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I slip the bottle of water into my bag and toss it over my shoulder. Chris wraps a solid hand around my arm. “Where are you going?

We have one more inning and the game is tied.

Will can’t hold these batters like you can. ”

“Beth’s running away. If I don’t stop her, I’ll lose her. ”

Chris tightens his grip. “You promised me you’d never walk from another game. ”

The ice water Chris prayed for finally enters my veins. “Let me go before I physically remove your hand from my arm. ”

“You’re choosing her over us?”

Logan angles himself between me and Chris.

“Let him go, Chris. He’d never dog you if you chose Lacy over a game. ”

“That’s different,” yells Chris. “I love Lacy. ”

“Take a look at him. ” Logan gestures to me.

“He’s in love with Beth. You and Lacy don’t own the emotion. ”

Chris eyes me and I see the war inside him.

He yanks the hat off his head and turns from me. I’m letting him down, but I let Beth down first. Logan nods at me and I give him a quick nod of thanks back.

The crowd buzzes with conversation as I exit the dugout. I keep my head down and ignore how people stare and even the occasional shout. The perfect Stone is doing a very imperfect thing and I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about it. I hear loud thumping footfalls striking the metal bleachers.

If I’m lucky, I can hightail it to my Jeep before Dad reaches the parking lot.

Like the rest of today, I’m not lucky.

“Ryan!”

I don’t have time for this. I open the Jeep’s door and toss my bag in the back. Dad grabs hold of the door. “What are you doing?

You have another inning to play and the game is tied. ”

“Beth’s in trouble and I’m going after her. ”

“No, you’re not. You’re going to finish that game. ” Dad’s face reddens and he places his hand on his hips. In twenty-five years, I’ll be his clone if I continue on my current path. My entire life I desired nothing more than to be him. It’s funny how life changes.

“If I don’t go after her, she’ll be gone. ”

“Let her go. She needs to be gone. Since she entered your life you’ve lost focus on everything that’s important. You’re letting down your team, Ryan. You are single-handedly destroying your career in baseball.

Everything I’ve worked so hard for!”

A strange mixture of ice and heat fights through my veins as I go toe-to-toe with my father. “You haven’t worked hard for it! I have.

This is my life. Not yours. If I want to play baseball, I’ll play. If I want to go to college, I’ll go to college. If I want to talk to my brother, I will. If I want to go after Beth, I am. You are not making my decisions anymore. ”

Spit flies out of his mouth as he yells at me, “You’re going to destroy your life over a drug-using waste of life?”

Power surges through me and my fist connects with his face. Adrenaline shakes my body and I watch as my father stumbles back.

“Don’t you ever call her that again. ”

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