by J. Sterling
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know. But can you tell me about the cheating thing first?”
I nodded in agreement because whether we started with this topic or ended with it, it still had to be discussed. “Um, I was at a party before break, and he was with some girl. I told him he’d better tell you about her or that I would.”
“We were already broken up by then,” she said in almost a whisper, and surprise ripped through me.
“Really? He sure didn’t act like it.” I remembered what I’d said to Jared and how he’d reacted, the way he’d insinuated that they were still together and I had, of course, assumed that they were.
“So, you definitely thought he’d cheated on me?” It was a question and not a statement, like she was looking for clarification or needed me to say it out loud again.
“I did.”
“And you came over to my apartment to tell me?” Another question.
“I did. But you were already gone. And I took it as a sign,” I tried to explain, feeling foolish.
She shifted on my bed, pulling her legs in front of her and crossing them over. “A sign for what? To never tell me?”
I swallowed hard. This was one hell of an uncomfortable conversation, and I’d never had one like it before. “Pretty much. I convinced myself that if you were supposed to hear it from me, you would have been home for me to tell you. Plus, everyone told me to stay out of it.”
“Well, everyone’s a fucking idiot, Chance!” Her voice rose.
“I know that now.” I wanted her to understand where I was coming from, but the only way was to tell her what had happened last summer. I sucked in a long breath. “Can I tell you a story?”
“A story?” Her eyes narrowed like she wasn’t sure if I was joking or not.
“I played baseball this past summer. It was a really prestigious league. Invite only,” I described, and she nodded along, her eyes softening. “Okay, well, there was this guy on my team, Tanner. He had a girlfriend back home, but he was hooking up with the local girls almost every night.”
Danika made a sound, and I swore she’d mumbled, “Pig,” under her breath.
“He was an egotistical asshole. Typical dirtbag guy, thinking he could get away with anything he wanted and never get caught. His girlfriend was coming out to visit, and when she got there, one of the local girls didn’t see her.” I stopped for a second and thought a littler harder. “Or maybe she did. Anyway, she wrapped her arms around Tanner and started kissing him.”
“She did not.” Danika’s eyes grew wide. “What did the girlfriend do?”
“Flipped out. She wanted to leave. Tanner tried to calm her down, but another guy on the team and I ended up taking her back to the airport,” I said, filling her in on what had happened that night.
“Was it just that one girl, or were there others? He’s been so distant,” Beth asked through her tears.
I hated lying to her, but I wasn’t sure what to say. I looked at Cayden for help, but he was driving and ignoring her questions as he pretended to need directions to the airport even though he was from the area. I felt caught in the middle, torn between right and wrong, defending a shitty teammate or telling his girlfriend the truth.
Turning around to look at her in the backseat, I asked, “What did Tanner tell you?” I wondered how exactly he’d tried to talk his way out of the shitshow he’d created.
“He said it was only one time and that she turned into some psycho stalker he couldn’t get away from.”
I let out a disgusted sound before I could stop myself, and Cayden punched my leg, telling her everything she needed to know. Tanner Michaels was not only an asshole, but also a slandering liar.
“So, it was more than once then? I knew it,” she practically whispered as she continued to cry, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie.
“If you really thought that it was only one time, then you wouldn’t be in the car with us, heading back to the airport,” I said because it needed to be said.
If Beth had truly believed Tanner, she would still be sitting at the Waterfront right now without a care in the world. Hell, we all would.
“I know. That girl told me in the restroom that it wasn’t just once. And that it wasn’t just her. Did you see him with other girls? I can’t believe he’d do this to me. We’ve been together for four years.”
Beth was asking all the right questions but to all the wrong people. Then again, if she had asked Tanner, he’d have lied to her, and she’d never know the truth. Neither Cayden or I answered her question.
“Oh my God, come on, you guys. I’ve already been made a fool of, just tell me how big of one I’ve been.”
I imagined my mom and how hurt she must have felt when she found out what my dad had done to her all those years ago. At least he’d been the one to tell her even though I knew it had torn him apart to do it.
“He’s been cheating on you all summer, Beth. With every chick who’s willing.”
Cayden reached across the car and punched me in the arm. “Dude,” he started to say, but I fought back.
“What? It’s the truth.”
“But it’s not our story to tell, man. Beth, you can’t ask us anything else. You’re putting us in a really bad position.”
“I won’t. Thank you, Chance …” Beth paused before adding, “For telling me.”
We arrived at the airport, and Beth got out of the car with her small duffel bag.
She leaned in the passenger window. “Thanks for the ride. Tell Tanner I hope he breaks his arm.”
Cayden and I both laughed uncomfortably. We never wished broken bones on people. It was bad luck.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I realized that it was already late, and we were leaving her alone to fend for herself in a strange airport.
She wiped at her face and sucked in a deep, loud breath. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for getting me here,” she said before turning and disappearing inside the terminal.
“Dude,” Cayden said again as he pulled away. “You know that Tanner’s going to find out you told her, and it’s going to come back on you. And not in a good way,” he warned.
I shrugged, not really feeling all that concerned. I figured that I could deal with a pissed off Tanner. “But I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You told his girl the truth. It wasn’t your place. We don’t get involved in our teammates’ shit, man. Come on. You gotta know that.”
I stopped recanting the memory and looked at Danika’s face. She didn’t look pleased.
“Are you mad?”
“All I’ve learned is that you told some perfect stranger the truth about her cheating boyfriend, but you wouldn’t tell me.”
“I’m not finished.”
“Then, finish.”
Who knew that doing the right thing could have such bullshit consequences? To say I’d learned my lesson was a massive understatement. Half of the team refused to talk to me after that night, let alone make eye contact with me. If they had the option to choose their catcher, they chose to work with anyone other than me. They no longer trusted me off the field, and that spilled onto it as well.
I’d never been in trouble on a team before. Then again, I’d never thrown one of my teammates under the bus before.
Coach pulled me aside before warm-ups one afternoon. “What the hell did you do to my team, Carter?”
“Coach?” I looked at him questioningly and tried to play dumb.
“My team? They’re all pissed at you. Act like you have the fucking plague. What the hell did you do?” His accent grew stronger with each question he asked.
I sucked in a breath before admitting, “Ratted out Tanner to his girl, sir.”
Coach let out a sound that was more like a holler than a laugh. “You’re fucking joking.”
“Wish I were, Coach,” I said, but I struggled. I honestly thought I’d done the right thing, but if everyone’s attitudes were any indication, all I’d done was royally screw up.
Coach gripped me by the shoulder and turned me away from the rest of the team, walking me down the chalk outline at third base. “Why the hell would you go and do something as stupid as that?”
“ ’Cause we were driving her to the airport and she asked.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of lying, son? Taking one for the team? Protecting your boy at all costs, no matter what? Where’s your damn loyalty?”
“I don’t owe Tanner shit. Least of all my loyalty,” I argued before I had a chance to think about the words forming in my head and stopping them from coming out of my mouth. I’d never talked to a coach like that before. “Sorry, Coach. I didn’t mean—”
“No, you listen here. Tanner’s your teammate. You don’t have to like him, but you do have to have his back. That’s the only way this works. Apologize. Tell him you fucked up and that you’re sorry. Tell him it won’t happen again. Fix my damn team, Carter, or I’ll send your ass home. I don’t care how good you are.”
“For real, Coach?” I asked, unsure if he was pulling my chain or not.
Would he really send me home because I’d meddled in someone’s personal life?
“Do I look like I’m joking?” He pointed at his face, which held a scowl and no hint of humor.
“You do not.”
“Because I am not. We don’t meddle, son. We don’t get involved. We don’t get in the middle. And we sure as hell don’t throw our teammate to the wolves just because a girl asked you a question. She isn’t your problem. His relationship with her isn’t your problem. Stay out of people’s shit, Carter. Learn that lesson now. Ingrain it in your pea brain.” He stabbed my head with his finger. “Take it home with you to California and don’t ever fucking forget it,” he said as a ball of spit formed in the corner of his mouth. He looked like a rabid dog about to attack, and I was the only one in range.
“Yes, Coach.”
“Now, go fix my damn team,” he said before stalking off, pulling his baseball cap off, and running his fingers through what little was left of his hair.
I turned around to see the guys huddled in the outfield, the majority of them watching me with glee in their eyes. They were happy I had gotten my ass handed to me. Tucking my tail between my legs, I jogged over and shoved myself between two teammates who did not make room for me. I couldn’t believe I had to apologize to this cheating, egotistical prick.
“Hey, man. I fucked up,” I said, looking right at Tanner. “I’m really sorry I said that stuff to your girl. It wasn’t my business, and I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“What the hell, Carter? I mean, who does that?” one of my teammates asked from inside the huddle.
I shrugged before answering, “I don’t know. I messed up. It won’t happen again. You guys can trust me.”
Murmurs broke out, and I wasn’t sure who was saying what exactly.
“Apology accepted,” Tanner spoke up as he stuck his hand out, and I gripped it hard, giving him a firm shake. “You did me a favor actually,” he added with a grin.
“Did I now?” I asked, wondering how on earth I’d done that.
“I was looking for a way to get rid of Beth before I got drafted. Now, I don’t have to, so thanks for that.” He turned to give someone a high five. “It was still a dick move though. Don’t pull that shit again. The next guy might not be so forgiving,” he said before clapping me on the back.
I wanted him nowhere near me, but I had to play like I did.
“I won’t. Lesson learned,” I said, and I meant that part. I would not be getting involved in anyone’s love life again, no matter what I knew about it.
Danika sat on my bed, staring at me, and I had no idea what she was thinking, so I said, “The end.” I wanted her to know that the story was over.
I sat there, waiting, hoping she’d see my point of view, but the longer she stayed quiet, the more nervous I grew.
“I can see how you’d be confused,” she finally spoke, and I felt my entire body relax. I wanted to melt into the comforter on my bed with relief.
“Really?” I asked because it seemed too good to be true that she’d understand or forgive me so easily.
“Really. And just so you know, you did do the right thing. Telling Beth was noble,” she said, sounding proud of me, and I hadn’t felt proud about that moment one time since it happened. “And your summer coach was a dick. That whole way of thinking is just wrong.”
“It made me really confused, to be honest,” I admitted because I’d been raised by Cassie Carter. And that woman was all about owning up to your mistakes, being honest, and telling the truth, no matter what. Having it blow back on me in such an extreme way had puzzled me and made me question myself. I also felt like I’d done something really wrong, so I never talked to anyone about it.
“It makes sense. Why you wouldn’t know what to do. Why you took me being gone as a sign not to tell me.” She stared at her hands. “But for the record, I always want to know things. Okay?”
“What kinds of things?” I asked for clarification of my own.
“All of it. I don’t want you to keep stuff from me. You have to let me in. You have to tell me the truth. You can’t keep quiet to protect me or because you think you might get in trouble. Always tell me. No matter what.”
I pushed up from my side of the bed and walked over to where she sat. Kneeling in front of her, I reached for her hands and held them, looking deep into her hazel eyes so she knew I meant the words that were coming next. “I’ll never lie to you or keep anything from you again. I never meant to hurt you. And I’m so sorry that I did. I didn’t know any better, and this is all new to me.”
“I know,” she said before leaning closer toward me, her lips daring me to claim them, practically begging me to.
Talking is Overrated
Danika
Seeing Chance Carter in front of me, on his knees, was a sight to behold. This guy was something else. And my heart ached for him after I’d heard what he’d gone through last summer. No wonder he’d been so twisted up about telling me or not. Everything that I’d assumed about why he hadn’t was wrong. I’d been so far off-base.
“Thank you for telling me all that.” I pulled my hand from his and ran it down the side of his face, the stubble on his cheek prickling my fingers but I welcomed it. I’d never been able to touch him like this before. I wanted more of him. Hell, I wanted all of him.
“Danika,” he breathed out before grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me to him.
Our lips crashed against each other’s, our mouths opening before his tongue found mine, and I swore I moaned, my body radiating with desire. Chance continued kissing me, his fingers splayed at the back of my head, and it felt like I was drowning in lust. The feel of his lips and the taste of his tongue sent me reeling.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” his breath was hot against me, his tongue swiping across my bottom lip before he nibbled at it, and the room spun.
People talked about chemistry and fireworks and that kind of stuff all the time, but I’d never believed in it before this moment. My skin felt like it was alive, tingling with awareness wherever he touched me. And that kiss … that was the kind of kiss that set rooms on fire; it was so electric.
Pulling away, I palmed his cheeks with my hands, trying to steady my breath as I looked into his green eyes. They were so beautiful, so alive with passion, and it was all for me. That knowledge alone was more than exhilarating.
“I want this. I want you. But I want to clear the air about everything before we cross that line,” I said, and he bit down on his lip, his head cocking to one side as he stared at my lips. He was lost in them, as I was in his eyes. “Chance? Did you hear me?” I asked with a grin.
“I heard you,” he said before hopping up on the bed and sitting next to me. “Here, let’s move back.” He scooted to the wall, propping up pillows for us to lean against. “But I have to say something first.” He wiped the corners of his mouth. “That was one hell of a f
irst kiss.”
“There are no words,” I said in agreement, and his solo dimple appeared. “And put that dimple away,” I teased, and it only deepened.
“This dimple?” He poked his finger there.
“Yes, that dimple.” I leaned toward him and pressed my lips there, my eyes closing with the contact.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Danika,” he said in a whisper, sounding out of control, and I loved the thrill that rushed through me.
“Oh, I can finish it all right,” I whispered against his ear before biting it gently and sucking it into my mouth. “And I plan to,” I added, and his whole body tensed under my touch. Glancing down, I noticed the bulge coming from his shorts, and I resisted the urge to reach out and wrap my fingers around it.
“You’re testing my self-control. I have very little when it comes to you as it is, but you’re pushing it right now.” His chest rose up and down as his breathing escalated, and I knew that he had seen me looking.
“Maybe I should go get us some water.” I started to move, and he reached for my wrist and held me firm.
“Don’t you dare leave this bed,” he growled, and I knew I’d never been more turned on before in my life. “Whatever we need to talk about, let’s get it over with. Quickly.”
I broke all contact and scooted away from his heat. I couldn’t concentrate with Chance touching me or being that close. I was trying to start our relationship off on the right foot, but he made the idea of talking seem extremely overrated. Who wanted to talk with words when we could be talking with our bodies?
Shaking my head, I tried to focus. “I know you have questions about me and Jared.”
His expression soured for a second. “I did an hour ago. Now, I just want to know what you look like naked. The sounds you make when you come. The way your body moves when I’m inside you. And how you taste when I’m eating you.”
“Jesus, Chance,” I breathed out, resisting the urge to reach down and touch myself at his dirty mouth.
“Sorry. I was not thinking about Jared right now.”
His admission broke the trance, reminding me how important it was that we discuss this and get it all out in the open so that nothing lingered between us.