Rounding Third - Michelle Lynn Page 0,4
my presence at a party. Not that the reigning division champs’ baseball team doesn’t usually host a great party, but Pi had theirs. I guess Liam made my choice by leaving me stranded with his handsy frat brothers.
“I’m not in the mood for the baseball players,” I tell her, hoping she’ll turn us right toward our apartment. “I’ll let you pick the movie, and ice cream is on me.”
I smile wide, but she shakes her head.
“Nope.” She links her arm through mine and swings us left, toward The Ballpark, as the boys refer to their house.
“Come on,” I whine, dragging my feet.
“Ella Keaton, that lame-ass boyfriend of yours needs to be jealous. The baseball boys and their Instagram accounts will accomplish just that.”
I groan at her childish tactics while thinking the idea sounds plausible. Jealousy might make Liam show some sort of affection, other than an occasional quick screw between organic chemistry and genetics.
I swear, The Ballpark resembles the movie Animal House. Frat houses can’t come close to comparing to their parties. The city police turn their heads because God forbid a player is suspended. Might as well let them poison themselves with alcohol or fuck until their dicks fall off. The latter could possibly happen to Brax. The man has no respect for the female population. I can’t hold it against him though. Each one of us has dealt with our past in different ways. His way was to forget, mine was therapy, and Crosby…well, Crosby’s solution was to disappear.
Loud music pumps out of the open windows, and groups hang around the deck, sipping from their Solo cups.
Jen practically drags me up the stairs as I stop on every step as we inch closer. Jen doesn’t willingly leave parties, and I can’t leave her, so I suspect I’m in for a long night on the raggedy couch until she finishes with her guy of the night.
Jen’s hand is on the doorknob when one of Brax’s friends screams through the window, “Brax, Ella’s here!”
He turns to me, shoving the long strands of hair away from his eyes, and winks.
Confused, I look over to Jen because I had no idea the kid knew me. I’m barely here, and God knows I haven’t attended a baseball game since my senior year in high school. Unfortunately, that will change this year due to my new internship with the sports physicians.
The door swings open, and a panting shirtless Brax blocks our way.
“Ew, spare us,” Jen remarks on his clearly just-fucked appearance. “Zip it up, dude.” She points to his open fly.
Brax is hot. His sandy-blond hair, shaved close to his head, only brings out his icy-blue eyes. After a summer of working landscaping, his skin is tan, and now, it’s glistening.
“Like you don’t want what she had.” He concentrates on Jen, flinging his head in the direction of the staircase to the disheveled blonde chomping at the bit for more.
“Tell her to button her shirt,” I whisper, sliding by him through the doorway.
He sidesteps and blocks me. “Whoa, El.” He holds his hands up in the air.
“What is this?” Jen automatically grows defensive. No isn’t a word in her dictionary.
He eyes her and then looks back at me. There’s something working in those blue hues, but I don’t know what.
“You don’t want to hang around a bunch of horny baseball players tonight,” he says.
I draw back in surprise. “If you didn’t want us to come, why’d you call me so many times and then list the reasons I should come tonight?” I hold my hand up to count off the reasons he’s told me. “You tell me my boyfriend’s a douche, that I never get out, that I need a good fuck by one of your friends.”
He laughs. “Well, true, true, and damn true because no one fucks like my boys.”
“How do you know?” Jen interrupts again.
I snicker.
“From the girls who come in droves. You should try us sometime. Your long list would pale in comparison.”
“Hehe. Funny, asshole. Now, I need a beer to continue my buzz, so let us in.”
This is one time I agree with Jen.
“What’s the holdup?” I ask.
He turns to search the party and then swings his head back my way. “Isn’t Pi Kappa having a party?”
My patience is at max level when I cross my arms over my breasts. “Brax, what gives? Why are you shunning us? My guess is”—I glance to the blonde on the steps, who is in no hurry to button up her shirt—“you were in