Page 27 of Lost in the Current of You

“Coming right up.”

He jogged upstairs while I turned my attention to the field where some of the players had come out to warm up. I spotted Reece immediately, throwing up balls before launching them into the field of waiting hands with his bat in a timed precision. He was still only in his undershirt, but he had added a red arm sleeve to his right arm that hugged right to his wrist, keeping his pitching arm warm. His cap still sat backward as well as he always did until game time.

It was like my eyes magnetised to him. It was like my body called for him. Wherever he was near, I couldn’t stop myself from seeking him out.

My eyes followed him throughout the warm-up as Sage came out of the dugout in half of his catching gear, and Reece followed him, away from everyone, to warm up his pitches. Even when Nate had plopped down next to me, arms full of food and drinks, my gaze did not waver from him.

“For you,” Nate said, passing me my hamburger and coke as I took them like I was in some sort of trance. He unwrapped his own food, unbothered in the slightest that my attention was focused elsewhere as he brought his own attention to the field.

“You reckon they’re gonna win?” I asked.

Nate scoffed. “I would hope so. They better win. Otherwise, I'm gonna be mad. This is the first game of the season that I’m here for. It’s a special day.”

He munched on his hamburger as I chuckled.

He nudged me then, leaning over to speak lowly to me. “Hey, wanna make some bets?”

But I knew how sneaky Nate was, how he would hustle me out of money like he had times before. So, I replied, “No, I’m good with keeping my money. You know how terrible I am with my knowledge of baseball.”

Nate cackled. “Fair enough.”

The game started shortly after, and I watched Reece in his element, throwing perfect pitch after perfect pitch. I watched him get his third home run in the season and internally celebrated, afraid if I got too excited, it would draw too much attention and suspicion from Nate.

The two and a half hours went by fast, even under the radiant heat. They had won, much to Nate’s satisfaction.

The team changed and gathered their things in the dugout, while spectators started celebrating. Nate was on his third drink by the time Reece and the rest of the team joined us.

It was standard that after the last game of the evening, there would be post-game drinks before moving the party to the pubs if they had won. This evening would be no different.

I laughed at something Jake said when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam walking out of the dugout and towards the parking lot instead of where we were, and the guilt found me once again.

I shouldn’t have been there. I shouldn’t be making him feel like he can’t hang out with his friends, and celebrate his win because I was there. It was like I was trying to steal away his friends, and it ate at me.

I had no plans of talking to him beforehand. I wanted to give him the space I know I would have wanted, given the circumstances. But the guilt became too much, and I needed to make sure he knew that he didn’t have to leave because of me, or that I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable by showing up here.

My feet started moving before I knew it, and I weaved around everyone to make my way towards Liam.

I was halfway there when a body stepped in my way, blocking me from my path. I knew exactly who it was before he spoke by his smell and his shirt. The same shirt he wore at the airport before our flight to Airlie Beach.

“Don’t.”

I sighed before meeting his eyes. He wore a frown I had never seen on him before. So serious and guarded. He crossed his arms, becoming someone I hardly recognised.

“Get out of my way, Reece.”

He shook his head. “I can’t do that, Summers.”

I swung my arms out, exacerbated already. I knew what he was trying to do and I understood it. I would do the same thing for my friends. But still, I asked, “Why the hell not?”

He lifted a brow. “You know why.”

I sighed again. “I just need to talk to him, Reece. Please.”

I tried to step around him, but he stepped back in front of me. I saw Liam close the back seat of his car before opening the driver's door to get in. I was anxious to get to him, but Reece was wasting my time.

But before I could say or do anything to get rid of him, he spoke first. “Do you know what you did to him, Dakota? You broke his heart. Of course, he doesn’t want to talk to you and I don’t blame him.”

It was like a punch to my chest. My attention was no longer on Liam but on Reece. His words, although true, hurt more than the guilt I bore. I couldn’t do anything other than stare at him. His green eyes, the ones that were usually the colour of the forest, were darker, with no glint of the light or amusement that normally shone in them. The crease between his brow became more prominent as his jaw tightened.

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