Page 44 of This Is War: All's Fair Duet
Hoping you’re okay.
I’ll tell you about my night soon.
I’ve got a busy day tomorrow with travel for the game.
Can we talk after? I can call from the bus.
Inwardly, I cringe. Jaxon and I have been on a date, and we’ve messed around plenty, but we aren’t official or anything. My heart twinges with a not-so-subtle reminder of what I asked Logan to do. And I don’t regret it, wouldn’t ever… but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilt, and it’s definitely causing me some anguish and heartache. I bite my lip before tapping out a quick reply.
Hey. Yeah, someone ransacked our room.
I’m okay.
I hesitate, thumbs poised over the keyboard. It’d feel awful to ditch Jaxon now. Ilikehim, despite how Logan feels. It may be stupid, but I wonder if I could be the bridge between them.
Yes. I’d love a call after the game.
25
JAXON
The Thursday morningdrive to get to Briar Branch College that began before sunrise had been long and somewhat miserable. I should have known Coach Kimball would follow through on his threat, because true to his word, he’d forced Logan and me to sit side-by-fucking-side on the bus.
That alone would have been enough, but the jerk had also let us fucking dangle by not telling us who was pitching at today’s opener. It’s odd because we always, always have a schedule set up and are aware of whether or not we’re pitching well before the games happen so we can mentally prepare.
Now, whether Greyson, Travis, and Owen knew or not that it wasn’t going to be them, they didn’t say, but I have asneaking suspicion Coach must have briefed them in advance since they seemed way too fucking relaxed the entire bus trip.
It’s my opinion that Coach simply refused to inform the two of us as some sort of fucking torture. Rude, but whatever. Doesn’t matter. Because when it came down to it, he choseme.
Logan only seemed mildly pissed about the decision, but (1) it’s not his choice, and (2) he’s a freshman. In fact, he’s damn lucky he got named as one of our starters and not a relief pitcher.
There’s a low-level buzz of irritation invading my brain, this asshole voice that whispers maybe Logan is simply that good. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch my stepbro where he’s standing at the opposite side of the dugout, just as far away from me as he can possibly get. I’ve had my eye on him during practices, and I’d stick my finger in my ear and scramble my brains before admitting to him that he’s come a long fucking way. Not that he wasn’t good the last time I saw him play.Fuck.I work my jaw to the side. Dickweed needs to stay the fuck outta my way. I’m doing really well right now, and I can’t afford for him to get me all twisted up anymore. The last thing I need is to fuck up what I have going.
Aggravated by my own thoughts, I return my gaze toRuiz on the mound, the relief pitcher who’d stepped in to save my arm and close out the game for us. We’ve racked up a five-run lead. It’s the bottom of the ninth, and the home team has two runners on base. We need a third out, and the count for this hitter sits at two balls, two strikes.Come on, Ruiz. Get it fuckin’ done.If I were Manny, I’d be ticked that the new guy came in and has basically snatched one of the prime spots out of his hands.
Glancing back to Logan, I find his eyes on me and shoot him a smirk. He hasn’t said a fucking word about me jacking off on him in the shower. Probably liked it. And normally, I’d say whatever floats your boat, but it pisses me off that I was unaware of his preferences… maybe more so that it seemed like he was hiding it behind a convenient beard also known as Rya. I wasn’t fucking lying about my dad, either. For all I know, that’s why Logan has laid low about it.
Movement from the mound has me pulling my attention back to Ruiz as he winds up, sending a changeup across the plate that lands easily in Alexander’s glove. That’s it. My heart gives a lurch. The ump signals a strike. Gameover. We win.
About an hourafter the game finishes up, the call has been made to check into a hotel for the night. We’re three hours from Evermore U, so normally we’d head right back to campus, but the sky has decided to dump snow. Our bus pulls into the parking lot, and to be honest, I’m glad for it. I’m wiped out. My shoulder is sore, and I need a longer, hotter shower than we had time for before they shuffled us back to the bus. There are only two things I want more than that shower right now: to call Rya and go the fuck to sleep. That’s it.
My gaze flicks to the side where Logan sits with his eyes shut. Okay, and maybe I’d like to fuck with my stepbrother a bit. Like I noted earlier, he’s been quiet today, all things considered. The only thing I can figure is that he must have some heavy shit on his mind—more than simply not being the one chosen to pitch today.
I wet my lips, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. Can’t let him think I’m going soft on him. Or worse, that I’ve accepted his presence in my life again.
When the door opens, he’s out of his seat and grabbing his bag before it registers that the fucker must not have been asleep after all. Just ignoring me. I silently chuckle as I ease out of my seat, watching the back of him as he hustles down the steps to wait for the rest of the team outside the bus while getting wind-whipped by the storm.He couldn’t have moved any faster and must have decided the freezing cold and wet was better than being in the bus with me.
The entire team filters into the hotel lobby, stomping boots on the provided mats and shaking free of the snow collecting on our shoulders and in our hair. Most of us make ourselves comfortable on the couches while Coach gets us squared away with rooms. Only Logan remains standing. He’s bent over his phone, a deep V cut into his brow as his eyes scan whatever has him occupied.Wonder what that’s about.
I kinda want to ask him what went on last night. By the time I got back to campus from checking on Mom, the entire dorm was abuzz with the news someone’s room had been broken into. Then to find out it was Rya and Hazel’s room? Freaks me the fuck out that some dickwad messed with their shit. But even worse, it pisses me off that it was Logan who was there for Rya and not me. I wish I had known what was happening. Fucking pharmacy and all their red tape.Dammit.
The next few minutes are pure chaos as Coach Kimball and Coach Rexford hand out room keys. Slowly but surely, the team disperses in pairs, heading for the elevators and disappearing for the night.
I have no doubt as to what’s coming, especially whenCoach turns to me, a gleam in his eye. “Jaxon. Logan. You’re obviously paired up, being family and all.” Almost as if he wants me to argue, he pins me with a stare. But I know better. I did well today, and I’m not fucking it up now. Besides, it won’t do any good to argue with him. He’s clearly hell-bent on teaching us a lesson.
I automatically seek out Logan and blink slowly at him, not bothering to hide the perturbed look I give him. He shoots a similar one right back at me. It almost makes me laugh, but I don’t dare let loose with it in front of Coach.
“Now, listen to me, you two. You’ll share a room, and I don’t want to hear that a good goddamn thing happened. You mess up the room with your special brand of brotherly brawling, and the expense of making it right with the hotel is on you.” His brows lift as his gaze shifts from Logan to me. “Got it?”
