The Ninth Inning (The Boys of Baseball #1) - J. Sterling Page 0,27

to be in here.” Logan took a step away from the table, and I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“So what? Don’t get him kicked out. That will cause problems for you on the field. Who cares if he’s in here?”

Logan faced me, his hard features softening. “You’re right; you’re right.”

“I’m back!” Lauren announced. She looked between the two of us, picking up on the fact that something had happened in the minutes she was gone. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothing much. Just some teammate drama.” I tried to lighten the mood, but it had already soured somehow. There was a dynamic going on that I knew nothing about and wasn’t my business.

Thankfully, the band started up again and I excused myself from the table as I went live on social media and started videoing their performance. The number of viewers steadily increased and I caught a few of the excited comments scrolling across my screen as I moved around the stage, filming the guys and their instruments.

After the song ended and they started into another, I ended the live stream, but continued to take short video clips and tons of pictures. I wanted to make sure I had enough material to last a month, if necessary.

Once I was done, I walked back toward the table, surprised to find Logan still there with Lauren. “They’re so good.” I shouted through my excitement.

“I know!” Lauren yelled back.

I reached for her arm and tugged her closer. “I’m ready to go. I have a lot of work to do for the band, and I really want to get started. I’m too excited to wait. You coming or staying?”

I knew Lauren wasn’t quite ready, and I honestly felt bad for asking her to go, but all I wanted to do was leave this place and get to work with the footage I’d taken.

“I can leave. He’ll call me later,” she said, motioning toward Jason on the stage as he rocked out, his eyes on us.

We both gave him a good-bye wave, and he smiled, letting us know he saw us without ever missing a beat.

“Can I walk you out?” Logan asked and I nodded.

Heading outside, the three of us walked through the small parking lot as I pulled the key from the front pocket of my jeans and pressed the button. The headlights turned on at the same time the doors unlocked with a loud beep that echoed.

“Is it too forward if I ask for your number?” Logan said as he stopped in front of the driver’s door with me.

“What are your intentions?” Lauren asked from the other side of the car.

“Uh”—he let out an uncomfortable laugh—“I plan on asking her out on a date.”

I shifted my weight and kicked at nothing.

“Eventually,” he added carefully.

“A … a date?” I squeaked out.

“Don’t sound so excited.”

“No, it’s not that.” I laughed awkwardly, knowing how bad that must have come off.

“I’ll let you two talk this out,” Lauren said before slipping into the car and shutting us out.

A date. And not just with a guy from class, but with someone who was also on Cole’s team. Wasn’t this against bro code or something?

I wondered how it would make me look—to date more than one person on the same sports team at the same school. Would people call me names or label me a baseball groupie? Cole had told me all about those kinds of girls before, and I had never once considered myself one of them. But was I? Would I become one if I said yes to a date with Logan?

“If you’re worried about Cole, I already asked him,” he said.

My heart stopped beating and fell to the ground at my feet. A second ago, I had been more worried about my reputation, but now, all I was thinking about was Cole’s reaction and just when the hell Logan had had the time and forethought to ask him.

“You did?” I questioned. “You asked him about me? When?”

“After the party. It was during practice one day. I asked him if he would care if I got to know you better.” Logan sounded sincere and nonchalant as my entire world was once again tilting around like an amusement park ride.

“What did he say?”

“He gave me his blessing. Told me to go for it. Said he didn’t care what either one of us did, to be honest.”

I had been right earlier in my assessment; Logan and Cole hated each other.

Whatever emotion I had been feeling instantly turned to