Page 58 of Stealing Home

As a result, there’s always been things I’ve kept close to my chest. Anything important to me is guarded, and nothing has ever been as precious as being with Harlow. A big part of the reason I don’t want to go pro is because stepping into the public eye invites people into your private life. To me that is too high a cost. But, I think it’s past time I started letting some people in, starting with Harlow.

Loud footsteps thunder down the hallway, giving me a reprieve from being the center of attention. Rivera enters the weight room, already pissed off. “Hit the showers, I’ve been told I have to give you an off day before our game tomorrow.”

I’d love a peek into his brain and figure out why he’s so bent out of shape for losing Harlow. He’s treated her like a burden and a nuisance from what I’ve observed. Considering he’s been living the life of a single man for at least a year, you’d think he’d relish actually being single.

I understand Harlow isn’t an easy woman to lose, but I actually happen to love her. He doesn’t seem to even like her. Since she’s not asking for anything from their time together, the only thing he’s losing is his scapegoat. Maybe facing his deficiencies without someone to blame them on is too much for him. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how someone like him thinks enough to understand why he’s fighting to make her stay.

“Thank fuck,” one of the guys says as soon as Coach leaves the room.

The day of rest will help. Everyone is lifting slower and less weight than normal. We’ll be lucky if we manage to pull a win. Max has been rubbing his shoulder all morning, Joaquin is favoring his good knee, and even the guys who weren’t dealing with injuries are struggling.

Considering how bad Coach is treating the team now, he’s going to be impossible if he learns Harlow and I together. The guys will never forgive me for that.

* * *

“What time does the bus leave?”Harlow asks as I pack my bag the next morning for our game against the Northern State Knights.

“Ten,” I answer. I’m quiet as I pack my bag. The thrill of an upcoming game is missing. I find I’m more excited for this to be over than I am to play. “You don’t have to wait with me. I know you need to get to work.”

She puts her hand on mine to get my attention. “Don’t worry about me. Wren and Griffin told me to come in late. Charlie and I are going to their original location this afternoon to check the inventory. I’m more concerned about you right now.”

I set down the shirt I’m folding, and look at her. “I’m not really looking forward to going.”

Low chews on her bottom lip, and I reach out freeing the abused flesh from her teeth. “Don’t hurt yourself. Just talk to me,” I tell her.

“Is it because of me?” Her eyebrows scrunch together, and I can see she’s been worried about this.

“I don’t like leaving you, but—”

“Scott, I don’t want you to start worrying about me when you have to be gone. I can survive a night alone.”

“I know you can. I’ll still miss you when I’m gone, but it’s not just that. I never thought I’d say this, but playing baseball is getting old. Your ex is being a dick, most of the guys are exhausted or injured, and morale is just really low. It seems like they care more about who is going to be their next fuck more than playing the game. There’s a few guys I consider to be friends, but I don’t really respect or even like the rest of them. I’m not all that thrilled to be stuck on a bus with them today and tomorrow. Then, they expect me to party with them when we get back to celebrate my birthday.”

Her eyes narrow, and she crosses her arms. “Your birthday is tomorrow? Were you planning on telling me?”

I wince. It’s immediately clear I’ve fucked up. “Yes, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I was planning to find an excuse to get out of the party and have a quiet night in with you. And, I didn’t want to bring more attention to the fact I’m younger than you. I know it bothers you.”

She shakes her head several times. “No way. You only get one twenty-first birthday, and I don’t want you to miss out on things because of me. You already said that morale is low. They’re going to start being suspicious if you keep hiding out from them.”

Taking her hands, I wait until she looks into my eyes. “I really don’t want to spend my birthday with them. I stopped going to parties months before anything started between us. I didn’t like who I was becoming in that scene. I used those parties as a distraction from how I felt about Mara cheating on me and kept going long after I was over her. They will all be drunk, and the girls are relentless.”

She squeezes my hands. “I’m sorry I’ve made you self conscious about your age. It’s my hang up, and honestly I don’t think about it as much the more I get to know you. If it really bothers you, I have an idea for how you can get them off your back.”

“I’m all ears, gorgeous.”

“Go to Donovan’s. You and I can have dinner before you go, and then you can make an appearance there afterwards.”

I take a deep breath. “That could work. I’d much rather spend the night inside of you than inside a bar though.”

“Maybe make it a quick appearance then.”

Taking her in my arms, I kiss her deep enough to hold me over until tomorrow. “I’m going to miss you.”

* * *

Three innings is allit takes to see how badly our team is falling apart. The partial day of rest wasn’t enough to let many of the guys recover from the grueling practice on Monday. During the second inning we lose both Joaquin and Max when their injuries flare up.

Without them we find ourselves five runs behind by the bottom of the third. Rivera and Tucker nearly come to blows in the dugout when Rivera starts screaming at Max for refusing to go back in even though the head trainer insists he needs an MRI on his shoulder before he’ll clear him. The final nail in the coffin happens in the fifth inning when I get hit by a pitch when I come up to bat. Somehow he manages to hit me on the hip, leaving me to hobble to first base. Coach Tucker calls in one of the freshmen to run the bases for me, and I spend the rest of the game icing my hip.

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