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The music blares and a game of flip the cup rages on the porch. That’s where I see the brunettesitting on the porch swing. I watch as she lifts her legs and tucks one under her thigh while kicking the one with the ankle brace out to the side. My mind drifts to how her legs would feel wrapped around me. How bendable she looks.
Wind catches in my chest at the sight of her. But as quickly as her eyes dart toward mine, she traipses off, phone in hand and a medical boot on her foot. With that body and tight abs, she’s more than likely an athlete. She’s probably meeting a guy because there’s no way she’s not taken.
I wanted to explain what she saw was nothing. Erika had too many shots and fell at the exact moment the brunette that was hanging out with Logan left the bathroom.
Mental note: Ask Logan if she has a boyfriend.
I find Logan making out in an Adirondack chair with a volleyball player. If they were to have a baby, they would be a professional athlete without a doubt. This is one hell of a mixture of people. All we need is someone from the basketball team to show up. Clearing my throat, I say, “Hey, I’m headed out. I have an early workout tomorrow morning.” I’ll have to wait to ask him about her. He’s tied up, literally with the longest limbs, I’ve ever seen.
Logan scoffs, “It’s twelve thirty.”
“Yeah, I have to be there before the sun comes up. My job isn’t cemented like yours. We all can’t be Logan Warren.”
He rears his head back, laughing. “True. It’s good to be me.”
I text Mac that I’m heading out and within minutes he catches up to me. “Is everything okay with Marley?” I ask.
“For so long we’ve been by each other’s side. Games, family dinners, parties and now we’re doing it all alone,” he says, his voice quieter than usual.
His feelings aren’t lost on me. Even though Julia and I weren’t long distance, I understand the loneliness of not having thatspecialsomeone by your side. When Julia broke it off, my body went numb. I couldn’t control any aspect of my life except baseball. But then my coach, who recruited me, called a team meeting, and the next day he was leaving too. It was the punishing final blow to my gut and heart.
Betrayal from the girl I loved and the coach I loved was almost too much. I slap Mac on the back and say, “You’ve got me, and you can spank that monkey anytime you want—in your own shower.”
He shakes his longish hair and sports a sideways grin. “You know, you should slow down. Don’t want to go through all the girls in the summer.”
“Now what’s the fun in that?” I laugh. I haven’t done anything other than kiss a few girls, but I can’t stop the rumor mill.
Upon entering our house, Mac heads straight to the shower and we both know what’s happening. I sit down on the couch, turn on the television toEverybody Loves Raymondreruns. I’ve seen them all so if I fall asleep, I haven’t missed anything.
Looking at my phone, I swipe through all my notifications. Five are from girls that I’ve met recently asking me to come over or back to the party.
But my conversation with Mac makes me think of Julia, and she’s the last person I want in my head. I lean my back on the tan, plush couch, staring at the ceiling. Why can I still feel her twisting the knife? She took a wrecking ball to my heart and my life. I was so happy—I loved her, loved my coach, team, and friends. She was the first brick to fall, and the rest came tumbling down.
Stay positive. This is the right team, and the right woman will come.
For some reason, my mind wanders to the gorgeous brown haired beauty in the boot.
ChapterSeven
Adalee
My life ison a downhill slope. I had surgery on my ACL, but the boot is off and replaced by a brace on the other leg. Thanks, Hagan. It’s his fault I fell. In fairness, I know he didn’t push me and actually cause the fall, but his smile and laugh were like watching a comet streak through the sky—hypnotizing. For some reason the cocky guys just stick in my mind. Possibly because I’m inexperienced and their confidence is appealing. In the beginning, Chaz had that same easy cockiness but somewhere along the way, it turned into aggressive behavior.
Unfortunately,I had to miss the first two weeks of school so today is my first day of the semester, and my brace slows me to a turtle’s pace, but eventually I make it to my second class, which is all the way across campus. A thin sheen of sweat blankets my forehead as I try to catch my breath. I’ve been reduced to needing an oxygen tank to walk a mile. I’m exaggerating, but my body is usually in tip-top shape, and it sucks waiting for someone to open the door for you. When no one comes, I hobble up to the entrance, but it opens from the inside.
“Adalee, how are ya doing?” Joe asks. He pushes the door open wide and waits until I’m clear. Joe is Ginger’s regular hookup, although they function like a couple but refuse to put a label on it. I find them spooning on our couch a few times a week.
“Honestly, I don’t know…tearing my ACL sucks. I’ve done so much to my body over the years, it’s inconceivable that I would hurt myself by doing an activity as simple as walking.”
I’m out of breath from maneuvering inside the doorway. He helps ease me into a seat in the back row, so steps aren’t an issue.
“Hate to beat a dead horse but you should have asked me to take you home. You never did say why you left in a rush.” He sighs. “Wait for me and I’ll help you out after class,” Joe suggests. He raises his eyebrows, waiting for me to answer.
“Okay. I saw Chaz and didn’t need for him to make a drunken scene,” I lie. I did see Chaz handing Hagan a beer, so are they suddenly best friends?
The auditorium is curved, and Joe takes a seat next to some other baseball players, and I can’t help but notice the electricity surrounding Hagan. He’s magnetic with guys, too. He’s telling a story—his mouth moving and hands gesturing wildly. Joe and the guys burst out howling. Hagan’s lips spread and I’m mesmerized by his panty-dropping smile. But when he throws his head back, cackling—it’s the happiest sound I’ve ever heard.
What it must be like to be happy and free. I’ve spent my life in gymnastics with every minute scheduled for me. And now, I’m lost not knowing what to do with my time, and it’s one hundred percent Hagan’s fault.
