Page 37 of Wild Pitch

We sit there, making out and breathing each other in for what seems like forever. But when he finally pulls back, it feels like I didn’t get enough. I whine, making him chuckle before he takes my hand and pulls me up to stand.

“As much as I’d love to be inside you right now, I think we should give one of these videos a try,” he says, moving back toward the boxes on the couch. He busies himself, assembling the lighting fixtures while I watch him with a silly grin on my face.

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” I say. I honestly don’t need a script because I’ve gone through this with clients so many times that I could do it in my sleep. But the thought of actually creating something so important to my success has me feeling all the nerves.

“Well,” he begins, turning back toward me, “let’s give it a try and see how it goes. If you hate it, we’ll delete it and try again. You have all the time in the world to get this right, Monroe. And I’ll be here by your side until you feel good about it.”

I’ve never experienced this type of situation before. The only reason my parents even allowed me to go to college was that they thought it would make me more agreeable when it came to their future plans for me. They could hold it over my head, reminding me of all the things they’ve done for me when they asked me to marry the person they chose to further our family’s success. They footed the bill but never once asked how my classes were going or if I needed anything. I truly believe that they were waiting for me to fail so I’d come running back. Unfortunately for them, that was the fuel I needed to make sure I achieved every one of my goals.

As far as my relationship with Conrad, I know heplanned on making it so I wouldn’t be able to work. Every generation before him, the wife stayed at home and raised the children with the help of a team of nannies while the husband controlled everything, including the finances. I wanted to have a say in my own future. I wasn’t ready to be out from under one thumb, just to go right under another. That’s why I had no choice but to leave when I did.

It's also why having so much support from Riggs feels foreign to me. I was programmed at an early age to depend on others to get by. My parents provided every material possession, getting me used to living that lifestyle so they could pass me off to someone who was able to maintain it when I was old enough. Now that I’m working to take care of myself, it’s hard to think about letting that go. I know he isn’t like them, though. He truly wants to see me do well on my own, and the fact that he’s here right now assembling this camera setup tells me everything I need to know about what a future with him could look like.

It isn't going to be easy to just forget everything I’ve known my whole life, but I really do want to try. I’ve felt more love and support from this man—who up until recently, barely even knew me—than I have from my own flesh and blood since the day I was born. None of it will happen overnight, but I know I don’t want the alternative. I want to be here with him. I want to see where this thing could go.

I walk over, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind as he flips the switch to turn on the studio lighting. He turns, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before giving me a light smack on the ass. “Have a seat,Mayhem,” he says, motioning toward the armchair near the window. “Tell me how to fuck shit up on Instagram.”

I roll my eyes, barking a laugh at his words. “Well, we can start by not using phrases likefuck shit up,” I reply sarcastically. I’m feeling more confident already, now that he’s lightened the mood. I swear he knows just how to calm me.

We spend the rest of the evening recording, deleting, and re-recording until I feel like everything is exactly right. My website isn’t live yet, but uploading the first video feels better than anything I’ve ever experienced in my career. Without Riggs, I’m not sure I ever would’ve had the courage to do this. Now all I want to do is make him proud.

TWENTY-FIVE

RIGGS

“Hurry up, slowpoke!”Monroe says, practically vibrating as she runs ahead of me, making her way up the stone walkway. We’re playing against Boston tomorrow, and we decided to fly in a day early so we could visit Tanner and Grace. I had to clear it with the team, but since I’m not pitching and have been keeping my nose clean, they didn’t see an issue with it.

“Jesus, Mayhem,” I groan. “It’s my day off. If I wanted to be bossed around, I’d have flown in with Clyde.”

“Whatever, Grandpa,” she sasses as Islowlymake it up the steps, just to piss her off. Even though we’ve had a major breakthrough in our relationship, I still enjoy pushing her buttons. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of that.

She goes to press the doorbell but hesitates, turning back to me with wide eyes.

“What?” I ask. She’s frozen, looking like she’s seen a ghost— a total one-eighty from the giddy excitement she was exuding just seconds ago.

“What if they ask if there’s something going onbetween us?” she whispers. “I can’t lie to Grace. I’ve already omitted so much by keeping the fact that we slept together before I met her. That’s bad enough, and it eats me alive as it is.”

My expression softens. I understand her apprehensions. My sister is her best friend, and she’s held onto this secret for two years. I know it hasn’t been easy for her, and I just want that weight to be lifted from her shoulders.

“We’re not going to keep it from them,” I say softly. “That shit snowballs. One omission turns to two, then that turns into a lie. Before you know it, five years have gone by that you’ve been kept in the dark. And that’s a lot harder to forgive.” She knows I’m speaking from experience. My best friend fell in love with my sister, broke her heart, and left us all—then I found out years later from my mother what had gone down. That hurt more than I’ve ever admitted out loud. I don’t want to put Grace in that position with Monroe. “We don’t have to offer up any information that you aren’t comfortable giving. But if they ask, it’s better to just rip off the Band-Aid.” I cup her cheek with my hand, and she leans into me. “We’re in this together, baby. Everything is going to be okay.”

She closes her eyes, then nods her head before she stands up straight and smiles. She’s so goddamn pretty, I’m almost knocked off my ass as she turns around and pushes the doorbell. I want to kiss her. Touch her. Tell her every single emotion that flows through me when she allows me to calm her raging nerves. But I don’t get a chance before the door opens and my sister lets out a high-pitched squeal. She reaches out, pulling Monroe into a tight embrace, both of them swaying from side to side as they hug like they haven’t seen each other in years.

“You’re here!” Grace says, pulling back and grabbing her best friend by the cheeks, inspecting her face as if she’s looking for something new. Her eyes slide to mine. “Are you taking good care of her?” she asks. “Because if not, I’ll fuck you up like I did that one summer when Mom and Dad were in Cabo.”

I roll my eyes. “First of all, I had the flu. I could barely stand up straight. And you didn’t‘fuck me up’,” I say, using air quotes on the last part. “You sucker punched me while I was chasing your stupid little boyfriend off the porch.”

She scoffs. “Whatever you have to tell yourself, dipshit. Just another first kiss ruined by you and Tanner. No wonder I was a virgin until I was eighteen,” she mumbles.

“No regrets here,” Tanner says, coming into view behind her. “That shit always belonged to me anyway.” He wraps his arms around her from behind, dropping a firm kiss to her cheek.

Goddamn it.

“Okay, bye,” I say, turning toward the steps. But I’m stopped when Monroe darts her hand out, fisting the sleeve of my t-shirt and yanking me back toward her. I throw my head back, annoyed, before facing them again.

“Stop being a baby,” she says with a smirk. “They’re in love.”

I scoff. “They do this on purpose, you know. I told them I didn’t want to know about their sexual”—I pause, searching for a word that doesn’t make me want to heave myself off a cliff—“experiences.They just want to see how far they can push me before I freak the fuck out.”

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