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“Looks like I’ll be the new gold-glover third baseman on this team from now on…” T.J. boasts from across the room.
I look up only to see the smug face of a boy that thinks that just because he has management’s approval that he’s king of the fucking castle. I shake my head, not wanting to get into it right now, and knowing that if I go off, I’ll be benched for the next few games, and I can’t risk that.
“Got nothing to say, Anderson?” T.J. teases, pulling his uniform over his head as I glare at the logo embroidered on his chest. He doesn’t deserve to walk around with that on his chest, he doesn’t deserve to play in front of the best fans in the league.
“Miller, mind your own fucking business and concentrate on proving you’re worth your shit, huh?” Will yells from beside me, and I fight the smile that tugs at the edges of my mouth. That is exactly what I would have said if I knew I could say it without punching him in the face first.
“I really hate that kid,” I mutter so only Will can hear.
“I hear ya, let’s just hope he has a shit game and everything goes back to normal tomorrow, okay?”
I stare forward, feeling eyes on me the whole time and when I look over, T.J. is glaring daggers in my direction. His eyes dart toward Coach’s office and my eyes follow, I notice Coach is standing at the window, watching. A look passes between the two men that sets my nerves on edge. T.J.’s eyes come back to mine and I see a newfound confidence in him that wasn’t there a second ago, and I know I need to do everything in my power to make sure I prove that this is my team.
No matter what.
15
Harper
“Okay, we need to burst through that wall over there.” I point to my left and Josh motions for Will and King to follow. It’s been a few weeks since I told Mel that this was hers, and we’ve spent most of our time going over design ideas and plans. Josh has a few days off before his next series, so he and the guys have graciously decided to devote those precious days helping us out. I lean against the doorframe watching as Josh directs King on how to demolish a wall and Will nudges me as he passes.
“Hey,” I say before he walks away. “Thanks again for helping, Mel is gonna be so happy when all this is done.”
Will laughs at Josh and King who are now acting like children pretending to be superheroes as they bust through the wall. I met Will this morning and quickly learned just how close he and Josh are, and watching them together, their banter back and forth made me realize how important a friendship like that is, and I’ve grown to really like Will.
King, on the other hand, is a whole other animal. He introduced himself, completely forgetting who I was and the fact that we met at the bar, and he’s the reason Josh and I met in the first place. Where Will is sweet and considerate, Cameron King is blunt and aggressive, and I know he will make some girl’s life a living hell one day, and I just hope she gives it right back to him.
“Don’t mention it,” Will says. “You know Josh is crazy about you.”
I blush, looking over at Josh whose eyes are on me, and he winks as he knocks down another part of the wall. Heat creeps through my veins because it doesn’t help that Josh is shirtless and every single muscle is glistening with a sheen of sweat.
“I’m serious,” Will says again, taking me out of my very pleasant fantasy. “That man is falling hard for you, I just want you to be careful.”
I look up at him, confused.
“What do you mean?” The pit in my stomach drops, thinking he got copies of the pictures, making my worst nightmare become a reality.
“He has trust issues.”
I let out a breath because I can deal with trust issues. Piece of cake.
“He’s been burned by some people in his life, and I honestly never thought that I would see him this happy.”
I love the warm feeling that’s spreading through me.
“I like him too,” I say, being as honest as I can with a guy I only met a few hours ago. “I get the trust thing, my last boyfriend was a douchebag and a half, you have nothing to worry about there.”
I try not to think of the photos I still haven’t shown Josh as lying, but that eerie feeling creeps back into my veins and I start to panic. I’ve been waiting for more photos to show up, but I haven’t received anything since the first envelope. Mel has been scouring the gossip sites to see if they’ve leaked, but so far nothing yet. I also haven’t received any more photos, but then again Josh and I haven’t seen each other that much since his schedule has been so busy.
Will squeezes my shoulder and says, “Good, I’m glad he’s found you. He deserves a good one.” Then he walks away toward Josh and starts to help out.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket and I see it’s a text from Mel saying she’s on her way. Ever since the guys started the demo, I’ve been dying for her to see this space. I reply, letting her know just how excited I am when another notification comes through with the subject line URGENT so I open it. The second I click on that email I regret it. Staring back at me is an attachment that appears to be a video and this time there’s a message.
The pictures were just the beginning, the video is only a sample. Tell your boyfriend he better watch his back, or these will hit every gossip site in the city.
There’s no signature and I find myself hesitating before I open the video. When I do, I know that this video is a thousand times worse than the pictures. Thank God there’s no sound and the quality is horrible, but the intent is clear. Embarrassment. The sample is only a couple of seconds long, but from the way my head is back and the way my body is moving, there is no denying what Josh and I are doing.
I shut off my screen as a deep need to throw it against the nearest wall overtakes my body. I take a breath, excusing myself from the room and making my way outside to get some air.
