Rounding Third - Michelle Lynn Page 0,30
her tiptoes, getting right in my face.
I look around, finding Saucey and Jen have moved their sexual exploration over to a chair in the corner. Brax and Oliver are nowhere to be found, and neither is Liam.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” I ask. As soon as I say the words, I wish I hadn’t reminded her that she has one.
She falls back to her heels. “Why do you care about him? You should be wooing me.” She steps closer, her finger trailing down the center of my chest.
I glance back to the stock traders next to us, and two of them have their eyes on us. Not willing to ride the bench for them, I grab her finger and bring her hand back down to her side.
“Let’s find him.” I link my hand with hers and pull her out of the room.
It took us one flight of stairs and one closed door.
“Liam?” Ella’s voice is soft. She’s unsure if she’s seeing her boyfriend with a blonde straddling him while his hands are on her tits.
Dickwad pushes the girl off his lap, and she falls to the ground. His eyes widen and case the room, as if he might be on Punk’d or some shit.
Nope, buddy. Not getting out of this one.
“Liam!”
I rub my ear from Ella’s screaming voice right next to me.
“El!” He scrambles to get up from his bed, and he zips up his pants.
The blonde buttons up her blouse as she scurries out of the room, her eyes not meeting anyone’s.
“Is this what you do when you say you’re studying?” El steps forward, breaking the distance between them.
I slowly back up to act like a fly on the wall while their relationship unfolds.
“Get out.” Liam nods his head my way.
I cross my arms, relaxing against the wall. “Nah, I’d rather stay.”
Ella’s head whips around, but she doesn’t ask me to leave, and until she does, I won’t.
“He stays.”
“You want your damn high school boyfriend here? Fine. Let’s start with that subject first then.” Liam stands, crossing his arms over his puny chest.
“Oh no, we’ll talk about you being a fucking cheater.”
“Can you blame me?”
I cock my head, wondering where he’s going with this one.
“Yes, I can.” Ella’s foot is tapping, and her nostrils are flaring.
I wait for her temper to hit the breaking point.
“You rarely show any affection toward me. Look at tonight. You kept pulling away from me.”
He’s calming, and I debate on giving them space, but with Ella’s request, I won’t.
“How many have there been?” Her voice is cool.
“That’s the first,” Liam lies.
But she shoots him a look that seems to affect him enough to clarify.
“Only this summer.”
“How many?”
“El.”
“How many?” Her voice shifts to urgent.
If I were Liam, I’d answer.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs while her eyes continue to laser into his. “Maybe five.”
“Five? In one summer?”
Her head falls, and she stares at the carpeted floor for a moment, as though she’s trying to compose herself.
I step forward since Dickwad is still standing five feet away, not moving.
I place my hand on her back and feel it shaking as she’s crying. “Are you okay, El?” I ask.
She looks up at me, tears streaming down her face, those broken crystal-blue hues gaze back at me.
Unable to stare into her eyes much longer, I give my full attention to Liam.
He’s narrowing his eyes my way. “You got your wish. I’m out of the picture.”
My vision shifts back to Ella, and confusion is now mixed with her sadness.
“You fucking prick, you hurt her.” I gently nudge Ella to the side, and my fist slams into his jaw, throwing him back in surprise.
“Crosby!” Ella’s voice rings behind me.
When I turn to her, Liam cocks his fist into my temple. The sadness deepens in her eyes, and my anger unleashes further.
“You’re a piece of shit.” One-two jab in the rib cage.
“Brax!” Ella screams.
My teammates’ heavy footsteps run up the stairs.
Next thing I know, Brax and Oliver are tearing me off Liam while I kick and scream.
“Let me go!” I demand, watching Ella stand in limbo between Liam and me.
“Promise you’re done. If Coach finds out—” Oliver says.
I shrug the two of them off, and their grips loosen. “I’m good.”
Damn the stinging in my knuckles feels good especially mixed with the blood dripping down his lip.
I look over to Liam and our eyes lock, waiting for him to antagonize me. One word will have me jeopardizing my spot on the team.
“Five girls?”
“Shit.” Brax stands by my side.
Soon, Jen and Saucey hit the top of