Page 30 of The Love We Make

Was I going to use one with her?

No, the fuck I was not.

Not if she didn’t want me to. I had agreed to this based on how much she could trust me. In turn, I could trust her. So if there was ever a time tonotuse a condom, it was with her. We would both be having firsts.

It made it more real, more exciting.

More meaningful.

And thanks to that pregame image, I was taken out after pitching only four innings because I “couldn’t find the strike zone” or “lack of concentration” or whatever Coach said.

Did I care?

Again, nope.

All I could think of was, “Hell yes!”

Chapter 12

Madison

We were down to one week before the All-Star game. Ethan and I hadn’t spent much time together in the last week and a half. I had been busy catching up with work and he had been playing and prepping for his All-star start.

It was surreal to think that Ethan once dreamt of being a major league All-star and now it was coming true in such epic fashion.

He was on TV every three minutes with another interview, another question, another insight into his numbers, and why he deserved the start. Even on the shows where they debated back and forth, everyone agreed, Ethan was the perfect starter for the National League.

I was in the middle of watching one of those pre-recorded interviews when my door flew open and Ethan and Chase strolled in.

“Maddy, I need my bag,” Ethan hollered as he walked into my bedroom, leaving Chase and me alone.

I didn’t stand or speak, but Chase had the decency to at least look a little guilty and sorry as he stood there in my living room waiting for Ethan.

I was still mad he had scared Ty away from me but I wasn’t in the mood to rehash it here and now. Plus, I mainly still blamed Ethan.

“What are you two up to today?” I asked.

Chase shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, “Golf.”

“Ethan cannot even hit a baseball, what makes him think he can hit a golf ball?”

“I am amazing at golf,” Ethan said as he walked back into the living room with his gym bag in his hand. That bag had been here for weeks.

“No you’re not,” Chase said, “But we will work on that.”

“I was supposed to be in Chase’s charity golf tournament next month but all the guys on the team had to drop out because of the changes to our travel schedule after the All-star game.”

“Dang, that sucks.” I meant it. Chase had been doing a ton of charity work since he retired and I knew it had become his passion. “Anything I can do to help?”

Chase side-eyed Ethan, “She is too good to be your friend, you know that?”

“Yep,” Ethan responded. Then he looked at me, “We’ve helped him replace the celebrity golfers, but thanks. I am sure the course could have used your legendary golf skills.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed, “I didn’t mean with the actual golfing. I meant with anything else.”

Chase perked up and started scratching his five o’clock shadow. “Actually, we need more beer and ball delivery people. You just ride around on a cart and give the players drinks and new balls, or whatever else.”

“I can do that!” I actuallyneededto do that. I was trying my damnedest to fill my post All-star game schedule to the brim.

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