Rounding Third - Michelle Lynn Page 0,39
the remote. “I’m sure we can compromise.”
She cuddles up into my body, leaning her head on my shoulder.
“Where is your roommate tonight?” I ask since I figure the two of them are always together.
“She’s on a date.”
“She’s not with Saucey. I just left him.”
“She told me they have some mutual understanding.”
“Yeah, Saucey gave me the same line at the bar tonight when he was lecturing me on how much pussy I could get from diamond girls.”
She inhales a hefty breath and looks up to me. “Please, Crosby.”
“Hey, hey. You have no worries there. Ever.” I kiss the top of her head to hopefully convince her that I won’t cheat on her, but my actions will prove it to her.
Chapter Ten
Ella
Jen lays her elbows on the bench behind us, basking in the sun shining down on the hot metal. Her sunglasses are in place with her chin pointing toward the blue sky, making her resemble a fashion model. All she needs is to be lying on a beach with a bikini. She’s gorgeous, and she knows it.
“So, what’s up with you and Tyler?” I pretend to be casual, as though Snapchat posts on my phone are more important than her answer.
She huffs and crosses her legs. Then, she uncrosses them and crosses again. “He’s fun.” Her head never swivels my way.
“And?”
The seats are starting to fill in, but Jen doesn’t move. This might only be a scrimmage, but Ridgemont loves to cheer on their only current team with victories.
“And nothing.” She tips her sunglasses down to her nose, shooting me a you-know-what-I’m-talking-about look. Then, the dark lenses cover her hungover eyes once again.
“Come on, Jen. You guys find each other at every party. There was the whole altercation at the baseball house. I’m supposed to be your friend.”
She sits upright, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head. Her eyes bore into mine for an uncomfortable second. I shift in my seat, taking out my ponytail and then positioning it back.
“And I’m supposed to be yours,” she says, tilting her head, as though she’s waiting for me to say something, anything.
“You are.”
“Then, how come I had no idea about that mouthwatering guy on third?”
My eyes instinctively move to the field where Crosby is grounding balls from the coach hammering them out. His fundamentals have improved, which only shows how much he must have continued to train these last two years. The funny thing is, he’s always portrayed this athleticism that he must have been born with. So, for him to improve says more about his determination to have a future with baseball.
Brax rises from his squatting position and throws the ball to Crosby, hard. Crosby throws it to Saucey, who throws it to second base, who gets it to Oliver, and then it goes back to Brax. They’re working like a team, and I wish the joy that I feel because Crosby has found his place again didn’t take residence in my heart. These boys are thoughtful and caring. He’ll never escape Ridgemont without forming a few friendships.
“So?” Jen’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
I look over at her and then back on the field.
“We were eighteen and agreed to separate.” I can’t hide the crack in my voice.
“Why? Wanted independence? Not be committed when you went to college?”
I wish. More like we were brokenhearted from being together.
I look over at her once more. For a moment, I see Kedsey. Maybe I’ve never given Jen a fair chance to be close to me. I shame Crosby for not letting people in, but I’ve kept Jen at arm’s length. Being her savior helped me seem perfect in her eyes—until Crosby arrived.
“We were in a car accident. Our friends”—I stop, inhaling a deep breath—“died.”
A low, “Oh,” echoes through the still of the air.
And I’m transported to the hospital room when Crosby told me.
The boys had won the state championship. Between Braxton, Crosby, and Noah, our team was unstoppable. My best friend, Kedsey, and I waited for the bus to return to school. After the boys got off, Crosby and Noah barreled over to us. Crosby and I had been a couple for two years, almost as long as Noah and Kedsey. Braxton went off with a few of the other teammates, and Crosby asked me for the keys.
The boys were on cloud nine, and their happiness was contagious to Kedsey and me. We climbed into my Honda Civic, and Noah and Kedsey’s lips immediately locked.
“Can you please wait until we get up