“I’m fun. Adventurous. Accommodating.” He waggled his brows. “And did I mention great in bed?”
“I already know that.” I winked. “But if you want to continue seeing me, it will be on my terms. And I’m warning you now, I’m the wrong type of girl to get involved with.” I continued getting dressed, determined to leave and not stay. Because if I stayed, I feared what I might do next. That fear was enough to get my ass moving.
“Okay, but I don’t agree.”
“Trust me, Luke, I’m not the type of girl you introduce to your parents.”
“But my parents already know you.”
He had a point. “True, but not the real me.”
Luke shook his head. “Then I guess I’ll just have to agree to disagree.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means we both get what we want.” He arched a brow, looking damn sexy.
“I think I like that.” I leaned across the bed and kissed him. “I’ll text you later.”
“If you want do this again tonight or tomorrow, let me know.” He winked.
“You don’t give up do you?”
“Never.” Resting on his back, he crossed his arms and tucked them behind his head. “And I don’t know what guy would.”
“I’ll remember that.” I took in a deep breath and grabbed my purse. “See ya later.” I had to leave before he figured out how to loosen my brick wall any further.
Chapter 6
End of Spring Semester—Junior Year
Luke
“Come on, Luke. Keep that head up,” Coach Ruiz encouraged me again as I practiced hitting the ball. We had just closed out our regular season with nineteen wins. Collin had done damn good, finishing fourth in the conference with over 124 strikeouts. I, on the other hand, had done terrible. Slipping from a first starter to the bench for the last two games.
“I’m trying, Coach.” I swung hard, using my lower body strength to send the ball in the center of the netting.
Forbes was to the left of me, and Collin to the right, practicing their swings. I tried not to notice how well they were doing and keep my head focused on what I needed to do. I had been out of my element for too long. The problem was I didn’t know if I could get back on track or if I really wanted to. My desire to play was quickly slipping away.
“You don’t want your head to dive into the ball. Keep it steady. The less movement, the better.”
I nodded, working hard to concentrate on his recommendations. The regular season might have been over, but we were already preparing for the final conference series game, which started on Tuesday. Based on my declining stats, I wasn’t sure Coach Summers was going to let me start. Then again, did I really want to?
Just as I prepared to swing, I heard my name.
“Thompson.”
I turned around to see Coach Summers standing behind me. His arms were crossed, resting on his protruding belly. His purple PHU baseball cap covered his balding head, but the shiny silver hair on his arms reveled his age. Coach Summers had been at PHU for more than seventeen years, and based on his stats, he wasn’t retiring anytime soon.
“Yes, sir?” I lowered the bat to my side.
“I’d like to see you in my office.”
“Okay.” I nodded and handed the bat to Coach Ruiz. “I’ll be right back.”
“No problem.” He patted my shoulder as I exited the practice-batting cage.
Forbes did a double take and stopped mid-swing. I shot him a meek smile, knowing that when Coach called you to his office, it usually wasn’t good. He was the type that praised in public and reprimanded in private.
I followed him to his office, passing the trophy cases from PHU’s past wins. The small college had risen through the ranks, earning a top twenty spot in the South Central Conference, all at the hands of Coach Summers.
My feet crossed the threshold, and the cool air from the vents instantly caused a bad feeling to settle over me.
“Close the door, please.” Coach motioned as he sat at the edge of his desk.
With a shaky hand, I pushed the door shut.
“Have a seat.” Coach pulled out the chair in front of his desk.
Slowly, I lowered to the seat, my leg muscles weakening rapidly. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
“How are you doing, Luke?” He eyed me broodingly, telling me he didn’t want to hear any excuses.
“Alright, I guess.” I kept a stiff posture on the wooden chair.
“Your poker face doesn’t fool me.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” I took a hard swallow, not sure why I was so freaking nervous. I wasn’t on an athletic scholarship so I shouldn’t have been worried about getting kicked off the team, but for some reason it turned my stomach upside down.
He leaned in closer, his nostrils widening with each breath he took. “Stop bullshitting, and tell me what the hell is going on.” He arched a brow.
I propped my elbow on the armrest and rested my chin on my fist. Unable to look him in the eye, I said, “Not sure, Coach. I’m just . . . not feeling it anymore.”
A heavy sigh released from his mouth, and he stood. With his hands on his hips, he paced his office and then stopped underneath the huge dragon and PHU emblem painted on his wall.
“You see that?” He pointed to the PHU baseball motto on the wall.
Dragons don’t try to win. Dragons work to win.
“Yes, sir.”
“Luke, you made a promise not only to the team but to yourself. What happened to that promise?”
I shrugged as my eyes darted to the floor. Somewhere between the early morning practices, three-series games, and long season, I’d lost my passion for playing. The good thing was that I still loved baseball—I just didn’t love playing it as much anymore. But how did I tell him that? I hadn’t even told my parents how I really felt, not that they’d let me quit. It would devastate them if I did.
“So the words, I will do my best to excel. Be the best I can be. Honor my commitment to be there for my team and for myself. I will not fail. I will not give up. I will be responsible and do the right thing, always, means nothing to you?”
My eyes skimmed the purple script on the wall. The words I spoke just three years ago were no longer fresh on my mind. They had slipped away, despite seeing and hearing them constantly.
“Yes, sir.” I glanced up, lowering my hand. “They hold weight with me.”
“Then, what’s going on? What happened to my star player?” His eyes bored in to me. “I know you Luke Thompson, and you can’t fool me. Something is going on because this isn’t you.”
Coach was right. This wasn’t me. I couldn’t hide it anymore. He was running a professional college team, and my lack of focus wouldn’t be tolerated. I owed him an explanation even if I wasn’t ready to admit the truth. “I’m sorry, Coach. I . . . I just haven’t been able to focus lately.” My shoulders slumped, and I sighed. “My passion isn’t there anymore.”
“Is it the grind?”
“Partially. But there are other things that have been leading me to this point.” I clasped my hands and stared at my fingers. Sweat tinged my palms, and my hands shook. Why was it so hard to tell him what I really wanted?
“Is it a girl?”
My head jutted back. My mouth opened, but before I said no, I thought about what he asked. Did this have anything to do with Delaney? Had she tainted my mind? Caused me to lose my focus? I had lost a lot of sleep thinking about what I wanted from her, only to find out that she didn’t want the same thing. Being her fuck buddy wasn’t what I really wanted, but what did that have to do with playing baseball?
“No.” I shook my head confidently.
“Then what is it?” He pressed his hands on thighs. “Is it your family?”
Home run!
I pressed my lips together, trying to decide if I was ready to admit it. My life was managed by my parents—doing what they wanted instead of what I wanted. Being a Major League Base
ball player wasn’t my goal in life.
It was their goal.
And I was sick of it.
I had retaliated by drinking and smoking, but it didn’t hurt them, it hurt me. Majoring in sports and exercise sciences, I knew what it was doing to my body, but I chose to ignore it.
“Luke, you can tell me.” The lines around his eyes and mouth relaxed. “If I can help you, please let me know.”
Reclining in my chair, I blew out a long breath. “I don’t care if I play for a Major League team. It’s what my parents want.”
“Okay, I understand.” Coach’s mouth twisted to the side, and his expression weaved into a look of confusion. “Are you purposely trying to sabotage your baseball stats?”
The truth in his words hit me square in the chest, like a fly ball I didn’t see coming. I rubbed the area over my heart a few times, trying to ease the pain.
“Because if you are, it’s working.”
I nodded, admitting what I’d been lying to myself about for the past year. “I didn’t want any scouts seeking me out because if they did, it would be a waste of their time and mine.”
“There are other ways to go about this, you know.” I was surprised at the tone of his voice. Subtle and understanding. He wasn’t the type that yelled and cussed, but he had a demeanor that was authoritative and demanded respect.
“I know.” I shook my head. “I’ve been avoiding it, and I thought if I didn’t play well, then I wouldn’t have to explain it to my parents.”
“Is your relationship that strained with them?”
“Yeah.” I sighed again. “It’s all they talk about and all they want from me.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “What is it that you want?”
Why was that the most popular question? I hesitated for a second and then decided to open up to him about my goals.
“I’d actually prefer to be athletic trainer. That’s why I’m majoring in sports and exercise sciences.” Telling him felt like someone removed the weights stacked on my shoulders.
A smile formed across his face. “I think you’d be great.” He squeezed my cuff before removing his hand.
“Really?”
“Yeah, in fact, I’ll mention it to Julian. You know, he graduated from PHU with the same major.”
“Thanks, Coach, I’d appreciate it.” I smiled.
“Of course. What you really need to do is talk with your folks. Explain to them you don’t want to play professionally.”
I glanced at the floor, feeling the excitement wane. “Easier said than done.”
“Luke, you’re a grown man. It’s time you stand up, respectfully, to them. You can’t go your entire life with your tail between your legs. Avoidance is not the answer, and by you doing that, you’re creating resentments against them. And that’s not good.” He dropped his chin, and his eyes fixed on me.
“I know.”
“I don’t want to continue to bench you, but I will if I have to.” He gave me a slight shake before releasing his hand. Unless, that’s what you want.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want that. I do enjoy playing, and I want to continue playing.” A long sigh released involuntarily. “I just a need some time to get my head straight and talk to them.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I think you’re a great player, and I’d hate to see you quit.”
“Coach, if there’s one thing I’m not, that’s a quitter.”
He stood and pointed his finger at me. “That’s right, Luke, you’re a Dragon, and Dragon’s never quit!”
“Thanks for understanding.” I shook his hand and stood up.
“Of course.”
I walked out of his office with a new sense of freedom. Revealing to him my hidden career goals was liberating. I just needed to get the guts to tell my parents. It wouldn’t be easy, and I hoped my dad would be supportive. If I could win him over, then I had a chance with my mom.
***
Delaney
Jordan yanked on the cord of my ear bud and said, “Why is he checking you out?”
“What? Who?” I looked at her first before turning to see who she was talking about.
She rolled her eyes as she took a seat at the lat pull-down machine. “Riley. That’s who.”
“Shit.” My heart started to pound in my chest. and I took a few deep breaths. “Where’s he at?”
“At the free weights with Luke and Forbes.”
Casually, I glanced across the gym, praying that Riley wouldn’t be staring at me and Luke wouldn’t catch him. As fate would have it, Riley totally caught me, but Luke was oblivious. I quickly averted my gaze, cursing myself for looking in the first place. I gripped the bar at the seated row machine and pulled. Counting, I did ten reps, pushing myself to lift the heavy weight.
I released the bar and turned to Jordan. “Do me a favor and tell me if he’s still watching me or coming over here. But don’t seem obvious, okay?”
She gripped the bar, turned to the left, and then to the right, stretching. “Yeah, he’s still looking over here.”
“Damn it.” I muttered under my breath. If Riley mentioned anything to Luke, it was going to get ugly in here. And I mean ugly.
“What did you do this time?”
My shoulders dropped, and my body slumped over the cushion. Typically, I wouldn’t care about what I did, but seeing the invisible knife I stuck in Luke’s back made me sick. “I kind of slept with him Friday night.”
“Wh-at?” Her eyes bugged out, and her mouth dropped. “Why?”
I shrugged, even though I knew the answer. “It just happened.”
She pressed pause on her iPod. “Eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia just happens, but sleeping with someone doesn’t.” She shook her head and huffed. “Is that why you left the party early?”
“Yeah.” I reluctantly admitted.
“And I thought you left with Luke. I saw you two go outside.”
“I know, but we got into an argument, and he left.” Sticking my head between the machines, I snuck another peak. Luke was working out, showing Riley a few things. Both guys were covered in sweat, streaks dripping down their muscle t-shirts. Muscles bulged from all the right places. Both guys were damn hot, but Luke definitely was the better-looking one. He wore a PHU ball cap backwards, his soft brown waves peaking from underneath. His eyes were bright, and a huge smile covered his face as he talked to his buddy.
My stomach turned, and if felt like I had eaten some bad Thai food. Guilt washed over me like a tsunami, tearing down every good memory we had shared over the past year. It was only a matter of time before he found out I slept with his teammate, and I was regretting every minute of it.
“You screwed Riley to get back at Luke?”
I shrugged. “I was drunk and he was so tempting. And Luke . . . ” I closed my eyes and rolled my head from side to side, wishing Jordan would just leave me alone. “Luke knows how to piss me off.”
“I don’t understand you guys.” She adjusted her headband. “It’s obvious you two love each other.”
“I’m not in love with him,” I whispered, as if he could hear me from across the gym.
“Yeah, right,” she smirked. “Just tell Lexi and Collin so you two can quit sneaking around.”
“There’s more to it than that. I don’t want to answer to anyone, and I don’t need him holding me back from having fun.”
I was looking for every excuse to deny what I really wanted, but the truth was—I wanted to be with Luke. And that scared me. I kept telling myself that it wasn’t love. That the feelings he left me with were nothing. But they were. Every time I was with him, he did something to me, something to my heart. And I needed more of that something.
But I couldn’t have it. I refused to let allow myself to fall in love with him, and to prove that I didn’t love him, I slept with Riley. I knew having sex with him would screw up everything between us, so I did it. It would create big problems, and they would be hard to solve. Tha
t would make it easy for me to walk away because that’s what I needed to do. Walk away and never look back. But now I was regretting it.
“Screwing a different guy every week is fun?” Her face twisted in disgust. “Come on, Delaney, you’re better than that, and you know it.”
“Yeah, whatever.” I waved off her words of encouragement. I wasn’t a good person, because if I were, those that I’d loved would still be here. But everything and every person I loved were gone. I didn’t deserve love, and Luke deserved better than me. No matter how much I liked him, I refused to give in to the feelings. I wanted to, but the wall I constructed was permanently there to protect me, and that’s what I would allow it to do.
“I’m better off on my own, trust me.”
“You two are one screwed up couple.” She waved me off.
“We aren’t a couple,” I quickly barked.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re just bed buddies.” Jordan put her headphone on and continued working out.
“Ugh,” I moaned. I thought about sneaking out, asking Jordan to tell Luke I got sick or something, but she probably wouldn’t lie for me this time. I’d already put her in a couple situations where she covered for me, and she politely told me that she didn’t like lying to Forbes or Luke. And she was right. I glanced at the ceiling, hoping for a false fire alarm or something. Chances were, I’d have to face them together.
With my head ducked down, I moved to the next machine and continued my workout. Spring semester was ending in one week, and I was having second thoughts about attending summer school at PHU. I was pissed that my parents wouldn’t allow me to go last summer, and this summer, it was the last thing I wanted. What I needed to do was to go home and take a few classes at the local community college like I did last summer. That would create some distance between Luke and me, and hopefully give Riley some time to forget about what we’d done.
I’d have to tell Lexi I wouldn’t be staying for summer school and that she’d have to find another roommate. I hated that I agreed to room with her next year. It was a stupid decision, whether I was with Luke or not. I had to come up with the perfect excuse.
My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) Page 7