Anything but Minor - Kate Stewart Page 0,44

out to the mound to congratulate me. Furious with the fresh information of his betrayal, I broke his nose in front of my class, high school coaches, and several reporters. After months of scout visits to my house, and hours of arguing, we were in a deadlock about my future, and he’d taken it upon himself to make sure I went in the direction he wanted. I washed my hands of him on that mound. The next morning, I held a press conference stating the facts and knew by coming clean I purposefully finished the relationship with my father as I denounced him publicly.

It was the worst day of my life.

Endless practices, games, and a bright future of ball and my father had thrown everything into a pile and lit it on fire.

He was my mentor, my driving force, and it was only after I went to play ball in junior college that I realized how truly devoted I was to the game itself. My love for ball had little to do with my father, and when I finally got my head straight, I realized I’d always played for me.

After the press conference ending our relationship, I left the house and never spoke to him again. He divorced my mother shortly after for siding with me but later told me in a text she’d agreed to take the bribe with him. I almost disowned her as well when everything was falling apart, and she told me “Everything would have been fine had you gone along with it.”

I had to let it go. She was hurt, and he was the cause of all of it. Our family had been torn apart by a rash and greedy decision. I still loved my mother, but I would never look at her the same.

Once in Savannah, I checked into another stale motel and scrubbed my hands down my face as I lay in bed, my thoughts on years of endless ball games. I’d ignored every possible offer after senior night and just resigned myself to being under the radar. My situation wasn’t uncommon, but I never thought it would happen to me. I turned down six-figure offers to simply pitch college ball and get my head together. Now, all I wanted to do was advance to the majors, something that could have happened long before now if he hadn’t pulled that stunt and I hadn’t let it screw with my head.

Even if I forgave him, I wouldn’t know how to act around him. That shady shit had completely shifted the way I thought of him. There is no doubt in my mind if I would have signed and played well, I would’ve taken care of both my parents as much as I could financially.

I’ll never understand why they couldn’t have just waited.

I’ll never understand why neither of them loved me enough to keep from stripping me of the future I’d worked so hard for.

My thoughts drifted to Alice as my motel door opened.

“What the fuck?”

“Fucking perfect,” Rodriguez said as he threw his gear on the floor.

“You aren’t staying.”

“If we don’t, Jon will know it. Suck it up, Hembrey.”

I wouldn’t put it past Jon to pair Rodriquez and me. Sometimes, he really was a bastard.

“Fuck you,” I said as I shifted to sit on the bed.

“You know,” he said with his hands fisted on his sides, “you’re the one who fucked my girl. Shouldn’t I be the one to pitch a bitch about sharing a room?”

“Well, you’re right about one thing,” I said as I stood and grabbed my packed bag. “You pitch like a bitch.” I pulled the door open.

“Think about it, Hembrey. If he finds out and we split rooms, you won’t play.”

I was only pitching every fifth game as it was, and I needed to keep my stats up. “I can afford to miss a game,” I spit out sarcastically.

“A Ranger scout will be at this one,” he pointed out.

“Fuck.” I paused, still at the door, and looked over my shoulder. “Why are you helping me?”

“I’m next,” he muttered under his breath. Rodriguez would be moved up to starting pitcher for the Swampgators if I made it to the big show. Though I gave him shit, he was a decent pitcher. One of the best in the minors, actually.

I shut the door and resumed my spot on the bed. After an hour of watching the Rangers play, I looked over to Rodriguez. He wasn’t much taller than me, and his feet hung