Page 109 of Stealing Home

I don’t respond right away because I’m not sure it’s a good idea. How many chances do I give him before it’s too much? “I’ll talk to her, but I won’t push it. I’ll let you know her answer.”

“Talk to me about what?” she asks me, when I set my phone back down.

“You know that my parents are coming tomorrow for the game and they want us to join them for dinner afterwards. I know we discussed it, but I wanted to ask if you’d change your mind and come with us.”

I take her hand and rub my thumb over her knuckles. I don’t know if I’m trying to soothe her or myself. “I would like it if we could work this out. I promise I won’t let them talk down to you, but if you really don’t feel comfortable, I’ll respect that.”

She takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly. “Okay. I’ll go to dinner, but I’m not sitting with them at the game. For now I think it’s best if I’m not alone with them.”

* * *

Attendanceat the game is at capacity, but I still managed to get tickets for my parents, and more for Harlow, Wren and Griffin. I find them in the stands above our dugout and wave before I take the mound. After that I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Everything except for baseball is pushed out of my mind. For the next nine innings my entire focus is on the ball in my hand and the batter in front of me.

This team is more prepared than the one on Wednesday. A few batters manage to get hits off of me, but we still get more when it’s our turn at bat. We win the game with a score of ten to three, and my only complaint is that I can’t celebrate this win like the last one.

After we shake hands with the other team, we head into the locker room. The guys are all high on winning two games in a row, and planning a party. Not shocking, but at least they’ve picked a new location. A former player, who runs a business in Centralia, is letting them use an empty field out on his farm for bonfires after home games.

“You going to join us, Ryan?” Joaquin asks.

I’m shaking my head before he even finishes asking. “Nah, man. My parents are in town. Harlow and I are going to go to dinner with them.”

“Sure you are,” Campbell mutters and then chuckles to himself while arranging things inside his locker.

“What was that, Chase?” I question him.

He shrugs and acts like he isn’t sure what I’m talking about, but the shit eating grin on his face tells me he’s up to something. I don’t have time to get into it with him though, because Harlow is waiting for me, so I brush off his weirdness and finish getting ready.

I rush through a shower, and get dressed so fast that my hair is still dripping water. Harlow laughs when I come out, and reaches up to ruffle my hair.

“Did you even run a towel over it?” she asks, laughing.

I pick her up and spin her around. “Nope,” I say as I set her back on her feet. “I was in too big of a hurry to get to you.”

“You mean you were in a hurry to make sure your dad doesn’t run me away,” she says.

“I promised you wouldn’t have to be alone with them.” I hold my hand out to her, and she laces her fingers between mine. “Let’s go get this over with.”

My mom texted that she and my father will wait for us by the main gate. We head that direction, hand in hand. I see them standing under one of the lights, and stop in my tracts. They’re standing there talking to my ex, as if her being here is totally normal.

“What’s wrong?” Harlow asks. She hasn’t seen Mara yet, and my brain spins wondering how I can prevent the disaster I fear this is going to be.

Her head turns in the direction I’m glaring, and I see the moment she realizes who they’re talking to. “Why is she here? Does she have other friends at this college?” Low asks me.

I shake my head. “Not that I know of. I have no idea why she’s here, but I’m going to find out.”

She grabs my arm. “I can’t deal with this. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be in the middle of whatever is going on over there.”

She drops her hand, and I reach up to frame her face. “You’re not—” I can’t get the words out. I want to tell her not to leave me. We’ve been doing so good since the misunderstanding after we got back, but I’m still living with this fear that something my dad says or does will be too much.

Harlow turns her face and kisses the palm of my hand. “I’m not leaving you, but I’m not going to dinner. I’ll go find Wren and Griffin, if they’re still here, and get a ride with them.”

“No, stay. If you’re not going, then I’m not either. Do you think you can wait here while I go confront them?”

She shakes her head. “Just go to dinner with them. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Taking her hands in mine, I wait until she looks up at me. “Absolutely not. If they disrespect you, they disrespect me. I need you to hear me on this. I want to marry you, create a family with you. You are my priority.”

Her eyes drop down, but she nods. “I’ll wait here.”

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