Page 116 of Last Fall

And then the worst happened. Ernest Dario, the same guy Erik and Wes liked to call Dickwad Dario, made a jump off of first base, ready to steal second. Everything happened so fast. The throw, the slide, the collision. I leapt out of my seat, staring down at the field in horror as Erik and Dario untangled theirbodies.

I didn’t notice the camera on me or how everyone was as entranced by the “stunning brunette wearing Erik Cassidy’s number, holding back tears,” as much as they were fascinated by the players on thefield.

Erik’s mother took my hand and squeezed as he stood up, dusting the clay from his uniform. He waved June off then smiled right up at me. I hadn’t realized until that moment how many horrible scenarios I’d run through my mind. Was his knee hurt? His ankle? And arm? Would he be able to play? Was he out for theseries?

I wasn’t usually one to jump to a million conclusions but apparently when it came to Erik I could go into panic modeinstantaneously.

“He’sokay?”

“Yep,” Carrie confirmed. “Pissed but okay. Congratulations, you’ve survived your first potentialinjury.”

“They don’t do this often, do they?” I plopped back intomyseat.

“Not usually. This isn’tfootball.”

Thank goodnessforthat.

Things did not get better. The game remained tied as they went into the ninth inning. Tensions were high from the players to the fans. Phoenix hadn’t scored so when Erik took the plate I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. It was the first time I noticed my face on the big screens around thestadium.

“Ignore it,” Carrie whispered in my ear. “People just like knowing we’re as nervous astheyare.”

“No way. I’m more nervous.” I held my breath as Erik watched two balls fly across the plate. “Way,waymore nervous.” He took his first strike and he wasn’t happy about it. He shook his head and dug his toe into the clay. On the next pitch he swung and sent the ball sailing low and short between the outfielders. He was onfirst.

The crowdcheered.

Chris followed him, sending another ball sailing into the outfield and Erik around tosecond.

“Two players on,” Bernice said more to herself than anyone. Her leg bounced up and down like a jackhammer. “Noouts.”

Carrie and I nodded. Thiswasbig.

Seth walked up to bat and the crowd began chattering. “What’sgoingon?”

“Seth leads the team in homeruns,” Carrie explained. “They’re hoping he gets permission toswingaway.”

It was entirely possible I had never been as nervous as I was right then. My nails were long gone so I chewed on the tip of my straw instead. Next time I was bringing beef jerky or taffy or something chewy to help feed my nervous energy. “I might need anti-anxiety medication for the nextseries.”

Carrie laughed. “Yeah, they don’t make it easy on us in the stands. We can’t help and we can’t play for them. All we can do iswatch.”

Right then Seth sent the ball flying. The whole crowd stood and held theirbreath.

“Go, go, go,” Bernicewhispered.

“I don’t think it has the distance,” I said under my breath, hoping I was wrong. It was close. The center fielder ran for the wall, heleapt.

The ball sailed right over hisglove.

The crowd went wild and sodidwe.

“Oh my god, oh my god!” I cried as Erik rounded third and then towards home with his arms in the air. He jumped on theplate.

Theywon.

Chris and Seth came in behind him, officially making the score6-3.

As Carrie and I hugged the Cassidy’s, Erik, Seth, and Chris were crushed by their team. Then Carrie grabbed my arm. “Let’sgo!”

Down the steps we went to where Charles, an old security guard I knew through Eve, stood. He let us right out onto the field. It was chaos. Mantas jumping on top ofMantas.

And then right in front of me stood my handsome hero. He smiled and I stared. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carrie runtoWes.

Myturn.

He met me halfway, hoisting me up in his arms. “You’re reallynothurt?”

“Not even a little.” His smile took mybreathaway.

I cupped his face and kissed him. Carefully. Everyone else was wild and mad, but that didn’t feel right. There was still another series to win before he got to the one he cared most about, but the fight to get to this win was over. The victory was theirs. And right now it felt important to capture it with a kiss that was quieter and moreintentional.

“Wow,” he whispered, looking up at me. “I’m going to win all the rest of the games if this is the rewardIget.”

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