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“Thanks for the reminder,” I quip, rolling my eyes at her comment and adjusting my gaze back to the pitcher's mound.
“A reminder of what?” she scoffs.
“That we’re about to kick y’all’s ass,” I reply with a devious smirk.
Not even a second later, the pitcher is winding up and throwing a wicked curveball my way. Of course, she would throw another curveball. She thought she could get me a third time, but she doesn't know that I’m in the top of the lineup because I’m one of the most observant batters on the team. It’s her mistake to give me a third chance to hit the same pitch I just saw twice before. As soon as I connect, I hear a crack of the bat and send a line drive straight to right field.
“That a girl!” Knox shouts, pumping a fist into the air.
I shoot him a swift wink as I round first base and make my way to second. My eyes dart to the outfield when I notice the right fielder missed the catch, allowing two of my teammates to make it to home plate.
“Ball Game! CCU Wins,” the umpire yells, letting us know we’ve won the game, securing an undefeated preseason.
Before I have a chance to blink, Knox is running towards me and wrapping me in a strong hug. My helmet flies off from the combination of running like my life depends on it and Knox’s forceful hug. God, it feels so good to be wrapped in his arms.
Before the team can make it to me, Knox tangles his hands in my sweaty hair and pulls my head to his broad chest. I can hear the heavy beats of his heart thumping through his thin, cotton t-shirt.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, baby. That was amazing,” he whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine as he massages the back of my head with his strong fingers.
Before I have a chance to respond or even make eye contact with him, the team is surrounding me, bringing Knox and I to the ground in a dog pile. Once we hit the dirt, I’m laying beneath Knox as the team engulfs us in hoots and hollers.
“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear, placing a soft kiss to his cheek that’s turned away from the team. I know it’s risky, but I just need to feel his skin on my lips.
“We’ll celebrate this weekend,” he replies in a tone so low and gravely, even I could barely hear him. Thank God I wore my thickest sports bra, because I can feel my nipples hardening under him.
After we get to our feet and shake hands with the opposing team, I head towards the dugout to gather my equipment. Before I step inside, I come face to face with Maisie. She already has her bag slung over her shoulder - it’s clear she’s trying to get off the field as soon as possible.
“Good game,” she clips in a dry tone without making eye contact. Her shoulder bumps against mine as she walks past me to quickly exit the field.
“What was that about?” Knox asks, a confused expression etched across his beautiful face.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I lie. “She probably just had a bad day.”
“Hmm.” He places his hands on his hips and pinches his brows together in thought. “Something’s wrong. Maisie’s normally the most chipper out of all of you. Take her out for dinner or something, okay?”
“Okay,” I nod and whisper.
I suddenly feel sick to my stomach for lying to the two people I care most about in this world.
TWENTY-SIX
PHOEBE
The past five days have been hell. I feel like it’s been an eternity since New York as I watch the hours pass by painfully slowly. The only thing I’m looking forward to is getting to spend time with Knox today.
Other than at practice and the game, we’ve barely seen or spoken to each other aside from a few texts due to work and school being so hectic. To make matters worse, Maisie’s been treating me like I don’t exist. She hasn't muttered a word to me since the game. When I'm in the apartment, she’s either gone or holed up in her room.
After she exposed my lies and shut her door in my face, I went to my room and curled up in a ball on my bed. I passed out wearing my clothes from the airport as my steady tears lulled me to sleep. Losing Maisie is the first time I’ve ever felt true loss. I’ve obviously never had a close relationship with my parents, and thankfully, I haven’t had to experience losing a close friend or family member.
Despite Maisie’s outburst, she really is a good friend who would do just about anything for the people in her circle. I think that’s why she felt so burned and betrayed. She felt like I questioned her trust as a friend. When you’re a loyal person to your core, someone you love questioning your trust is a shot to the gut. I wish she could see that was never my intention. If it were any other man, I would have told her in a heartbeat. The fact that it’s Knox, our coach, makes the situation so much more complicated. Telling Maisie needed to be a decision I discussed with Knox first. I needed to make sure he was aware that another person on the team knew about us. How blindsided would he have been if he knew I told Maisie behind his back? My education or position on the team could be on the line, but his entire fucking career could be over if our relationship is exposed. I wish Maisie could understand that’s the reason I didn’t tell her.
I’ve been struggling, trying to decide if I should tell Knox. Actually, IknowI should tell him, but I’m so scared of losing him again. Knox has shut me out so many times before, and I can’t help but fear that he would try to push me away again.God, I hate this entire situation. I hate having to sneak around and lie to the people I care about. It hurts so much to lose Maisie’s friendship, and I don’t think I could bear losing Knox too.
As much as I hate to admit it, I feel like Maisie finding out was a step in the wrong direction for Knox and me. It made me realize that we’re going about our days like everything is fine when it’s not. We’re walking on a tightrope that could snap beneath us any second. What is our plan if someone on the CCU athletic board finds out? We haven't talked about a backup plan or what our mutual stories would be. Every time I ask Knox if we can discuss our plan, he says it’s something we’ll work out with time. Well, time isn’t in our favor, and May is going to be here before we know it. I don’t know if Knox has started applying for jobs or what his plan is, because he hasn't talked to me about it. I don’t want to risk hurting or losing people close to me if Knox isn’t serious about making this work. After my fallout with Maisie, I made the decision to bring it up to Knox this weekend. I’m not giving him the option to avoid it anymore. We have to figure this out or we’re going to do nothing but hurt ourselves and everyone in our path.
* * *
“Mmm, I’ve missed this,”Knox groans as I straddle him on my couch, completely naked and trying to catch our breaths from our earth-shattering orgasms. His dick is still hard inside me, causing the most delicious friction. I roll my hips as I feel his release leaking from my entrance and dripping down my thighs.I can’t get enough of this man.We haven’t used a condom since New York, and I’m convinced I’ll never get used to the feeling of him coming inside of me. It’s like he’s claiming me, marking me as his each time.
