Page 58 of Bad Ball Hitter

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Lila

“What right did she have to kick me out?” I plop my duffel bag on the gray plank flooring by Drake’s front door. My anger pauses as I take in the large, modernly furnished apartment. The dark floor compliments the white wall coloring. The high ceilings make the open floor plan seem more prominent, and the large windows give a rather impressive view of downtown Boston. Remembering why I’m here in the first place, I huff. “I’ve paid for the entire month. What she did is just wrong.”

“Do you really want to be there with her?” Drake asks, wheeling in my suitcases behind him.

“Well, no, but it’s the principle of it.”

He abandons the luggage by his couch as his feet chew the distance between us. He wraps his arms around my waist and dips his head to meet my gaze. “I know it isn’t right. But if you think about it, she did you a favor.”

I push my lower lip out and grunt, not wanting to admit defeat. I’m so angry right now, but a part of me can empathize with Miranda. I have been on the receiving end of being dumped by Drake Gunner. It sucks.

“And maybe her kicking you out was more for her benefit than yours,” he adds.

“Hmm.” I let his words marinate as my anger lessened to a simmer. Maybe she was simply trying to protect herself rather than being malicious. Living in a place that constantly reminded me of my ex was difficult, and it had been years since our break-up. Miranda may not have loved him like I had, but she had big hopes for their relationship. “When did you become a martyr?”

His lips twitch. “I’ve had an excellent teacher.”

My gaze strays to the iron-framed clock on the kitchen wall, and I cringe. “I’ll be fine. If you hurry, there’s still time to make your game.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I prioritized baseball over you once before. I won’t make that mistake again.”

The hitch in my breath. The clenching of my thighs. They’re all the result of the seriousness in his gaze. I’m about to combust from his commitment.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

“Holy cow. What a day. I went from receiving the best news of my life to being homeless.” I bury my head against his chest, body deflating.

“You’re not homeless.” He rests his chin on my head and pulls me tighter against him. His cologne fills my senses, and I want to get lost in him. This sense of security takes me back to the day he saved me from that savaged dog. But reality soon takes hold. He had shattered that trust, and while everything might’ve been a misunderstanding, and I get where he was coming from, I need to set ground rules.

Shouldn’t I?

Letting him see how badly I want to be here would be wrong. How badly I want to fall back on old habits.

How badly I want him.

“This is only temporary,” I remind him.

“This is as long as you need it.” Drake leans back slightly, his warm, inviting eyes holding mine. “I want you here.”

His words hang in the air as the truth sinks in. I am living with Drake Gunner, not casually seeing him, not dating, but living with my ex-boyfriend. How the hell did this even happen?

“This is too soon. Too fast.” My chest tightens from the gravity of this decision. The implications it serves. “What am I going to tell Jake?”

Drake’s face blanches as if it had just occurred to him that I came as a package. It would have been easier if it had just been me, but Jake and I were a duo. An entire little human needs accounting for, and moving to a new place will certainly affect him.

Drake swallows and offers some reassurance. “No matter what you decide to say, that kid is resilient. He’ll adapt.”

I smile at that because it’s true. Despite losing his mother at such a young age, Jake has persevered. He’s an amazing child. But a more selfish thought occurs and has me equally frightened.

“What if this messes up my loan?” My hand goes to my stomach as if that action alone could stop the sudden nausea.

“You’re joking, right? Jethro would never deny you that loan.” His mouth curves into that cocky grin of his. “He loves me.”

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