Page 121 of Third Strike Smitten

“But she said no?” Carter asks, his voice softer now.

“She’s leaving.” I stare at the floor. “So yeah, I guess she said no.”

Alaric shifts in his seat. “Bro, did you actually hear the word ‘no’ come out of her mouth? Did she get up and walk out?”

I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out because I’m replaying that morning in my head.

Did she actually say no?

“No,” I admit quietly. “She didn’t say no. Not exactly. I didn’t give her the chance to turn me down.”

“Wait,” Carter says, holding up a hand. “What?”

I push my hand through my hair. “I left before she could get up and walk away. Told her I needed to get to the field.”

“And this happened this morning?” Alaric asks.

I shake my head. “Tuesday. And when I got back she wasn’t at my apartment.”

Bishop stares me down. “Did she leave the key?”

“What?”

“The key. Was it still there when you got home?”

“No. At least it wasn’t on the bed where it sat while we were…arguing.”

“So, she took the key,” Carter states.

“I mean…yeah, but⁠—”

“But nothing,” Bishop interrupts. “She took the fucking key, Kill. She kept it.”

“Maybe she just forgot to give it back,” I mutter, but even as the words leave my mouth, I’m not sure I believe them myself.

If she didn’t want the key, why would she have taken it?

“Or maybe she’s trying to figure shit out,” Brock suggests, kicking my chair again. “Ever think of that?”

“She told me her new assignment starts October 1st. She has to be in New York. In case you guys have forgotten, that’s on the other side of the fucking country. She’s probably on a plane right now.”

“So what?” Bishop leans forward; his eyes locked on mine. “People move. It’s not like you can’t visit New York, Kill.”

“It’s not that simple.” I grab a resistance band from the wall. “She made her choice. She’s leaving.”

Carter stands, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know what your problem is, Haynes? You’ve always been a stubborn son of a bitch. Too proud to admit when you’re wrong.”

“I’m not wrong about this,” I mutter, though the certainty in my voice sounds hollow even to my own ears.

I want to be wrong about this.

I want to be wrong so fucking bad it hurts.

Brock stands with Carter. “She took the key, man. She said she loves you. What more do you need?”

“What I need is for her to choose me!” The words burst out of me before I can stop them. “I need her to look at me and say, ‘I’m staying because you’re worth it.’ Not because I begged or because she feels guilty. I need her to want me enough to fight through her fear!”

The clubhouse falls silent. Even the hum of the fluorescent lights seems to fade as my words hang in the air.