Page 17 of Fastball

I take another look across the room and see Mel’s eyes trained on us, or more specifically, Will.

“I know you think you don’t have a chance, and you might be right. But let me tell you a little secret. From what Harper has told me, Mel can be a hard nut to crack. If you’re that interested, keep going. It might be worth it.”

He says nothing as I stare at the mural he helped Mel paint. It takes up the entire wall and features the silhouettes of every kind of dancer you can think of from hip-hop to ballet. I always knew Will had a talent for art, but the girls didn’t and seeing their faces when he started to draw his ideas was priceless. In front of us are two very large windows surrounded by exposed brick that give the room a very authentic vibe. There is obviously a wall of mirrors to my left that adorns a row of wooden rails that apparently are there to help the kids with balance. I’ll take Mel’s word for it. There are cubbies in the hallway and couches for the parents.

It looks amazing.

Just as I’m about to head back downstairs to the gym, I hear a phone go off and from the ringtone, I know it’s Harper’s. When she takes it out of her back pocket and looks at the screen, I know something is wrong. Her entire body locks and her eyes bug out of her head and when those pleading eyes meet mine, the tears form and threaten to escape.

“Sunshine? What’s wrong?” I plead, making my way toward her, Will following behind me.

She doesn’t say anything as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her as close as I can. She instantly relaxes as I kiss the top of her head, hoping to bring some semblance of comfort. I ask again what happened, but instead of answering, she just holds out the phone for me.

I warned you, the email says and attached are dozens of new pictures. And when she opens them, I instantly feel sick to my stomach. They’re from the night in the batting cage.

Fucking hell.

“Jesus…” I mutter, looking through all the pictures and cringing at the ones near the end.

Harper is on full display for anyone to see, and the angle that rears its head makes me tense. Harper mutters something about needing some air as she pulls away from me and leaves the room. I look to Mel, who motions for me to follow, so I do. She walks right outside, not stopping, no matter how many times I call her name.

“Harper, come on. Stop for a second and talk to me,” I say once I catch up to her, she still doesn’t stop. It’s almost as if she can’t, she has to keep going or she’ll break down.

“Josh please, I just need a second,” she mumbles, as the sadness in her voice reaches my ears and my heart breaks.

I know she doesn’t really want me to leave, she just doesn’t know how to handle this with me here. I need to prove to her that we can do this… together.

She finally stops and I place my hand on her shoulders as they slump, her head falling forward, looking at the ground.

“Harper, please just talk to me. I need to know what you’re thinking right now.”

“What am I thinking?” she snaps. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I’m thinking…”

I pull her into the alleyway, allowing her space to yell as loud as possible.

“I’m thinking that we were so reckless! I knew someone was taking pictures and videos of us and I just…” She pauses, her face angled toward the sky, and I can’t take being away from her, so I close the distance.

“Just what?” I whisper softly, linking our fingers.

The moment our hands touch, she melts, and I know I made the right decision. Together we can do this… we just need to remember that this isn’t going to divide us.

“I just thought the gym was a safe space for me… for us,” she whispers and our eyes lock. Her eyes are searching for something and she must see it in mine because her eyes soften.

I lean my forehead against her and brush my nose against hers.

“It still is…”

She pulls back, anger radiating off every inch of her skin.

“No, it’s not,” she mutters, pushing past me. “There was no one at that gym when it happened, Josh. Those photos? They’re not from a phone or a camera, they’re from the surveillance system.”

Fuck, she’s right. I never noticed the angle when I was looking at them but she’s totally right.

“It’s not just that the pictures exist, it’s that someone I work with is doing this to us… to you.” She’s pacing back and forth now and my fist clenches at the idea of someone we trust breaking into that video room and taking what is not theirs.

“Harper…”

“But what I’m really pissed about is the fact that we still have no fucking idea who is taking these damn pictures!” She’s starting to crumble right in front of me so I wrap my arms around her, and the tears start to fall. “I’m sorry…” she whispers as I kiss her temple.

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