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I jog up the front steps, skipping the second step, and yank open the door. The laughter is audible in the living room.
“Oh man, can I have a copy of this, Mrs. Graham?” I can’t tell what photo Ace is currently holding in his hand, but based on him wiping tears away with the bottom of his palm, I assume it’s not a very good one. “I would love to upload it to the Cooper Graham Fan Club website.”
“Of course, dear. Actually, I’m sure I can put together a whole collage of photos.”
“Ma,” I yell. “What are you doing? I thought you were on my side.”
She shrugs and smiles. “Cooper, it’s not every day you have a professional baseball player with the nicest tush in the league asking for something in your living room.”
My eyes wander to my best friend sitting beside her, watching his smile widen as he mouths “tush.” I fight back the urge to flip him off because I know that will only get me in more trouble with my mama.
“Seriously, Ma? You brought these all out?” Spread out across the coffee table are dozens of baby photos of me.For fuck’s sake.I run my hands down my face and let out a heavy sigh. I wonder how pissed Ma would be if I walked up and knocked over the pitcher of sweet tea in front of them, destroying all evidence of a naked four-year-old version of me riding a rocking horse toy.
Ma stands up with her hands on her hips.Oh boy, I definitely went and did it now.“If you had been on time, I wouldn’t have had to pull out the baby photos to entertain.”
“Yeah, Cooper.” Ace stands, mimicking Ma’s stance. “If only you were on time. I know your mother definitely taught you to be punctual.”
“That I did.” She turns to Ace and pats gently at his cheek.
I step up to Ace and pull him into a hug instead of decking him in the face. We slap each other’s back loudly, me a little harder than normal, and Ace lets out a low chuckle.
“Good to see you.”
“You too.” Ace taps my chin with his fist. “Although, seems you just got uglier since I last saw you.”
“Yeah, well, your mom doesn’t seem to mind,” I tease.
“Cooper James Graham!” my mother shrieks, looking appalled at my joke. She huffs and walks away. “On that note, I will leave you both to it. If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“I think she loves me,” Ace leans in and whispers as Ma walks away.
I roll my eyes as I gather the images up on the table. Ace sits back down on the couch and extends his arms over the back. “So, what was so important that you couldn’t be here to meet your very best friend?”
“Well, if you had arrived around the time we had talked about, then I would have been on time.”
Ace just shrugs. “I figured I’d surprise you. Surprise,” he laughs, waving his hands like jazz hands.
I explain the events of this morning, starting with our run-in with Principal Horne. By the time I’m done, Ace has tears running down his face.It’s not that funny, asshole.
“Do you have some sort of kink of getting caught doing things you shouldn’t be in places that you shouldn’t be?”
My shoulders tense at the mention of the exact indiscretion he’s referring to. All that blankets my mind is the hurt in Riley’s eyes as she threw that article at my feet.
“Nah, man, that was different.” My mood sours as I plop down on the couch. “This is Riley we’re talking about—not just some girl.”
“I can’t wait to meet the broad who made you change your ways.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, Ace. Maybe I was always just like this. It’s always been here. That was all just a farce—a way of me not dealing with shit.”
All the guys on the team are aware of the events of my past, but they don’t know how deep the darkness ran in my veins. Out of all the players on the team, Ace and I are the closest.
“Can I ask you a question?”
I nod. It’s not like he wasn’t going to ask either way.
“Do you go to the cemetery a lot?”
“I try to go every other day, if not every day. It’s sort of like therapy without the hassle of dealing with insurance. I don’t really know if I can explain it, but it grounds me and gives me peace. After avoiding my grief for six years, I have to learn to embrace it being back home. I mean, I’d much rather have him here with me, but this is what I’m left with.”
