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“Uh-uh! What did I say? Not another word!” Harold says sharply, but there’s a smile curving his wrinkled face. “As for how to handle your stubborn friend, just handle it the same way you handle my cranky ass. Smile, nod, then do whatever the hell needs to be done to make sure he’s okay.”

24

GRIFF

Avoidance is not generally a tactic I would recommend to anyone. It tends to make matters worse.

But my head and my heart are at constant war with each other. And instead of acting rationally and trying to make sense of how I feel, I’ve been ignoring it all, floating down the river of denial.

Which is cowardly as anything and only makes me hate myself even more. It doesn’t help that Foxxy’s still pissed, and rightly so. After all, he’s right.

In the deepest part of my heart, I do see how good we all were together.

And I can’t stop thinking about Olivia. About the possibility of being with her again, sharing her with my best friend.

I’ve lain awake long into the night too many times in the week that’s past since we slept over at her apartment, trying to hold onto the memory of her lips on mine, her body underneath me, and the way she unraveled in my arms.

Yeah, avoidance isn’t working out so well.

I round the corner of the grocery store and see a display of cool ranch Doritos.

Her favourite flavour. A smile creases my face, unbidden.

Then, like one of Pavlov’s dogs, my head whips around at the sound of her voice coming from the front of the store. My footsteps quicken, and there she is. Long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, and a relaxed expression on her face as she chats with the cashier.

My heart twinges in my chest.

Traitorous organ.

Foxxy seems to think a three-person relationship could work. I wish I had a fraction of his confidence, but it sounds too good to be true.

Then again, as I stare at the back of her head, I stop avoiding my feelings. I let the lid on that box open just a crack. And all I want is to feel her in my arms again.

I’m not enough for her. She deserves so much more. But maybe together, with Foxxy, we could be enough?

Fuck. That thought scares me. Enough to keep me rooted in place as Olivia walks out the door of the store without ever knowing I was there.

At practice that afternoon, there’s no denying the ongoing tension between Foxxy and me. The guys are picking up on it, casting us sidelong glances. How could they not when we drove here separately and our communication on the field is the worst it’s ever been.

Only Cal is brave enough to come out and ask. “What the fuck is going on? You two are normally so in sync, it’s disgusting,” he says after Foxxy ignores yet another one of my pitch calls, throwing a curveball that Lucky easily smashes to the outfield. “Everyone’s weirded out by it. It feels like Mom and Dad are fighting.”

I grunt as a way of answering and continue removing my catcher’s gear. “Don’t want to talk about it.”

I feel the weight of his stare on me, even as I keep my gaze anywhere but on him. “Yeah, well, the home opener is in two days, bro. We need you guys to figure your shit out if we don’t want to embarrass ourselves in front of a sold-out crowd.”

That makes me look up. “Sold out?”

Cal’s grinning. “Yeah. First sold-out home opener in, like, a decade. Isla’s been working overtime on different promotional ideas and told June bug last night that it worked. I dunno if I’m meant to know, though. I think Coach wanted to announce it later, so”—he leans in close and lifts his fingers to his lips, miming zipping them shut—“it’s our secret, right? Juni will murder me if she knows I told you.”

I bark out a short laugh at his shudder of fear. “Seriously? You’re scared of Juniper?”

He nods solemnly. “She’s my bestie, but she’s terrifying when she’s mad. Like, she goes all silent and shit. It’s creepy.”

“Okay…” I say, drawing out the word. “Well, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Wouldn’t want to risk your well-being.”

“Thanks, man, you’re a good guy. Now, sort that shit out with Foxxy, will ya?” With a grin and a slap to my shoulder, Cal turns and saunters away.

It’s all I can do to shake my head at the idiot. How he can’t see what’s right in front of him, I don’t know. But he is so far gone for Juniper, it’s ridiculous.