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Back to flirting.
Back to winking.
Back to playing.
Life is good. Until I take another look to my cheering section and my brother of all people is hugging Talynn. Is she crying? Hagan stands and leads Talynn up the steps. When he returns, Talynn is gone and she doesn’t come back.
What am I doing? I don’t hurt people deliberately.
The game starts and I throw out a runner at home from deep centerfield. In the bottom of the sixth, I hit a two-run homer. Everything is clicking. My body hums like a Ferrari.
Because of Talynn—having her hands on my back and seeing her.
When the game is over, the only person I want to celebrate with is Tay, but instead, I go to the Bueno! with Harper, Hagan, Jayson and his date, Bianca. Doesn’t that sound like someone dating a billionaire? Everyone drinks but me. I’m not twenty-one until tomorrow and Talynn’s right. I need to take care of myself.
Maybe she’s right about everything.
I miss coming home and her jumping on me like a retriever who hasn’t seen his owner all day.
I miss those damn Daisy Dukes—a pitiful excuse for pajama shorts.
I miss her love for all things orange flavored or colored.
I miss her color-coded activity board.
I just miss her.
Today made it worse. Her hands soothed my tight aching muscles. Her sultry scent tugged at my groin, but it was watching her cry that broke my heart—Still, I let her walk away. I wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go, but pride would have none of that.
Hagan and Harper tell me to text her, but I don’t. I’m not ready, and I might not ever be. As much as I miss Talynn, I never want to feel the shredding of my heart again. I never want to puke so hard I cry again. I opened myself up to this. I’ll apologize to her, but I can’t get this close to a woman again. Not ever.
“I’m heading home.” I’ve had enough dancing around the elephant in the room for one night. Tired of pretending I’m okay. “I’ll see you at the game and then at the party.”
It’s been an excruciatingly emotional day. The ups and downs in the last eighteen hours look like a stock market chart. I flop in bed and set my alarm. Wilson’s house used to feel like home, but now it’s empty and cold. There’s no Talynn, no gobs of throw pillows. In his defense, it’s freshly renovated and beautiful, but it lacks decor and texture—a woman’s touch. I’m sure Kenni will have it perfect in no time.
My phone buzzes with Archer’s personalized tone.
Archer:A team is interested in you. We’ll talk tomorrow.
ChapterTwenty-Six
TALYNN
Tackett:Can you come?
The screen of my gold rose phone reads. Yes. Of course, I can come—over—to his house. It’s the first time Tackett has contacted me. Seeing him yesterday and being rejected was one thing but seeing him sign the beautiful Latina’s stomach made me sick to mine. I wanted to be there for his comeback and see that beautiful swing. I wanted to see Tackett happy playing baseball again, but I couldn’t watch him flirt with another woman and break all of his own rules. Then when he invited her to his birthday party and made sure it was clear to me, it was more than my stomach or heart could take.
But no matter how my insides turned last night, or how he treated me, I love him. A simple three word text sends my heart pitter-pattering.
Me:Yes, getting off now.
Tackett:???
My eyebrows knit together before laughing. It’s Saturday, and I usually don’t work, but today, I’m doing whatever it takes. But I like volunteering on Saturdays and I’m going to keep doing it. Tackett doesn’t know if I’m being naughty or if I’m actually getting off work, so I decide to tease him. I want him to feel the playful chemistry between us again.
Me:Do you want to know how?
I keep seeing bubbles and they disappear, only to show up again. He’s thinking.
