Page 139 of Off Pitch

Andthat wordgets a little bit closer to escaping.

“I’ll find you before the game,” I say as I wrap Harlow in a hug. I hear Cole snickering beside me, but I’m ignoring that for now. “On the field, though. I’m going to do some extra stretches before the game so I can make sure my leg is loosened up.”

“Alright.” She snuggles her head up against my chest. “I’ll talk to you then, Slick.”

I press a kiss on her forehead. “See you later, Freckles.”

Harlow says her goodbyes to Cole before she walks out the door. She wants to work on her blog before she gets ready for the day, and Cole and I need to get to the field soon anyway.

As I shut the door behind her, I turn around to see Cole with a big ass smirk on his face. “What’s that face for, Pierce?”

“Like you don’t fucking know.” He laughs, and I groan. “Come on, man. When are you going to stop lying to yourself?”

I sigh. “Soon.”

“How soon is soon?” Cole asks, eyeing me. “Because I think it’s obvious to everyone that you’re in lo-”

“I know,” I reply, cutting him off. “I know,” I say again, smiling this time. “I know I am.”

“Damn,” Cole remarks. “You actually are.”

“Yeah. I finally realized that yesterday. We walked on the greenway after lunch and ran into Simon. Everything just clicked into place then.”

“I can confidently say that this isn’t how I expected this season to go,” he admits. “I did think you’d become friends, but I don’t think I ever truly thought you’d be something more.”

“Neither did I,” I reply honestly. “But I’m glad everything happened the way it did. This is the first time I’ve actually felt happy in seven damn years.”

“And you finally realize that my sister isn’t Emily?”

After my injury, I talked to both Cole and Josh about Emily, adding them to the list of Harlow and Lane who know the story. That helped them better understand why things happened the way they did. They could see why I was freaking out.

I didn’t open up about that time until Harlow, but now that she and the guys know, it’s like a weight was lifted off me. I’ve kept my feelings about the situation with Emily to myself. Now,I have friends in my corner. I don’t have to shoulder all of this alone.

“Yes,” I say emphatically. “I know she isn’t Emily. I think my head finally got on board with that.”

“So, you’re going to talk to her when? This whole ‘will they, won’t they’ shit is exhausting.”

“Fuck off,” I laugh. “But I’m over it, too. I’m going to talk to her tonight.”

Some extra stretching today after practice does wonders. I meet up with Lucia and work to make sure I’m ready to start tonight. It’s my first start in a month and the first since I’ve been injured. The last thing I want is a showing like last time.

Once I suit up for the game, I throw on my Stars baseball cap and head toward the field with the team. As soon as I’m out of the tunnel, I make a beeline straight to the seats I secured for Harlow and her parents tonight, right by the dugout. Cole, Lane, and Josh seem to take note of that, but I pay them no mind.

“Hey there,” I say, walking up to the railing she’s now standing behind. I smile at her before turning to her parents. “Good to see you again, Vivian and James. Hopefully, I won’t disappoint tonight.”

“We’re just happy to be here, Knox,” Vivian says.

“As long as you don’t pitch like your last game,” James adds, “you shouldn’t be a disappointment.”

“Dad!” Harlow shouts, turning to him as James and I both laugh. “Please ignore him, Knox,” she says in exasperation. “My dad has no filter.”

“I see where Cole gets it from,” I laugh.

“How’s your leg feeling?” she asks, genuine concern in her tone.

“Great,” I answer. “The stretches helped today, and I feel good as new. I hope I can pitch a game worth watching today.”

“I’m sure you will. You’re a fantastic pitcher.”

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