“Overcompensating?”
Trip turned and headed off to the side of the diamond. Before he took two steps he jabbed. I waited for it, figuring it would be a puny little tap with no real power behind it. I was wrong.
“The JackholeS are overrated.”
Red.
I saw red. The next three batters didn’t have a chance. How dare he insult the band that had gotten me through my high school years? Their lyrics penetrated deep into my soul, and I knew they understood me without ever meeting them. They were my people. Trip was not my people.
“Good job, honey,” my mom said, hugging me.
“I have to know. What did Trip say to you out there? You looked like you were out for blood when he left the mound.” My dad looked at me, waiting for an answer.
I couldn’t even form the words Trip had uttered.
My dad looked at my face and his eyes widened with surprise. “That good, huh?”
I ground my teeth, still unable to accept Trip’s words.
“We’re going out to eat. Do you want to come with us?” my mom asked.
I could tell she wanted to wheedle what he said to me out. She must have read my face that it wasn’t happening.
“I’m going to pass. There’s an ice bath with my name on it and after that jammies and take-out.”
My parents hugged me and told me to call them if I changed my mind. I limped into the locker room, ready for numbness.
The team was already gone, leaving the locker room blissfully quiet. After the win they left in a loud uproar to get their party on. They asked me to go. I refused. Especially when I caught Claire’s glare. I’d never fit in with them, and I was extremely fine with that.
I inched into the ice bath. My teeth were gritted together as I eased into the hellish heaven. Every muscle protested at the agony I was forcing upon them until I went numb. Delightfully numb.
I leaned my head back and stared at the pocked ceiling, allowing the icy pain to remove my thoughts. The quiet was euphoric. Even pitching in a red haze of anger, my thoughts pounded against the back of my head, waiting to pounce after I annihilated the inning. The ice bath was doing something I wasn’t able to do since I woke up and ate my lonely breakfast with brain eating zombies. It shut everything out.
“Hey, Raine.” Trip’s voice infiltrated my numb bubble and I couldn’t help but frown. “Your parents said I’d find you here.”
I felt the energy of his nearness bring to life my frozen nerve endings. His masculine smell penetrated my nostrils. I squeezed my eyelids together, hoping to return to my peaceful state of mind.
“McKenna, what’s wrong?”
Damn it, he had to use my name again. I opened my eyes and slowly turned my head. Trip’s hat was off and his blue eyes roamed over my face as if trying to get a read on me.
“The JackholeS are not overrated,” I blurted out, and to my horror my eyes filled with tears.
“McKenna, I was just trying to light a fire under you. I was afraid it wouldn’t work, because everyone knows the JackholeS are amazing. I can’t believe you actually listened to me.”
Tears streamed down my face and my arms refused to move so I could swipe them away. Trip frowned, and before I knew his intention, he was hauling me out of the icy water. I let him. My limbs weren’t functioning even if I wanted to push him away.
Trip sat crossed legged on the concrete floor with me cuddled into him. My cold body sucked up the heat he was creating, while his clothes soaked up the water clinging to me.
“What’s the matter? Darlin’, I need you to talk to me. I can’t make it better if I don’t know what’s bothering you.”
I buried my face into his shoulder and sobbed. His calloused hand made its way up and down my spine. Trip’s movement brought back sensation to my muscles, reminding me I was only wearing a sports bra and sports shorts.
“Come on, Raine. I was kidding about the JackholeS. I’ll take you to a concert if you want. I’ll sing every song and fangirl out right next to you.”
“Everything’s changing,” I said, stopping Trip’s rambling.
“The music?”
