Still, he forced himself out of the truck.Gravelcrunched under his sneakers, announcing his presence before his voice did.
“Hey,Coach,” he called.
Half the team turned in unison, like prairie dogs poking their heads up at the same sound.Aripple of recognition spread, accompanied by a few poorly hidden smirks.
And thenRoseturned.
Her expression didn’t falter, but her dark blue eyes did sharpen, and for a long beat, she simply stared at him.Shedidn’t turn away, though, and that was something.
Acen walked slowly, careful not to kick up too much dust, careful not to look like he was in a hurry.Hestopped just short of the dugout, where the chain-link fence rattled with the vibrations of girls tossing bats against the bench.
“Did you get the box?”he asked quietly.
“I did.”Herarms crossed immediately, clipboard tucked under one elbow like she needed the barrier.“Interestingchoice, showing up like a ghost and leaving breadcrumbs.”
His mouth twitched, not quite a smile.“Ididn’t know what else to do.”
“You could’ve just talked to me.”
“I figured you didn’t want to hear it.”
“Then why now?”she shot back.
The team went on moving around them, butAcenfelt the weight of half a dozen pairs of ears leaning in, pretending not to eavesdrop.Someonecracked a bat against the cage, the hollow ring reverberating like punctuation between them.
They stood silently until the team moved away from them.
Then, he shoved his hands deep in his pockets, shoulders hunched.“Becauseseeing you with him—Declan—it made me realizeI’vewasted enough time.Ihurt you.Ishould’ve stayed.Orat least told you the truth.”
Her eyes narrowed.“Whattruth?”
He hesitated.Thecicadas droned louder, like they were filling in the silence he almost couldn’t bear to break.Helooked down at his sneakers, scuffed white with chalk dust, then back up at her.
“ThatBrianacame to me,” he said finally.“Shetold meRileydidn’t approve of us being together.Thathe’d asked her to warn me off.Shesaid ifIwas reallyRiley’sfriend,I’dleave you alone.”
Rose blinked, incredulous.“That’sridiculous.Rileynever said?—”
“I know that now,”Acencut in, voice rough.“ButIwas eighteen.Scared.Stupid.AndthenBrianakissed me and you saw it, andIdidn’t chase you down.Ilet it all fall apart.”
Her voice was sharp as the crack of a bat.“Youleft.”
“I thoughtIwas protecting you.Fromthe fallout.Frommy fears.Fromeverything.”
For a moment, all that moved was the bright neon yellow of a softball arching against the darkening sky.Rosestood still, clipboard tight against her chest, her jaw flexing.
“You were the one person who wasn’t supposed to run,” she said finally, softer this time.
Acen swallowed hard, throat dry.“Iknow.AndI’veregretted it every single day.”
Something flickered across her face then—pain, recognition, maybe both.Shelet her arms drop slightly, not open, but not quite closed anymore either.
“It wasn’t just a high school crush,Acen,” she said, and her voice cracked in a way that nearly undid him.“Iloved you.”
He took a step closer before he realized he’d moved.“Iloved you too.”
“Then why didn’t you fight for me?”Herquestion cut through the humid air like a fastball straight down the line.
His reply was barely more than a whisper.“BecauseIdidn’t thinkIwas worth fighting for.”
