Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 26

New York, July 16, 2024.

I woke up to soft kisses running down my back. I smiled as I remembered who those lips belonged to.

"Good morning" I said in a hoarse voice.

"Good morning, honey" I heard Scarlett say as she continued to kiss my back.

"It feels so nice to wake up like this" I said making her laugh.

"As much as I would like to keep doing this, you should get up now" She said leaving a soft kiss on my neck "It's already a little late and you should go get your things"

"Why do I feel like you want to get rid of me?" I asked turning to her.

I laid on my back and Scar sat on my lap.

"Because maybe or maybe not, we'll have lunch to wish you a happy trip" Scarlett said with a smile.

"We?" I asked confused.

"Yes, I talked to your brother and while you go get your stuff, we will have lunch at your parent's house" She replied leaning down to capture my lips "So get up"

"Yes ma'am" I said making her laugh.

Scarlett and I decided to save some water and we showered together. Of course, without any funny business. She had made it clear to me that she was still a little sore and I obviously told her it was no problem.

I took an Uber to the hotel where I was to pick up my suitcase and my credential.

I entered the conference room and smiled when I saw some familiar faces from the Staff.

"Hello everyone" I said kindly.

"Hey, Andy" One of the kinesiologists answered "It's nice to have you back on the team"

"I'm very happy to be here" I replied smiling.

"You're finally on the winning team" I heard Emma say between laughs "It's about damn time"

"Arsenal is also a winning team" I replied laughing.

"Yes, but they didn't make it to the Champions League" Emma said, approaching me.

"But if I remember correctly" I started to say "Barcelona beat Chelsea 2-1, making it to the final and then beating Lyon"

"Okay, you're talking too much" Emma said now hugging me "It's a pleasure to have you on the team. I've seen what you do with your camera and when they asked me about a photographer I didn't hesitate to say your name. You have a beautiful gift, Thomas"

"Thank you and I hope I'm up to the task" I answered somewhat embarrassed.

"Okay, Andy" I heard Twila Kilgore say "We don't want to keep you any longer, so let's get on with what we came for"

I looked at Emma and she just rolled her eyes making everyone laugh.

"Here is your ID, you must wear it at all times to avoid any kind of problems" Twila began to say "Your suitcase has everything you need, it is the same as the one we all have except for the training clothes and field clothes"

"Okay" I said as they handed me the suitcase.

"You must be here tonight, before eight o'clock, so we can all have dinner together" I heard Denise Reddy, the assistant coach, say.

"No problem" I answered with a smile.

"And lastly" Emma said now "This suitcase is for your mother and the small one is for your daughter"

I took a deep breath when I saw the other two suitcases.

"We also have their credentials" Emma said, handing them to me, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the photo of my mom and Lili "I want you to know that we are very happy to have you on the team and that we are going to do everything possible to not overwhelm you with work so that you can have time for your daughter and for your mother to relax a little"