Coach Silas said I could get really good if I practiced more."

"Sure, Arturo." I smiled, my heart feeling fuller than I had ever felt it before. "We can do whatever you want."

"Sal won't be happy to hear that." Cameron sounded as he walked into the living room. He was dressed in actual clothes this time and moved to pick up his son who giggled and reached up for who I could only assume was his dad.