Raining on Sunday

“I never thought I’d like living in Pittsburgh this much, but it’s actually great!” Samantha gushed over dinner. I took a big sip of my hot tea, and nodded. I felt like I was chaperoning a first date for Sid and Samantha. “And you, Eisley?You moved pretty far, as well.” Sid included me. I shrugged. “I just came from Washington. It’s not exactly the same as another country.” Samantha looked at me awkwardly. “You must miss home?” She spoke. I shook my head. “Not much to miss.” I left it at that, and picked up the check on the table. “I’m going to head home, I’m pretty tired.” I smiled. Sid tried to argue for check, but I won, leaving him and Sam to talk over the table. I paid for the food and walked back to my car, letting the cold air nip at my arms. “Eisley? Is you?” I heard, behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Geno walking towards me. I met him halfway and pulled him into a hug. “What you doing out? You look cold!” He smiled. “I was at dinner with Sam and Sid. You should of come, probably would have been more fun.” I nudged his arm. “You want drink? I buy you virgin drink!” He smiled his famous smile. “I should probably get home, it’s late…” I started but he stopped. “No you never hang with me! How you say, I feel like neglected child?” I busted out laughing at Geno’s broken English and agreed to follow him into the bar. He bought me a virgin strawberry daiquiri as promised and sat me down at a table in the back. “How you been?” He asked. I nodded, “Pretty good.”

“Why you lie to me? I know that fake smile.”

“Caught me, huh?”

“I know my friend, at least I think we friends.”

“We are, I’m just tired. Still kind of in shock over the whole baby thing.”

“James need you, Eisley.”

“He doesn’t need anyone. But I didn’t come here to talk about him and feel sorry for myself….wait, what?”

“I call him, he seen you having baby! He worried. He mess in Nashville.”

“He has Melanie Collins in his bed, he surely isn’t a mess.”

“She hot, but she not like you. She not wife type. I know. But you are.”

“Geno, can we just change the subject? I’m trying to be the least selfish person right now. “

He nodded and tipped his drink towards me, and took a swig. The night went on uneventful, just two friends hanging out, laughing at all the random drunk people. After last call, we walked back to our cars and hugged, leaving each other in the cold Pittsburgh night. What Geno said replayed through my mind, about James needing me. I convinced myself that the best thing for him was to leave him alone, and I stuck to it. Climbing into bed, I did everything I could to keep my mind from wandering about what Sid and Samantha were doing right now, and what James and Melanie were doing.

-James POV-

“Thanks Geno, I appreciate you letting me know. I wish she would of called.” I told him, plopping backwards onto my couch after practice. He rambled on about how he had gotten drinks with her at the bar last night. I listening intently and hoped Geno would know when she was due, or something so I could try and figure out if that baby was mine or not. I can’t believe everything that was going on. I wanted a future with her but it was selfish of me to think we could do that with me in Nashville and her in Pittsburgh. I stood up as I listened to Geno talk about training camp and how Eisley was bringing new plays to the team that everyone was excited about. I pulled veggie chips out of the pantry and opened them taking a bite, and realizing that I wasn’t too crazy about them. I opened a Gatorade and washed out the taste. Fucking Melanie. While I was gone, she filled my kitchen for me, she decorated my house, all when I just asked her to watch the dogs. She even had the audacity to put up a framed picture of the two of us, which I faced down on the counter as soon as I saw it. It felt wrong, her in my house like that. Like she shouldn’t be there, it wasn’t her job. I felt like I was breaking some sort of promise to Eisley, like I was cheating on her in a way. Geno and I said our goodbyes and hung up the phone, and I looked around my house. Clearly she doesn’t want me in her life for a reason, I pulled up her Instagram. The latest picture she had posted was one she took of herself in the mirror in my bathroom, holding her shirt over her belly. She was already showing? She looked gorgeous, absolutely stunning. She was glowing, and her smile was big, and her tummy had a little round bump consuming it. She captioned it “13 weeks and growing! Happy happy happy!” I pulled up my calendar and did the math. IT would be right after I left for Nashville. So it was Sid’s baby?

-Sid’s POV-

I pulled up to Eisley’s house the next morning with breakfast, and let myself in using the key she had given me when we were dating. “Eisley?” I called out. There was no answer so I looked around the house and found her asleep on the couch with Winter sleeping behind her legs. She looked so pretty sleeping, with her belly barely showing. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of her, and set it as my background. This “just friends” thing was really hard for me, I was in love with this girl and I couldn’t have her. I noticed an unread text, and opened it.

James Neal: Hope she’s everything you could ever want, congrats on your family, bro. Treat her good.

I furrowed my eyebrows together and closed out the text, sitting in front of Eisley and lightly shaking her awake. “Wake up, sleepy head.” She stirred lightly and reached for the blanket that barely covered her legs. I smiled, she always kicked off blankets in her sleep. “Sid? What are you doing here?” She smiled as if she was surprised to see me. “I brought breakfast for you. Hope you enjoy fresh muffins and orange juice.” She nodded, sitting up and stretching. She let Winter out the backdoor and sat next to me. “Winter is getting so big.” I said, she looked back at the dog who was running through the backyard. “She’s amazing.” She took a bite of her muffin and exhaled deeply. “Want to take a trip with me today?” She asked. I raised an eyebrow. “I want to get to Bethel Park, its maybe an hour away. I feel like just hiking.” She sighed longingly. I nodded and told her I needed to change, and to meet me back at my house. She nodded and walked to my car. Halfway home my phone rang, Samantha’s name and photo popped up on the screen.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, you’re up early!”

“Eh, just running around. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to see what you were doing later, I thought maybe we could go grab some lunch or something.”

“Oh, Eisley and I are going hiking in a little bit. I’m just heading home to change, not sure when we’ll be back…”

“Can I join?” She asked. I froze, I liked Sam and I wanted her to come but I also wanted to spend time with Eisley. She invited me, not Sam. In a moment of panic, I answered, “What did you say? I can’t hear you! I think you’re breaking up!” She repeated her question, louder this time. “Sam, still can’t hear you I will call you in a little bit!” And I frantically hung up throwing my phone on my passenger seat. What did I just do? Did I really do that? I’m the nice one, and I just did that.

Notes

Filler :o usually means something big is about to happen! vote please ^.^