Page 15 of Pitcher

Okay. I see how this is going to go down. Petty.

“Do not try and pin the one hit on me, Theo.”

His glare never wavers, so I continue trying to talk sense into this man. “What are you going to do when this season is over and you’re in Washington without me, huh?”

His jaw clenches and the precious dimple I love so much never appears. “You could come with me.”

I sigh. We’ve talked about this.

“You know I can’t.”

“You can’t or you won’t?”

Maybe a little of both.

“You know I want to go to med school here in Georgia,” I counter.

He scoffs, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. “Washington has good schools too.”

I’m sure they do, but when Theo decided he wanted to go pro with his baseball career, I knew I would always come second. I knew we would be separated eventually, and as the last month of our senior year ticks away, both of us are feeling a little insecure. We’ve always had each other.

“Let’s not talk about this right now, okay?” I attempt a smile. “Let’s celebrate your win instead.”

It takes him a minute, but eventually he agrees and comes around to unlock my door like a gentleman.

“I told Brody we’d make an appearance at his party tonight.”

Ugh.

“Sounds fun! I just need to text Thad. I promised him dinner.”

Theo slams his door harder than necessary.

“He’ll live.”

I’m a bastard.

Especially on days that end in Y.

It’s a well-known fact humans like to point blame. Me especially. So the fact that I’m a bastard really boils down to two root causes. Or people. Same difference.

Anniston McCallister and yours truly.

One could argue Anniston is simply an innocent bystander in all of this, but I’m not thatone,and Anniston—no matter how much she would like people to believe—is not innocent.

She’s not.

Anniston McAllister showed me early on in life that everything is temporary.

Life is temporary.

Girlfriends are temporary.

Bad seasons are temporary.

The point is, I knew before she insulted me, my relationship with her would be temporary.

She is beautiful, smart, and for some unknown reason, wants to be my friend.

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