keep referring to was really a collision at home plate. The worst in ten years for any promising college baseball player.
“Hey.” Olivia nudges my arm, her green eyes staring deep into my soul as we lock gazes. “You okay? You zoned out for a second.”
“Yeah … I’m really glad to be playing again.” I know I could confide in her. Tell her the things I’ve barely told Cam. But even if I tell her my deepest secrets, I don’t know if she’d ever tell me hers.
Chapter Seven
A.K.A.
Olivia
I thought the heat would relent a little at the baseball fields. But I’m shit out of luck, even with the light breeze blowing through the huge oak trees. The sun is setting, casting a beautiful orange, pink, and purple marbled sky. This quiet and charming section of New Orleans is twenty times more gorgeous than the industrial shitshow where I lived in Shreveport. I’ve tiptoed around why I moved to everyone. Outside of Natasha, Aubrey’s the only one who semi-knows why.
Even though I’m sure Zach and Noah aren’t blind, I’m beyond grateful they didn’t call out what almost happened between Kyle and me a few days ago. I’m also glad he didn’t push asking about Tyler. My conversations, if he actually answers, consist of, “Hi, I miss you. But I can’t talk right now. I’ll call you back.”
“I’m going to start calling you Speedy Simon pretty soon!” Noah yells, throwing the ball back to Zach.
I heave over second base, still recovering from my double. “Please don’t. I have enough nicknames.”
“You’re like the littlest thing and you’ve been zipping around these bases all day.” Zach pauses before chucking the ball to Noah.
Kyle bursts with a laugh from home plate. “It’s kinda perfect.”
“No, it’s not.” I have two nicknames already and it’s more than enough. Natasha’s been calling me Chip since the ninth grade, and my brother has been calling me Ollie since I was born.
“Aw, Liv, it’s cute!” Aubrey giggles next to me, nudging my side.
Kyle gives me a hopeful look and I groan, dropping my shoulders.
“Okay, okay. Zach, let’s go. I’d like to bat again sometime today,” Kyle says.
“Dude, even if I toss you my nastiest changeup, you’re still going to knock it out of the park.” Zach picks up the softball at his feet and rustles it inside his glove.
“Now.” Kyle smiles.
Zach rolls his eyes and launches one of the more accurate fast-pitches I’ve ever seen, especially for a guy. I take off toward third and glance over my shoulder as the sound crashes off the bat and explodes through the park. Noah sprints, but can’t catch it before it lands in the bayou.
“Holy shit.” I stop as I hit home and Kyle jogs around the bases. That was his third home run today. He follows me into the dugout as I slump onto the warped bench. I take a long drag of Gatorade.
“We’re gonna need more softballs.” Kyle sits next to me and wipes the sweat from his face with the bottom of his T-shirt. I can’t stop myself from gawking at him while he isn’t looking.
“Here.” I hand him the extra Gatorade I brought. “Drink up.”
He smiles and nudges my arm. “How’d you know fruit punch was my favorite?”
I hold up my bottle. “Because it’s the best one, duh.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes, watching Zach and Noah play catch. I don’t even have to convince myself this is fun. It is fun. All I want to do is keep apologizing to Kyle for how our friendship started. I know he isn’t judging me because there’s something he’s hiding, too. His knee brace is a giant contraption of metal and Velcro straps. He keeps calling himself Legatron and I think it suits him. The dark-pigmented scar running down his leg almost looks like a burn. There are little scars all over his shin, and I’m sure they’re from traction or something.
“Hey, I’m going to go field and let Noah bat. Coming?” Kyle breaks me from my daze.
I shake my head. “My
“Hey.” Olivia nudges my arm, her green eyes staring deep into my soul as we lock gazes. “You okay? You zoned out for a second.”
“Yeah … I’m really glad to be playing again.” I know I could confide in her. Tell her the things I’ve barely told Cam. But even if I tell her my deepest secrets, I don’t know if she’d ever tell me hers.
Chapter Seven
A.K.A.
Olivia
I thought the heat would relent a little at the baseball fields. But I’m shit out of luck, even with the light breeze blowing through the huge oak trees. The sun is setting, casting a beautiful orange, pink, and purple marbled sky. This quiet and charming section of New Orleans is twenty times more gorgeous than the industrial shitshow where I lived in Shreveport. I’ve tiptoed around why I moved to everyone. Outside of Natasha, Aubrey’s the only one who semi-knows why.
Even though I’m sure Zach and Noah aren’t blind, I’m beyond grateful they didn’t call out what almost happened between Kyle and me a few days ago. I’m also glad he didn’t push asking about Tyler. My conversations, if he actually answers, consist of, “Hi, I miss you. But I can’t talk right now. I’ll call you back.”
“I’m going to start calling you Speedy Simon pretty soon!” Noah yells, throwing the ball back to Zach.
I heave over second base, still recovering from my double. “Please don’t. I have enough nicknames.”
“You’re like the littlest thing and you’ve been zipping around these bases all day.” Zach pauses before chucking the ball to Noah.
Kyle bursts with a laugh from home plate. “It’s kinda perfect.”
“No, it’s not.” I have two nicknames already and it’s more than enough. Natasha’s been calling me Chip since the ninth grade, and my brother has been calling me Ollie since I was born.
“Aw, Liv, it’s cute!” Aubrey giggles next to me, nudging my side.
Kyle gives me a hopeful look and I groan, dropping my shoulders.
“Okay, okay. Zach, let’s go. I’d like to bat again sometime today,” Kyle says.
“Dude, even if I toss you my nastiest changeup, you’re still going to knock it out of the park.” Zach picks up the softball at his feet and rustles it inside his glove.
“Now.” Kyle smiles.
Zach rolls his eyes and launches one of the more accurate fast-pitches I’ve ever seen, especially for a guy. I take off toward third and glance over my shoulder as the sound crashes off the bat and explodes through the park. Noah sprints, but can’t catch it before it lands in the bayou.
“Holy shit.” I stop as I hit home and Kyle jogs around the bases. That was his third home run today. He follows me into the dugout as I slump onto the warped bench. I take a long drag of Gatorade.
“We’re gonna need more softballs.” Kyle sits next to me and wipes the sweat from his face with the bottom of his T-shirt. I can’t stop myself from gawking at him while he isn’t looking.
“Here.” I hand him the extra Gatorade I brought. “Drink up.”
He smiles and nudges my arm. “How’d you know fruit punch was my favorite?”
I hold up my bottle. “Because it’s the best one, duh.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes, watching Zach and Noah play catch. I don’t even have to convince myself this is fun. It is fun. All I want to do is keep apologizing to Kyle for how our friendship started. I know he isn’t judging me because there’s something he’s hiding, too. His knee brace is a giant contraption of metal and Velcro straps. He keeps calling himself Legatron and I think it suits him. The dark-pigmented scar running down his leg almost looks like a burn. There are little scars all over his shin, and I’m sure they’re from traction or something.
“Hey, I’m going to go field and let Noah bat. Coming?” Kyle breaks me from my daze.
I shake my head. “My
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