Page 32 of Keep Me

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable, I swear,” I tell her.

“I believe you,” she nearly whispers. “How are we going to do this?”

“Easy, when Coach dozes off around ten, we sneak you across the hall to my room. That’s what Noah does every away game and he’s never been caught.”

“Okay…well, I need to get the PR stuff ready before the game, so see you later.” She smiles demurely, and I hate it because it’s not the big smile she usually wears.

It’s not the one that provides me with my personal boost of joy every time I see it.

After we finish practice, everyone from the team returns to their rooms to relax before the game tonight. Coach is big on balance and always makes sure we equally train hard and rest hard.

Noah and I are in our room, playing MarioKart on the Switch while we wait for the game.

“What are you and Em doing after the game?” I ask him.

“I’m taking her to dinner at this taco place that apparently has margaritas the size of your head. Then we’ll go back to the room. It’ll be late, so there’s not much I can do, but tomorrow we’re going to this pottery place she’s been dying to go to since she’s seen it online. She has no idea we’re going,” he explains excitedly.

“Sounds nice,” is all I come back with because I can’t imagine myself ever doing things like that for someone.

“What are you doing after the game?” he asks me just as his character falls off the track.

“Nothing, you know I don’t go out.” I press hard on the button that makes my character go faster, trying to pass the car in front of me. “But Camille is coming here for the night, so don’t come back here.”

Noah pauses the game as he turns to face me. “Really? How’d that happen?”

I groan, running a hand through my hair. I knew I had to tell him, but I also knew he’d ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

“Mackenzie is going to invite Cuddy to her room, and Camille has nowhere else to go. It only made sense,” I tell him, which is the truth. I omit the part about her not liking to share her space because that’s her business.

“Those two are risky fuckers,” Noah remarks. “If they get caught, it’ll be the end of her career as an athletic trainer before it even starts.”

He’s right, it’s risky as fuck, and a reminder that the same rules apply for Camille and me. If we were to get caught, it could look really bad on her and that’s the absolute last thing I want.

“But,” he adds, “when you know, you know. It’s impossible to resist when it’s the right person, even if the timing might seem wrong.”

“I don’t know about that. I’d never risk my career for something as silly as attraction.”

Noah chuckles. “Ryker, there’s more to life than baseball. You know that, right?”

“I’m sure there is, for other people, but not me. People leave, but baseball never will. It’s the one thing I have control over.” I instantly hate that I just opened up to him, but I couldn’t help it. I’ve been feeling so many things lately that I find myself wanting to open up to him.

He pauses, then says, “What if you get injured and have to retire? You can’t control that, and then what?”

“I’ll be a tattoo artist and coach for a living.” I shrug.

“And you’ll be lonely as fuck. I’m just saying, man.”

I ignore him as I resume the game. Noah doesn’t fight me on it. He continues playing, knowing I need time to think shit over in my head before I talk about it.

And I do. I think about how much I hate fighting this pull toward Camille. I want to kiss her and see if her lips taste as sweet as she is. I also equally want to part her legs and test my theory there too.

Being around Camille feels like being up to bat with two strikes and three balls. Do I take a chance and swing at the next pitch? Or do I play it safe and not take the chance?

I need to figure it the fuck out before it’s too late to choose.

Chapter Fourteen

Camille

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