Page 192 of Challenge Me

“I’m sorry,” Oli said softly. “It’s just overwhelming to see someone finally love him the way you do.” He pulled back, then patted my cheek harder than was necessary. “You deserve him. Don’t take that lightly. Not once have I approved of someone Remi dated.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

The back door slid open, then Trav came out of it holding a bat and a pile of gloves. He tossed them around to the guys, who all seemed excited except for Tilian, who claimed to be ‘too fried for this torture.’

“What is this?” I asked.

Trav slung his arm around my shoulders. “This is baseball, Amir.”

“Yeah, I’m sort of familiar.”

“Good. You’re at bat.” He swung the bat toward me, hitting me right in the balls, and I bent forward with a grunt.

“You asshole.”

“Why are we playing?” Brooks asked.

West hopped from one foot to the other while he pounded his fist against his glove. “Who cares? I’m going to annihilate you all. Especially you, Linc.”

Trav smiled at me, ignoring the others. “You down for a game before we get that camera going?”

I grabbed the bat right above where he was holding it. “I’m always down for a game.”

We divvied up into two small teams and tossed some mats in the grass to act as bases. I tapped the bat on the one beneath me and got into position. In his sweats, Trav looked casual, but I wouldn’t let down my guard. He was always a threat, on and off the field.

When the ball connected, someone whistled. For a second, I watched it soar through the air, not really caring if they caught it. Within that short frame, I saw dozens of memories. The first time I hit a ball when I was seven. The fit I had when I couldn’t throw it straight, and the joy when endless hours of practice paid off. Meeting Avery in middle school and telling her the dreams that I thought would sound stupid. Seeing Mal on the ultrasound and feeling her kick for the first time. My wedding. The time I spent in the minor leagues, then the season I moved up to MLB. The years of trying to be the person I thought I was supposed to be, and the day I finally admitted the truth to myself. My divorce. The shame I felt, not because I was gay, but because I thought I’d failed my family. When I found Trav and felt hope for my future again.

And the day I met Remi Keane, the guy who sang like nobody was watching and used a pool cue as well as I swung a bat. It was the same day the field stopped feeling like the only place I could breathe. I’d been reminded that there was still a long future ahead of me, and it didn’t have to be hidden away in the dark.

But even hope came with its own uncertainty.

Who would I be when the stadium went quiet?

Chapter 54

Remi

When shadows fell, I learned to run;

My aim was both tried and true.

I chose the dark because he’s the sun;

But gods, I hoped he’d want me too.

It had been a week since I posted that video. Tommy was doing one hell of a job keeping out the internet trolls. It helped that he was terrifying, especially when he stood at his full height and crossed his arms like a stern drill sergeant.

I might have asked him to boss me around at some point if the idea didn’t make me physically nauseous. It was baked into my DNA to rebel against authority figures, for one. For two, I was chained to a hopeless kind of love that I hadn’t been sure existed a few months ago.

Hopeless wasn’t the right word. Doomed was more like it.

It was senseless to look at that stool. Amir hadn’t come back, which was a good thing. It was exactly what I’d intended to happen. I had no doubt Renshu was willing to keep him chained up if necessary, or maybe Amir was pissed off enough to stay away on his own. Either way, my plan had worked.

It was good.

I stared at his stool for a long moment.

“You’re interesting,” he said, his eyes burning with something I wanted to dive straight into, consequences be damned.