Page 186 of Catch Me
“Yeah, well, that’s how the game works, right? No matter how good you are, if someone comes up who’s better, you either have to work harder and rise to their level or accept your place in the backseat. Might want to keep your eye on Carter too. He’s got a pitch that rivals yours two years ago.”
The anger that contorted his face was just what I expected. I wasn’t sure if my response was rude or simply honest. If he thought I’d tell Spencer I wanted to pitch less so that this asshole could get field time, he was a fucking maniac.
“You have years ahead of you,” he said. “More opportunities.”
“We’re pitchers. It could be a decade or just one more season before our arm loses its value. That’s the risk each of us takes for this spot. You had your time, man. I’m not passing the torch just because you didn’t make it here in your prime.”
“Fuck you, McKinney. And your fanboy boyfriend.”
Before he could walk away, I grabbed his biceps and shoved him up against a building. The force of it made him grunt, and he looked shocked.
“Are you fucking stupid?” I asked. “You don’t know how to learn from past mistakes? Maybe you just really like pissing people off. I bet it makes you feel a sense of accomplishment you don’t at home or on the field.”
He tried to push me away, but I held on to him. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do. I did know what Iwantedto do, though. After taking a few measured breaths, I stepped back and released him.
Tony laughed as he smoothed out his shirt. “You’re a pussy, McKinney.”
“Better that than whatever the hell you are.”
“Let’s just see how badly it fucks you up when the kid leaves you again.”
Tipping my head back, I tried to convince myself this bastard didn’t deserve to get his ass beat. I didn’t have to sink into my delusions, though, because he made the first move. When his fist came toward my face, I tilted my body to evade it, then I grabbed onto his wrist.
“If I was really a pussy,” I said, “I’d let myself snap your throwing arm, but that would be weak. I havenothingto prove to you, and your opinions about me don’t mean shit. Don’t ever try to hit me again.”
As soon as I released him, he swung again. It was always the ones who talked a big game that couldn’t live up to their own hype. His fist was easy to dodge, and really, it was his fault when his nose crunched beneath my knuckles. He stumbled backward, and I grabbed him by the hair to throw him against the wall. I didn’t slam his face into it, but gravity sure helped him get there.
“You’re gonna be out of the fucking game for this,” he said from behind his bloody hand.
“You came for me first, and Spencer isn’t gonna give a fuck because he’ll know that’s the truth.” The way he glared at me made me step forward. I breathed a laugh when he flinched. “You’re all hat and no cattle. I’m being completely serious when I tell you that I’ll show you what a real punch is if you don’t back the fuck off of me. Don’t say shit about my life, don’t ask me for favors or any other bullshit.” Grabbing the front of his shirt, I yanked him closer. “Anddon’tsay a damn word about Roman. Not a single fucking one, or you’ll see exactly what I hide under this so-calledfaçade.”
When I released his shirt, he fell backward against the wall. He didn’t deserve another second of my time, and I knew that I’d snap if he kept pushing me, so I walked away. I’d taken his shit for four seasons now, and I was just done. ‘Nice’ didn’t apply to him anymore, and if he wanted to keep fucking around, I’d let Spencer or Pete dish out whatever he’d earned instead of telling them everything was fine like I had been for years.
What that encounter did manage to do was make me want to see Roman. Since that wasn’t a good idea when I was emotional, I decided to find someone else to distract me somehow. Sen and Kai were an option, but they were too nosey for me to deal with right now. I needed someone relaxed who could make me feel lighter.
That was an easy one.
When I reached our floor, I headed past my room toward Tilian and Brooks’ door. It was in the middle of the hall, just before a branch of the hallway that led to vending and ice machines. I stopped and raised my hand to knock, but I heard voices, so I paused.
“You overthink things more than me,” Tilian said.
“Maybe I learned it from you, so thanks for that.”
The sound of Roman’s voice made my heart speed up. Shifting closer to the corner, I quickly peeked around. Tilian was leaning on a vending machine while he ate hot Cheetos, and Roman had his back against the wall with his arms crossed. His face was turned away from me, so I couldn’t see what he was feeling.
Moving back a little so my head was out of sight, I pressed myself against the wall and waited.
“I can’t believe you sucked his dick. Kinda toxic, don’t ya think?”
My cheeks heated. That was embarrassing, and now I couldn’t meet Tilian’s eyes for the rest of the time he was here.
Roman sighed. “It just happened. And for a second, I thought everything would fall into place. I saw something in his eyes, but then it was gone, and I just don’t know if it’ll come back.”
“If it was there, that means he still cares.”
“You know, I asked myself how many times I’d do this, and pathetically, I feel like I’d never stop if that wasn’t completely ridiculous.”
“Do you want to stop?”
