bedroom.
“Just for this week, let’s pretend you’re my girlfriend.” Tyler played with her hair as they sat in the dark that night. “Another first, okay?”
He could tell she was nervous and wanted to tell him no. Make up some funny reason why not. But she only laughed and allowed him to get lost in her eyes. “Deal.”
Tyler remembered nothing of the baseball tournament that week. His coach complained that he wasn’t focused. But by the time Sunday came, he knew this much: Sami Dawson had found her way into his heart. Whatever happened in the coming year, he didn’t want to be without her. Their last night together, they crept outside and climbed onto the roof of her grandparents’ house.
“This is crazy,” she whispered as he helped her onto the lowest part of the roof, overlooking the backyard.
“Isn’t that what this week is all about?” Tyler pulled herbeside him, safe and secure. “Look at the stars. Up here with you, there’s twice as many.”
“I don’t want you to go.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I won’t be back in the Valley till the end of August. Six more weeks.”
“We’ll text. And every night when the moon comes out I’ll call you and tell you to go outside and look at the stars.” He angled his body so he could see her face. “So you’ll remember this.” Then—as if he’d done this a thousand times—he took her face gently in his hands and he kissed her. The kiss was slow and magical, like something from a dream. He drew back and searched her eyes. “There.”
“There?” She was happy and startled and taken by him all at the same time. He could tell. “There what?”
“We took care of the nevers.” He kissed her again. “After this week we can’t say we never held hands or dated . . . or kissed.”
She tilted her head back and laughed like quiet wind chimes. Then she must’ve realized exactly what he said because she looked at him, her eyes wide. “Dated? Like for real?”
“Yes.” He kept his hand alongside her face. “Will you be my girlfriend, Sami?”
This time she initiated the kiss. “You know what?”
She hadn’t answered his question, but he played along. “What?”
“When I took you to Giants Stadium last Saturday I knew I was never going to forget this week.”
“How’d you know?” He ran his fingers through her short dark hair.
“Because”—she smiled—“you’re the only one who’s ever called me Sami.”
“So . . . does that mean you’ll be my girlfriend?”
“Yes, Tyler Ames. I’ll be your girlfriend.”
Like that, the greatest year of Tyler’s life began. It built in anticipation until Sami and her grandparents moved back to their house in the Valley and it gained ground every time they saw each other. Sami’s grandparents liked that he was a baseball player and they appreciated his manners, the way he respected them and their granddaughter. But they didn’t allow Sami nearly enough time to see him.
Still, she had her own car, and most weekend nights they found a way to be together. They went to Jackson High football games on Fridays and they studied together at his house on Saturdays. His parents liked her, but from the beginning his dad worried that she would distract him from baseball.
“You’ve made it this far,” his father told him one night after Sami left. “Everyone’s talking about you, Tyler. This is your year.” He raised his brow. “Don’t blow it. Please, son.”
After that Tyler stopped talking about her to his parents. They studied at Starbucks instead. Spring came and Sami brought him the very best luck. His only loss came in an away contest she couldn’t get to. “I need you, Sami. It’s that simple.”
Tyler made her laugh—something she hadn’t done much while growing up. In the process Sami grew more beautiful. They talked about UCLA and how they couldn’t wait for the next four years. But then midway through his most unbelievable senior season, the Reds
“Just for this week, let’s pretend you’re my girlfriend.” Tyler played with her hair as they sat in the dark that night. “Another first, okay?”
He could tell she was nervous and wanted to tell him no. Make up some funny reason why not. But she only laughed and allowed him to get lost in her eyes. “Deal.”
Tyler remembered nothing of the baseball tournament that week. His coach complained that he wasn’t focused. But by the time Sunday came, he knew this much: Sami Dawson had found her way into his heart. Whatever happened in the coming year, he didn’t want to be without her. Their last night together, they crept outside and climbed onto the roof of her grandparents’ house.
“This is crazy,” she whispered as he helped her onto the lowest part of the roof, overlooking the backyard.
“Isn’t that what this week is all about?” Tyler pulled herbeside him, safe and secure. “Look at the stars. Up here with you, there’s twice as many.”
“I don’t want you to go.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I won’t be back in the Valley till the end of August. Six more weeks.”
“We’ll text. And every night when the moon comes out I’ll call you and tell you to go outside and look at the stars.” He angled his body so he could see her face. “So you’ll remember this.” Then—as if he’d done this a thousand times—he took her face gently in his hands and he kissed her. The kiss was slow and magical, like something from a dream. He drew back and searched her eyes. “There.”
“There?” She was happy and startled and taken by him all at the same time. He could tell. “There what?”
“We took care of the nevers.” He kissed her again. “After this week we can’t say we never held hands or dated . . . or kissed.”
She tilted her head back and laughed like quiet wind chimes. Then she must’ve realized exactly what he said because she looked at him, her eyes wide. “Dated? Like for real?”
“Yes.” He kept his hand alongside her face. “Will you be my girlfriend, Sami?”
This time she initiated the kiss. “You know what?”
She hadn’t answered his question, but he played along. “What?”
“When I took you to Giants Stadium last Saturday I knew I was never going to forget this week.”
“How’d you know?” He ran his fingers through her short dark hair.
“Because”—she smiled—“you’re the only one who’s ever called me Sami.”
“So . . . does that mean you’ll be my girlfriend?”
“Yes, Tyler Ames. I’ll be your girlfriend.”
Like that, the greatest year of Tyler’s life began. It built in anticipation until Sami and her grandparents moved back to their house in the Valley and it gained ground every time they saw each other. Sami’s grandparents liked that he was a baseball player and they appreciated his manners, the way he respected them and their granddaughter. But they didn’t allow Sami nearly enough time to see him.
Still, she had her own car, and most weekend nights they found a way to be together. They went to Jackson High football games on Fridays and they studied together at his house on Saturdays. His parents liked her, but from the beginning his dad worried that she would distract him from baseball.
“You’ve made it this far,” his father told him one night after Sami left. “Everyone’s talking about you, Tyler. This is your year.” He raised his brow. “Don’t blow it. Please, son.”
After that Tyler stopped talking about her to his parents. They studied at Starbucks instead. Spring came and Sami brought him the very best luck. His only loss came in an away contest she couldn’t get to. “I need you, Sami. It’s that simple.”
Tyler made her laugh—something she hadn’t done much while growing up. In the process Sami grew more beautiful. They talked about UCLA and how they couldn’t wait for the next four years. But then midway through his most unbelievable senior season, the Reds
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