Page 119 of Stealing Home

“Good for you A!” Heather says.

“Thanks, but he explained why and how it doesn’t feel that way now.”

“Awww. That’s cute. I knew he would be okay with it.” Heather tells me.

“You were right, boss lady. Yeah, it was a total swoon moment.”

“I want details after the meeting.” Heather tells me.

“Of what?” I ask.

“How he was so happy and thanked you! Well, not all the details,” she says, shivering and making a gross face.

I can only shake my head up and down as I laugh at her antics before we get on screen.

Our meeting was a success, and now we are sitting by the pool. Heather and I are just bullshitting when her phone rings and she looks to see who it is.

“I have to grab this. Be right back,” she tells me and gets up from the table to head inside.

I enjoy the feel of the sun on my skin while smiling up at the sky. I wish my parents were here to meet these incredible people in my life.

Heather comes back out from the house and sits down in the same chair.

“Would you hate me if I asked you to drop the mascot costume off by yourself at the stadium? That was my doctor, and they had an appointment open up.” Heather asks.

I know I’m not supposed to go anywhere alone, but it’s the stadium and I know everyone there. Cole might even still be there, so it should be fine.

“Of course. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, we might have more to celebrate tonight besides you being in love and bringing sexy back.” She tells me with a huge smile.

Oh! I know she said that she and Ty were ready to start their family and I wonder if this is the beginning.

“Okay, let’s head out. We should be back around the same time.” She tells me.

We walk to the driveway together and Heather gets the mascot costume out of her car to put in the backseat of mine. Once it’s secure, we wave to each other and we go our separate ways.

I drive to the stadium and see that the lot is almost empty. The guys must be done with practice for the day. I’m able to snag a parking spot close to the door. I get out of my car, grab Grover, and head inside.

I have to bring him to the closet where the baseball gloves were, so it’s a bit of a walk. I make it to the closet and hang the bottom of the costume first, then the head. Just as I have iton the hook, I feel pain radiate from the back of my head and everything goes black.

Where the fuck am I?Why is my head pounding?Racking my brain trying to think about what happened prior to me waking up, but it’s not connecting. I see nothing but blackness. I can’t even tell if my eyes are open or closed. When I attempt to move my hands, they remain motionless. I feel pain in my shoulders and realize that my hands are behind my back and it feels like a ziptie is around them because every time I move I can feel the plastic digging into the skin of my wrists.

I try to get my brain working, but it’s foggy at best. I try to move my legs but they’re ziptied too and I’m laying down on a hard floor. I couldn’t tell you what type of flooring it is, either. I just know that I can feel the cold run up my spine. It’s eerily quiet and I want to speak, but I’m too afraid to let on that I’m awake because I don’t know if or who is there. I don’t know if security is still here inside the stadium or just patrolling outside since I don’t know what time it is.

I’ve never been more scared in my life. Not when either of my parents died, not when I had to move across the country, and not when I decided to give my heart over to Cole.

I’ve been reclaiming my life and Cole has been such a huge part of that. My mind can’t help but spiral as I think about Cole and if I’ll ever see him again. I know I wouldn’t be okay if this was the other way around and he didn’t make it back to me.

I love you, Cole Evans.Don’t forget about me.

I wakeup to footsteps coming to me. I must have passed out because I don’t remember falling asleep. My head hurts a little less and I’m starting to think more clearly. The fog is lifting. I try to move and remember I can’t when the pain hits my wrists.

“Oh good, you’re awake. It’s about time.”

No. No fucking way. Why would he be here? This isn’t making any sense. I know my brain isn’t firing on all cylinders right now, but if that’s the voice I think it is, then Cole is going to go crazy. I don’t even know what I would have done to make him hold me hostage at this point.

Lights come on and I squint my eyes to allow them a few seconds to adjust. My eyesight is a little blurry but it could be from my head still pounding, even if it’s not as bad as before. My eyes come into focus and I use my peripheral vision to try to figure out if I can recognize anything to clue me in on where I am. Not that I can do much about it at the moment, but if I can figure out how to get out of these zip ties then I could have a chance.

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