The Ninth Inning (The Boys of Baseball #1) - J. Sterling Page 0,71

tip of his tongue when his eyes caught something behind me and locked on. I watched as they narrowed into slits before he looked down at me one last time and walked away without saying a thing.

“Christina?” Cole’s voice echoed through the concrete hallway, and I turned around to see him jogging toward me. “Was that Logan?” he asked, his temper already flaring as I nodded. “What’d he want? What did he say to you? Are you okay?” His hand cupped my cheek as he searched my eyes for answers.

I tried to navigate the situation in my head before I answered, not wanting to lie to Cole, but also not wanting to tell him anything that could make him want to confront Logan and get in trouble.

“Christina, just tell me everything. Don’t keep things from me to protect me,” he demanded as if reading my mind.

“He said you stole me from him. And he wants another chance.” I tried to sound like it wasn’t weird at all, but we both knew that it was.

“What else did he say?” Cole didn’t seem all that shocked.

“Um, that you broke code by dating me after him,” I said, emphasizing the words broke and code.

Cole shook his head. “He’s the one who broke code by going after you in the first place, and he knows it.”

“What do you think he wants?” I asked.

While Cole didn’t seem surprised by what Logan had said to me, he did seem a little concerned.

“To mess with me. That’s always been his goal. To get me so rattled that I choke again at the plate. He knows you’re the only way to do it.”

“But why now?”

Cole’s face looked like a lightbulb had gone off as he inhaled a quick breath. “Because he’s running out of time,” he said, and I knew exactly what he meant.

Their season was winding down, and it was Logan’s last one too. Cole wasn’t the only player trying to ensure he got drafted when it was all said and done. And even though it was obvious that Logan didn’t have what it took to make it to the big leagues—otherwise, he would be starting over Cole instead of sitting on the bench—Logan clearly didn’t agree. The only way to prove that to everyone was to get Cole out of the way so that he could take his place on the field. And he wanted to use me to do it. Too bad I’d never let it happen. I would never be used as ammunition against Cole.

We drove back to my place in silence with the radio playing low in the background and our windows down a crack. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable even though I had a handful of questions running through my mind that I wanted to ask. The way Cole gripped the steering wheel of his truck, his knuckles turning almost white, told me that he was working things out on his own, so I didn’t push him.

He exhaled, reached for my hand, and gave me a squeeze. “Sorry. I was in my head there for a minute.”

“I noticed.” I smiled. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just really don’t like Logan confronting you like that.”

I knew what he meant. I hadn’t particularly liked it either.

“It was weird,” I admitted.

“Was that the first time he’s talked to you since we’ve been together?”

Nodding, I said, “Yeah. I don’t even think I’ve seen him since that night at the party.”

“You’ll let me know if he reaches out, won’t you?”

“Of course,” I said, hoping to comfort him. “But he probably won’t.”

Cole smiled, and it was downright devilish. “That’s too bad. I’d love a reason to kick his ass.”

I laughed. “Then, you’d get kicked off the team.”

“Worth it.”

“It’s not,” I argued because I’d never forgive myself if Cole got kicked off the team for fighting because of me. “He’s not,” I emphasized.

Once we stopped completely at a red light, he turned to face me. “Then, he’d better not touch my girl. Or come anywhere near her. I’m done being patient with him, Christina. You’re where I draw the line.”

“And he knows that. We can’t let him win.” I ran my fingers down the stubble on his cheek, and he grabbed my hand and starting planting kisses all over it.

“The bad guys don’t win in our story. I’ll make sure of it,” he said, and I believed him.

With every fiber of my being, I believed that Cole would make sure nothing and no one ever came between us. I smiled so