The Ninth Inning (The Boys of Baseball #1) - J. Sterling Page 0,35

think? How close are we? Pretty accurate, right?”

“Are you seriously asking her what she thinks about your half-cocked, stupid-ass theories? It’s actually embarrassing that you have nothing better to do with your time than focus on two people you don’t even know,” Lauren ranted, her tone bitchy. “You really should focus more on those shitty extensions you put in your head. They’ll probably get you kidnapped.”

“What?” She reached for a fistful of hair and ran her fingers through it. “They aren’t shitty. It’s real hair. I paid good money for these.”

Hair-Flipper looked at her friends, and they all reassured her that her luscious locks were “beautiful” and “looked real” and we were “just mean girls who are jealous.”

Right.

We are the jealous and mean ones.

“I have to go to the restroom,” I said before pushing to a stand, thankful that I was sitting at the end of the row and didn’t have to create a scene to get out.

“Don’t leave me here with the bad-hair triplets,” Lauren said loud enough for the girls behind us to hear, and I couldn’t help but laugh. They deserved it.

Hustling up the cement steps with Lauren on my heels, I made my way out of the crowded seats and into the open walkway.

“I can’t stay here,” I said as soon as we got to the top.

“I know,” Lauren said before she wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Baseball’s so boring anyway.”

“It is not,” I argued as we headed away from the field and toward the parking lot.

I loved watching Cole play. Even though we were never officially together and even when I was mad at him, I still wanted him to succeed. There wasn’t ever a part of me that rooted for him to fail. Not even when he deserved it. And there were plenty of times when he had deserved it.

Letting out a long breath, I clicked the key fob on my car and opened the driver’s door. My mind was replaying the two theories, her words repeating on a loop.

“So”—Lauren buckled herself in—“what are we going to do about this Cole situation?”

“Do you think the helmet was for me? Be honest,” I insisted as my car revved to life. I didn’t care what her answer was. I just wanted to hear her opinion.

“I do.”

I nodded because my gut told me it was for me too. “Do you think what those girls said was true?”

“Hell no!” she argued. “Cole isn’t thinking about marriage. That was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard. He likes you. He’s always liked you. He’s just too stupid to do anything about it. And once he realizes it, it’s going to be too late.”

I didn’t say anything in response. I drove back to our apartment before realizing that I’d left the game because of Cole, but I’d gone to it because of Logan. “Think Logan will be upset that I left?”

“I’m sure you can make it up to him if he is.” She waggled her eyebrows.

A small laugh escaped. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“Promise me you’ll at least give Logan a chance.”

“I promise,” I said, and I meant it.

“One hat wave from Cole doesn’t change the past three years,” she added, and my stomach instantly dropped.

“I know,” I reluctantly agreed because she was right.

The gesture changed nothing. And I refused to be the last one to realize it.

She’s with Him

Cole

Christina had left sometime during the game. I thought she might have gone to the restroom, but she never came back. I checked her seat without getting caught by Coach whenever I ran on and off the field. I wanted to tell her to wait for me when the game ended, so I could talk to her right away. Once I realized that I wanted her, I didn’t want to wait a minute longer than necessary to tell her. But her leaving had put a pin in my plans.

“Looks like you’re back, kid,” Coach Carter said as he clapped my shoulder.

I grinned, feeling on top of the world. “I am.”

“You looked great at the plate today.”

I’d had five at bats during the game and got hits in four of them.

“Thanks. I felt great.”

“Keep it up.”

“I will,” I said with confidence because I would. Everything had finally clicked into place.

Logan, on the other hand, looked like someone had kicked his dog. He was most likely pissed off that my hitting was back on track. There was no fucking way he was taking my position now, and he knew it. Baseball was over for