Page 65 of His Team

“So I have to deal with it?”

“Come on, you love it. Some of our best smoke sessions up here have been to their shit.”

“Fine, you have a point, but I’m going with some gangster shit tonight. Let’s start with M.O.P.”

“‘Quiet Storm’?”

“No, that’s Mobb Deep. M.O.P. is ‘Ante Up’ and ‘Cold as Ice.’ Come on, Cam.”

“I’ve got you, darlin’. I was teasing.”

“I’m going to miss this. If you do go to the majors, maybe you’ll end up in New York and I can sneak away to come to your home games. That would be something, right?”

“That would be something. We’d have to have at least one beer after the game.”

“You’re on.”

Maribel

I have a nice high. Cam has pulled snacks from his backpack and we’re laughing our asses off as music plays softly in the background.

It’s amazing how we can shut the world out when we’re up here. When I first arrived, I could tell his mind was heavy with thoughts. Now, he’s laughing as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

I wish things could always be this way. I’m trying my best not to think about why they can’t be. On my end at least.

Dez is a problem I still haven’t solved, and time is running out. He’s becoming more cocky when he calls. I get the feeling things are going his way back home. Soon, I’ll be there, and he’ll have his one missing piece.

“It’s my turn. I get to pick the next song,” Cam says.

He gave me more than the first five songs and we’ve been vibing out to my choice of playlist. I try not to laugh because I know what he’s changing the music to.

At this point, I probably know all these songs by heart as well. I’m expecting him to go with one of the more upbeat songs like “Get On Up,” but “Stay” begins to play.

I look up as he stands, holding his hand out to me. Those blue-gray eyes suck me right in. I place my hand into his and he tugs me from my seat.

Pulling me into his chest, he begins to sway me to the song. It’s not hard to get caught up in the moment as his strong arms wrap around me. I allow myself to think of what it would be like to be his.

He places his chin on the top of my head, causing me to reel it back in. This is my friend. This song isn’t meant to tell me anything.

I’m projecting my feelings onto him. My heart becomes heavy, and I have to fight back tears. He doesn’t understand how hard this is for me, but he clearly needs me to be his person.

So I stay. I stay and lock my feelings down deep. Cam can never know how I feel. I’ll take all these emotions to the grave.

If I don’t it could be the end of us both. I will never pull him into my mess. These stolen moments will have to do.

I wish things could be different, Cam. I really do.

CHAPTER 25

Who Is She?

Kayleen

My stomach is twisted in knots. I sit deep in my feelings as the game is in full swing. I try to cheer and look like a good girlfriend, but her words have been ringing in my ears.

Oh, so nice to meet you. I’m Maribel, Cameron’s future wife.

I don’t know if it’s jealousy on my part or the ring of confidence she had in her tone. She is beautiful in that exotic way black women have about them. I believed her more when she said she was Cam’s future wife than I did when she said she was far from his type. The girl I stole him from looked more like her than me.

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