Page 9 of The Best Friend and the Shortstop

“Oh, come on. I didn’t mean to bring you down too. You seemed kind of hyped about whatever it is. What’s up? You said you wanted to talk about something you’ve been feeling . . .”

My stomach drops just as Alex’s eyes glance beyond my shoulder. His mouth pulls into a slight smirk, which throws me, but also gives me this weird sense of hope. He’s smiling. I follow his gaze to the end of the row, where Brayden is leaning forward and looking back at us.

“Are you— Is Brayden— You want to get back with Brayden?” Alex leans back, his massive grin slapping me in the face when I jet around to face him with wide eyes.

No, no, no, no!

My mouth opens, but it’s too late. Alex is already talking.

“You know he’s been talking to that girl, Melissa. The one interning with the training staff,” he says, the smirk still very present on his face. I hate that smirk. It’s so off base. And yet, how do I tell him he’s heading down the wrong path without putting him on the right one? The right one, which, of course, leads right to him—the man who just pledged himself to baseball and said relationships are for losers.

“I thought you didn’t like him,” he questions, brow drawn in as a surprised laugh floats past his lips.

“I don’t!” And I mean it, but my words end up sounding like the rebuttal of a third grader pouting about getting out in dodgeball.

“Nik,” Alex says, dropping his chin and lowering his eyes on me. His puckered smirk makes me want to cry. “Come on. It’s me.”

And that’s the thing. Yeah, it’s him. It’s always him. And I was supposed to tell him that. I still could. Right now. I will. I’m going to do it.

“You know, Brayden has always been kind of jealous about you and me,” he says, drawing an invisible line between our arms.

Now is the time. Do it, Nikki! Say what you feel!

“He . . . umm, he has?” I swallow hard, my mouth so dry I half expect to pull a cactus needle out from between my teeth. Why am I so broken?

“Oooooh, yeah. I mean, I think he just envied how close we are. Which, I get that. You and I are pretty unique.”

“We are?” Of course we are!

“I think so.” Alex shrugs. He reaches forward and takes my hand in his, weaving our fingers together, and my arm numbs from the zaps that travel up my veins.

“Just because my life’s a mess doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be happy. If you still have a thing for our ace, I’m down to help get his attention back where it belongs.” Alex taps the tip of my nose with index his finger, and I go cross-eyed watching it.

“Alex, I’m not sure?—”

“Shh, hold on.”

I hold my tongue, feeling everything and nothing at the same time. His hand is so warm, and I’m sure my palm is sweating. My pulse is beating in my fingertips. I know that much for sure.

“Yeah, he sees us,” he says, turning his attention back to the game but keeping his hold on me. “Trust me, Nikki. You might not be sure, but I am.” And before I can protest and put an end to this entire misunderstanding, Alex brings our tethered hands to his mouth and presses his lips to my knuckles. The whole thing lasts a second, but my eyes take it in through slow motion lenses.

“Yeah, Brayden might punch me eventually. But it will be worth it if he comes groveling back. Make him beg, though, okay? Promise me that. Make him beg for you. I think this little project is exactly what I need—a low-level distraction. I’ll play fake boyfriend.” Alex’s eyes never fully reach mine, but his smirk shows what joy he’s getting out of making his teammate jealous. Playing matchmaker. For me. With someone else.

Maybe pretend is close enough to real for me, too.

2

alex mendoza

I’m an asshole.

Not only did I keep a huge secret from my best friend, but then I buried it with another one just to make myself feel better. Nikki has no idea about the beef between Brayden and me. Why would she? I barely broke the news to her about my parents; I wasn’t going to pile on about how Brayden found out my dad had an affair with a former student. Just my luck that jerk is cousins with my dad’s new girlfriend, Vanessa Arendale.

He’s been bringing it up a little too loudly in the locker room, and last week he mentioned to some of the guys that his hot cousin works at my old school. Of course, then everyone had to stalk her social media and go on and on about how hot she is. Thank God she’s savvy enough to not post photos of her with my dad being all . . . together and shit. Brayden’s fucking face mocked me the whole time, too. I swear, the reason he’s messing with me so much is because he blames me for him and Nikki breaking up—three years ago!

To be honest, she never seemed upset when they ended things. I’m surprised she’s still into him, or whatever it is she has for him. Who am I to judge her hookups if that’s what she wants. And so what if it’s Brayden.

I leapt at the notion of rubbing things in his face for a little while, which wasn’t doing right by Nikki. I didn’t tell her this, but she could probably simply tell him she wants to start talking again and he’d be all over it. I see how he still looks at her. But selfishly? I’d rather see him work for it. I’m not sure he’s good enough, but I’ll put him to the test, maybe make him see what he lost when he broke up with her last time. And then when he's gotten the point, I’ll let them work things out. If that’s what Nikki really wants.

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