Page 100 of West Bound

“Shut the fuck up. I’m not your goddamn therapist and I really don’t care if you nursing your broken fucking heart. Cry into your pillow on your own time. When you’re here, your ass belongs to me. So unless you want to find yourself pitching to a bunch of AAA rookies, get your act together and pitch the way I know you can. Got it?”

I swallow down the lump in my throat and nod. “Yes sir.” I push on the arms of the chair to stand and suck back these damn emotions that want to pour out of my eyes.

“And West,” coach says right before I walk out the door.

“Yes sir?”

“I’m sorry this happened. But if you say it was a mix-up, then you need to do whatever you can to prove to her this doesn’t fall on your shoulders. My wife and I lost ourselves to a similar…miscommunication, I guess you can call it. But I groveled my ass off and now we've been married for twenty-six years. Fix it.”

I nod my head in thanks and leave his office, reliving that day in the room and try to put the pieces of this puzzle together.

Someone set me up. I just know it. No one knows about the name aside from Vivian and teammat–

“I’m going to fucking murder them.”

“How can you be sure they did that? I don’t know that they’d have it in them to go to the lengths for it. Plus…why would they want to hurt, Red? Everyone loves her.”

I look at Tuck from across the table we sit at in the back of our favorite mom and pop eatery.

“Who else would know the name I check-in with? And those two are the only ones pissed at me. Remember…I kicked their asses for talking about Viv? It’s gotta be them.”

I invited Tuck and Philo to lunch after batting practice to talk to them about my suspicions of Manny and Rami and their possible involvement with this whole break-up with Vivian.

Tuck lifts his hand and I turn around to see Philo walk in the door.

“Hey guys. Sorry I’m late. Cassie had a little tiff with her co-worker and I’m her designated bitch partner.” Philo plops down in the seat next to Tuck with a huff.

“That sucks, man. Sorry,” Tuck tells him.

“I’d give anything to listen to my girl complain about a hangnail. You should thank your lucky stars she’s talking to you.”

Philo gives me a sad smile and I fill him in on my theory.

He moves his mouth from side to side in thought, as I’ve witnessed him do, and says, “I agree with you, Nix. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out they set this all up. Rami’s always been a good guy, but it seems like he’s pretty butt hurt about you and Vivian. And Manny, well…that guy is a snake. I wouldn’t trust him to hold my place in line.”

“So what do I do? How can I prove this? I have no real evidence, and even though Vivian says she believes I didn’t know that batshit crazy women, she’s not willing to give me another chance. If I can prove that I’m not the scumbag she assumes me to be, then maybe…” I shrug my shoulders and let them fill in the rest.

Tuck leans forward and whispers, “if we want to find out if it was them, then we have to think like them. What if we…”

Tuck, Philo and I devise a plan to catch them in their lies over cubans and sweet tea, and I pray to God that it works. Because if we can pull it off. I’ll have Vivian back in my arms in time to celebrate our championship.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

PHOENIX

“Simple Things” - Miguel

I stare at Vivian from my place in the dugout and watch as she smiles and talks with everyone but me. Her beautiful hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and it reminds me of the night in the hotel when I pressed her against the windows in our room and tied her up.

“Any luck?” Cisco asks.

“Nah man. She still hasn’t talked to me. It’s been two weeks and she won’t even look my way unless it’s an on camera interview. And even then she focuses over my shoulder, never really making eye contact.” My eyes are fixed on her creamy legs that peak out from her purple skirt.

All I can think about is how good it feels to be buried between those legs and how long it’s been since I’ve tasted her.

“Well that could all change tonight.” My head whips to look at him. “Tuck and Philo told me what was up. I’m down to help. Especially because that fucker Manny has it coming.”

“What’s he done to you?” I ask.

---