Page 119 of Honey Undone
“Good call.” He slapped me on the back and went up to hit.
Two fights and six runs later, we were exhausted, just dragging our feet to finish the game on a high note. Portland had two bases full, and if we shut them down here, it would all be over. The championship would be ours.
I turned around and looked back at the stands, Zoey, Adeline, Drew and August all sat with nervous faces watching on. There was a pack of empty cola bottles in her lap and she was stress eating her way through the second one.
She saw me looking at her and scowled, “pay attention,” she mouthed before blowing me a kiss and leaning over to listen to what Zoey was saying.
Win or lose, my life was pretty fucking great.
I turned back to Josh, his dark eyes determined.
However, I didn’t want to lose. I wanted to win, for me, for Josh. For all of us.
I waited, watching Josh go through his motions, and when he threw that final pitch, I knew it was over before it even slapped into the back of my glove. My palm stung, flickers of painful fireworks exploding across my muscle as I shot from the ground in celebration. Gloves flew off in every direction, and the entire stadium roared to life the second the out was called. The entire team surged toward the middle of the field, but I put on the brakes before grabbing Josh and offered him a wicked grin instead.
“Damn good job,” I said before being lifted off the ground by Van and spun around in the air over his shoulder. I ruffled my hand through his hair, screaming alongside him as the rest of the team began to celebrate in the infield.
Josh turned, waiting for Dean who shoved into and out of a few sloppy hugs before wrapping his hands around Josh’s face and kissing him hard. The team erupted in cheers as the two of them flashed across the massive LED screens around the stadium.
Cael whistled loudly while being jostled, his face plastered with the biggest smile we’d seen from him in a long time. Confetti exploded above us, dripping over the stadium in blue and gold snowflakes.
“I can’t believe that fucking worked!” Cael said to me as Van finally dropped me in favor of Zoey. She ran across the field and crashed into him as he lifted her to his chest.
“Me either,” I yelled back over the noise. “Who knew he liked you enough to have it affect his game,” I joked and Cael started to laugh.
“I’m going to miss you, man,” Cael said, his smile a little shaky.
“What, you don’t know how to use the phone?” I teased, understanding his cagey behavior around people leaving. He laughed, shaking his head. “Idiot, come here.” I held out my arms to him, and he wrapped me up in a tight hug, kissing my cheek roughly as I messed up his hair.
“That’s my cue,” he huffed, letting go of me and spinning me around to see Adeline standing a few feet away in the chaos. The jersey hung off her body, showing off every loveable curve and her hair was pulled back into two loose, messy ribbon adorned braids.
“Did it hurt?” I said to her and she shook her head.
“That’s Kaia’s line,” she laughed.
“Answer the question.” I stepped forward, narrowly getting tangled up by the dog pile that started to my left. “When you fell from heaven, did it hurt?”
She shook her head gently at my teasing, “Do I know you?” She smiled so hard it created lines around her eyes.
“I could have sworn we’ve met before,” I whispered as I surged forward and wrapped her up in my arms. She yelped as her feet left the ground and she buried her face in my neck, peppering my sweaty skin with light kisses. “I’d know those pretty little noises anywhere.”
“You know, I think I figured it out,” Adeline said, leaning back in my arms with her hands flat to my shoulders.
“Figured what out?” I grumbled playfully, stealing the sweat from her jaw with a tiny kiss and nip.
“What do you love more than chicken wings? You said ‘ask me later.’ But it’s baseball, it’s this.” She said so confidently I almost didn’t want to tell her she was wrong.
I shook my head softly, and her brows knitted together angrily.
“What else could it be? You’re just being obtuse.” Adeline scowled.
“You.” I said without hesitation, kissing her pouty bottom lip.
“Me? That was months ago,” she shook her head in disbelief.
“That’s why I told you to ask me later.”
“I didn’t mean—you know what, never mind, shut up and kiss me.”
