Page 66 of Stealing Home

Inside the locker room is unusually quiet. Campbell sits by himself. Even though only Joaquin, Max and I are injured, the entire team seems a little broken. Tucker strolls into the room and assesses the gloom in the room.

“Look, guys, it was one game, not the end of the world.”

“With all due respect, Coach,” Will speaks up, “we’ve got three guys out for at least the next three games. Campbell proved himself to be a duplicitous rat bastard, and Rivera showed himself to be an abusive prick in front of the entire team. It wasn’t just one game.”

Tucker takes a step back. “I’m behind here. Someone catch me up.”

Campbell snorts. “Ask Ryan, he’s the one banging Rivera’s wife.”

Tucker doesn’t react the way Campbell expects. “You knew? Coach Rivera didn’t.”

“You set the entire thing up,” one of the guys accuses.

Tucker takes off his ball cap and runs his hands through his hair, then looks at me. “Did he hurt her?”

I nod. Remembering him backhand her while I wasn’t close enough to stop him almost makes me puke again.

“If he asks to speak with you, you don’t meet with him alone.” He looks me straight in the eye. “Do you understand me? I’ll do what I can to keep you on the team. Really, he can’t kick you off for this, but I suspect he’ll try.”

He focuses on the rest of the team. “What else did I miss? Someone explain why Campbell has less friends than usual.”

Marco steps forward. “He and Katrina, one of the jersey cha—I mean girls that hang around the team, sent out a video to all of us, and Mrs. Riv—uh, Harlow of him getting head. They made up a bullshit story about it being the night before last instead of like four months ago.”

Tucker’s nostrils flare as he tries to reign in his temper. “Chase, grab your things, you’re benched for the next game.”

“The fuck he is,” Rivera’s voice booms from the hallway. His sneakers slap against the tile as he comes into the room. “This is still my team. Chase is taking the mound. Ryan, you’re off the team.”

I want to tell him fine, but that would be too easy. My teeth slide over my lip, as I think about how much of a fuck you I can deliver before I walk out of this room for the last time. “I’m sure the university can live without my family’s donations to this program.”

There it is, the same spark of anger he radiated last night. “Listen here, you little shit. You’re going to tell your father to keep the checks coming, or I’ll tell them what you’ve been up to.”

“Do it,” I call his bluff. Sure, I’d rather my parents heard from me about Harlow, but since I’m pretty sure she’s never going to speak to me again I’ll deal with his anger. My father doesn’t scare me. Disappointing him sucks, but he’ll forgive me. The one thing I’ve never doubted is that my parents love me unconditionally.

“You’re going to stop seeing my wife.” Bits of spittle fly from his mouth.

“If she’ll talk to me, I’ll beg for her forgiveness, even though I didn’t do anything wrong. And, if I’m lucky enough to get a second chance, I’ll never give her up. You don’t even want her, sign the damn divorce papers and let her go.”

“You don’t know what I want. She’s my wife, and if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll get her ass back home where she belongs. After everything I’ve given up for her, she fucking owes me,” he seethes.

“What did you give up for her?” Tucker intervenes. “Not your career. I’ve seen your reel. You were a passable player in the minors, and then you wore out like far too many do. You weren’t offered any endorsement deals, there was no multi-million dollar contract lost. I’m sure you fucked around then as much as you do now, so what exactly did you lose? Seems to me she’s the one who lost years being married to a waste of space like you.”

One of the guys slips out of the room while Tucker and Rivera get in each other’s faces. Rivera shoves Tucker, but he doesn’t react. Instead he goads him further. “How did you manage to support both you and Harlow on the shitty salary someone like you would have been offered? Did she work her ass off to keep you from having to do odd jobs in the off season? I’ll bet she did. She probably waited for you at home, alone, while you were getting road head.”

A campus security officer pushes his way through the crowd. “C’mon, break it up,” he insists.

Rivera points at Tucker. “I want him out of here.” He aims his finger my way. “Him too. I’ll be speaking to the school administration. Consider your scholarship revoked, Ryan.”

I laugh as I throw my things in my duffel bag. Not exactly how I saw my baseball career ending, but oddly I’m okay with it.

Now it’s time for some difficult conversations. First I need to talk to my parents, then I need to figure out how to make Harlow talk to me.

23

Scott

Taking a deep breath,I lean against the wall outside by the parking lot. My dad doesn’t work a regular nine to five, and I can’t be sure if he’s on a shoot or in the field, but I try him first. My mother responds more emotionally to most situations, and she is going to be harder to convince about my feelings for Harlow than my dad. I’ll need him on my side before I tell her.

The phone rings a few times, and I almost give up when he finally answers. “Scott? Aren’t you supposed to be in practice? Is something wrong?”

---