Read Online Home Run by Bernadette Marie - Free Book Online Page A

caused a tear in his future that he never could have imagined. One brief and stupid moment when the pain was too much from both the accident and the end of his career and he didn’t think before he spoke.
    Christian looked for his pants and pulled them on. He could hear her in the bathroom and she was crying. He’d made her cry. Not this morning or last night, but nearly a year ago.
    He hated the selfishness he felt in his heart. After the accident, she had to go through surgeries and intense physical therapy. She had to bury her sister and her brother-in-law and take guardianship of her niece and nephew. It had worked out that she’d moved into their house. That, he was sure, was more a benefit for the kids than for her.
    Sonia had been there for her since her own parents had died. Victoria had been alone to deal with everything, because Christian had been having a pity party for years—the accident only had solidified it.
    The scar on his forehead began to itch again. He rubbed it—cursed it.
    He found his shirt and gathered up all of the remaining items they’d brought with them, though they hadn’t had much more than themselves.
    When the door opened to the bathroom, Tori stood there as lovely to him as she had been the night before. Though her hair was unbrushed and her makeup was smudged, she was still radiant to him.
    He wanted to compliment her, but he was sure she wouldn’t take it as such.
    She reached for her purse and took it from him. “I’ve decided to let you give me a ride home, if you’re sober enough.”
    “My head hurts, but I’m sober.” He took a step toward her and she took a step back. He didn’t like that. “I can take you to get the kids too.”
    She shook her head. “No. Just a ride home please.”
    With that she walked to the door, opened it, and headed to the elevator.
     
    Victoria sat in Christian’s car with her fingers tightly laced together. She didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t want to look at him, because she knew if she did either, she’d begin to cry like a blubbering idiot.
    As soon as Christian turned onto her street she began to dig her keys out of her purse.
    He pulled up in front of her house. “I’m glad you came to the wedding.”
    “It was a very nice wedding.” She opened the door and he reached for her hand.
    “I had a really nice time.” She didn’t respond. She didn’t know how. “How about dinner?”
    “You said one night, Chris. One night.” There were the tears and she wasn’t going to hold them back. Not this time. “I gave you one night.” But really she knew he’d given her one.
    “I didn’t mean it like that.”
    “I never know what you mean.” She sucked in a breath. “Listen, I have to get to Sonia’s. I have to get the kids. I have to call Scott.” She diverted her eyes when she said it because she didn’t really care at that moment about calling Scott. What would she even say? Thanks for all the nice things you said to me and for going to the wedding, but I went to bed with my ex, but you’ll be fine with that right?
    She shook off the thought and decided it wasn’t necessary to be nasty to Christian. After all, she did love him, even if she wouldn’t tell him that.
    “I had a nice evening, Chris. Thank you for the ride.”
    She climbed from the car, shut the door, and ran up the front steps of the house. From behind her, she could hear his car door open.
    Quickly she put the keys into the door, pushed it open, and shut it just as quickly. He couldn’t come in. There was a great necessity in him driving away. Standing behind the door with her back pushed up against it, she waited. A few moments later she heard his car drive away.
    The tears fell freely now. How could she have turned him away? For nearly a year she’d waited to have him back. There hadn’t been a day that she hadn’t.
    Then, as if a bolt of clarity struck her, she moved away from the door. The kids. She needed to get the kids. There were