Page 71 of Going All the Way (Knights of Passion)

She seized Sophie’s arms, shaking her. “You see, the article said I used my clients. Jason’s been used his entire life, so-called friends, groupies, even his old coach, and his dad. He thought I was using him like everyone else. He doesn’t know how I feel!”

“How do you feel?”

She stared at her friend. “How can you ask that?”

“You never said. Did you ever tell him?”

“I love him. No matter what.” She truly did. Instead of fresh pain, hope sprang in her. She loved him. She could overcome this. Everyone knew love trumped everything else.

Sophie smiled. “It’s about damn time. Now, what are you going to do?”

“I have to see him.” She glanced around the room looking for her purse and keys. Sophie grabbed her arm and pointed her in front of the mirror. “Not like that, you don’t. You’ll scare the hell out of him. Go take a shower and clean yourself up. The team is playing their one-game playoff today.” She held up two tickets. “The team sent these for you. Get going!”

Stacia hugged her friend then darted up the stairs to get ready. She had a man to win back.

*

Jason sat onthe stool in front of his locker, head hanging. He tried to review the game in his mind—the pitcher, the hitters, the pitching plan. But all he could think about was Stacia, what she had done, where she was, how she had hurt him. In the past week, he had been sleepwalking through the season, playing as lethargic and uninspired and unfocused as he had accused the team of just a month prior. All the fun, the joy had gone out of the game.

He had found himself searching the stands for an auburn-haired siren, driving up to the condo hoping to see lights on, looking over his shoulder when giving interviews, expecting her to be coaching him. Instead, he was alone and all of the joy had leached out of the world when she had left. Correction, after he had driven her away. He had even stopped hanging with the guys, preferring to go home and drink his beer in solitude. But even in his condo, her touches were everywhere—from the food in the kitchen, to the arrangement of the furniture, to her perfume in his sheets. He had taken to sleeping on the couch with a blanket on it to mask her scent so he could grab a few short hours of fitful rest.

It was all taking its toll on him. His hitting was virtually non-existent. He was sleepwalking down to first. And he was a hair late on catching balls. He’d lost his good luck charm and everything was falling to shit.

But worse of all, the team was suffering and he couldn’t seem to pull his head out of his ass long enough to help. They were leaderless, unfocused, and the kids tried, but Cody was not enough to keep the team moving forward. As a result, the Knights were in a one-game playoff.

Win or go home.

And the way they were playing, they would be home before the day ended.

Two legs appeared in front of him, a shadow blocking the fluorescent lights of the locker room. Cody Patterson stood there in his uniform pants and a crude t-shirt. Great. Now the kid was even getting in on the action, telling him to get his head out of his ass.

He jerked his head to the underground batting cage and headed down the hallway, expecting Jason to follow. A perverse part of him wanted to ignore the kid, but he was too tired to fight it. He slowly stood and trudged the long mile across the locker room, the sympathetic eyes of his teammates following his every leaden step.

Cody closed the door to the room and blocked the door. “Jason, man, you’re killing us out there. We need you.”

“No shit. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Cody got right in his face and the sympathy in his eyes made Jason look away. “Look, I know your girlfriend screwed you and the situation sucks. Fine, your life sucks. Join the club. But today, this isthegame, the one we need to win to get to the playoffs. And we can’t win without you. Now, I’ve given you your space and even tried to get Stacia to come and talk—”

Jason’s head whipped up. “You did what? No way. I don’t ever want to talk to her again.”

“That’s what she said. Fine. Whatever. I don’t give a rat’s ass about her and your situation. Believe what you want about her, about everything. I don’t care. I need your head in the game and your bat and glove on the field. Isn’t that what you taught us? You woke us up and had our backs when we didn’t know we needed it. Now we’ve got yours. We’re a team and we need you. Can you pull your head out of your ass and deal with that, then deal with Stacia later?”

He was right. The goddamn kid was right. He’d let everyone down all because some woman screwed with his mind. It was time to move on. And the kid had called him on that. He wouldn’t have done that a month ago. Jason had had some effect on the team.

He straightened and look Cody in the eye. “What the hell are you doing down here? We got a game to win!”

Cody grinned and whooped, slapping him on the back. They emerged from the cage and twenty-six pairs of eyes met them, expectation and hope shining in each one.

Jason got into the center of the room, Cody a few steps behind him. “Okay, guys. I’ve let you all down and I’m sorry.”

“Shit happens, man.”

“No sweat.”

He waved off the platitudes. “No excuses for my behavior. It was stupid and childish. It’s time to get serious and give these Tigers the ass-whipping they deserve. Weownthis league. We’re just toying with them until we destroy them. So, let’s get our asses out there and take them down! We have a Series to win!”

The guys all cheered and gathered around, hyping themselves up.

Jason saw Hammonds, Miranda, and Sam standing there, all nodding and smiling. He looked beyond them, hoping against all hope that another face was there, but the hallway was empty. He shouldn’t have been surprised. She swore she wasn’t using him, but if she wasn’t, she would have been here for the most important game of his life. Instead, she’d moved on without a backwards glance. He deserved it. He’d been a complete jerk, kicking her out without even listening to her. What did he expect? That she’d read his mind and be there? No, she has more self-respect than that.

He ignored the sinking feeling in his chest and followed the guys onto the field. He had a game to win and a girl to get back.

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