Fastball (Stadium Series Book 3)

by S A Clayton

  “I can’t believe this is real…” she starts, staring at every corner of her studio. I drop my hand, taking her fingers and interlocking them.

  “You did so good, babe. You’re the reason this was possible.” I am so fucking proud of her.

  “I couldn’t have done this without you, you know that, right?”

  I wave her off, shaking my head because I might have given her the space, but she transformed it into this masterpiece.

  “Yes, you could have. It just might have taken a bit longer, but I know you, and this would have been a reality eventually.” It’s true. This woman has always been a force of nature, it’s one of the many reasons I love her so damn much.

  “How are you and Josh doing by the way. The countdown website still up?”

  I nod, hoping to steer away from this conversation.

  “Yeah, but we’re not going there today. Today is about you. My drama can stay away for one more night.” I hope she drops it since it’s a daily struggle not to log on and see if anything has changed. But Josh assured me that staying away would be best and so far, he’s been right.

  “You know you don’t have to hide your issues today, right? I’m here to talk or to listen if you need it.”

  I nod my head again, letting her know I get it. But that’s not what I want right now. Not today.

  “So, you show Will the finished product yet?” I ask, a small smile creeping up the edge of my lips. I know she likes him; I can see it in the way her gaze follows him whenever he’s around. But something is holding her back, and I have no idea what.

  “Nope.”

  I quirk an eyebrow at the curt response.

  “Don’t give me that look, the man doesn’t care about this place, he’s rich, good-looking and can get any girl he wants.”

  “And?” I don’t see the issue here.

  “And, the man is a player, and I can’t do that again. I can’t go after someone that will go behind my back and break me open over and over and over again. I can’t do it.”

  I nod, because she’s right. Her walls are up and for good reason.

  “Just to put my two cents in here, I don’t think he’s as bad as your imagination is setting him up to be. He might surprise you.”

  She adamantly shakes her head. “He’s already proved to me that he is exactly who I think he is.”

  I give her a look, needing more info than that cryptic sentence.

  She takes a deep breath and continues. “I called him last night to see if he wanted to FaceTime and see the finished studio.”

  Shit, I can already tell where this is going.

  “Did he answer?”

  “Someone answered. Wasn’t him.” She says nothing for a few seconds and then her eyes meet mine. “It was a girl's voice.”

  My heart sinks. I know what she thinks that means but, in my heart, I don’t think Will is that type of guy.

  “Are you sure it was a ‘woman?’ Maybe it was his mom or his sister?”

  She shakes her head, tears forming behind her eyes. “It was a young voice, and he doesn’t have a sister as far as I know so there’s only one explanation. I didn’t give it up, so he went looking elsewhere.”

  I pull her into a hug because that’s the only thing I can think of to do right now.

  “I’m sorry, sweetie. I can talk to him for you if you want. Punch him a few times? Kick him in the balls?”

  She starts laughing. “No, don’t do that. I just want to forget about him and focus on this place…” She looks around and a calmness settles over her.

  Will better get his act together or he’s going to regret missing out on someone like her.

  “You still coming over tonight? We don’t have to watch the game if you don’t want to, with everything…” I wave into the space gesturing to her hatred of Will right now, but she just smiles.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there, and I would never take an opportunity for you to see Josh play away from you. Plus, I need to get drunk tonight so you can watch, and I’ll cuddle the wine.” She winks before getting called away to talk to some parents.

  Tonight is going to be an interesting night.

  Mel is sitting on my couch, nursing her bottle of wine when I open a new one in the kitchen. The game is just starting when I make my way into the living room. My eyes glance over at the TV, and I watch as a player hits a foul ball toward the stands near the third baseline. Josh runs at full speed, eyes on the ball, and never sees the stands coming. Everything from that point on happens in slow motion; Josh’s legs hit the barrier and he falls headfirst into the stands. I expect him to get up right away but all I see is a fan screaming for someone to get help.

  I don’t remember letting go of the wine glass in my hand, but I do remember the sound it made when it shattered against the hardwood floor. My eyes didn’t leave the screen for a second. Afraid to blink, I watch as the trainers gather around his body, hoping and praying that my worst fear wasn’t just realized in front of me. A stretcher is brought out, his body is carefully lifted, and I expect to see that telltale sign of life, the one that all athletes do when they’re stretchered off, the thumbs up. But that never comes because he’s not conscious.

  I don’t remember the ride to the hospital, I don’t even remember how we got there, or how we knew where to go. All I know is that the image of them carrying Josh’s lifeless body from that field and into that ambulance was running through my head over and over and over again.

  Mel’s hand squeezes mine as tears stream steadily down my face. I know I should try and keep my composure, but it’s no use. I let them fall. I begin to shake the closer we get to the entrance as the thought of what I’ll find behind those doors starts to haunt me.

  We get out of the cab as Mel starts furiously texting someone and before I have a chance to question who it is, Will comes barreling out of the front doors and starts running toward us. In that split second, I wonder why he’s there, he should be back at the stadium playing. But then I remember it’s his off day and he probably asked to come here with him. Will grabs Mel and pulls her close, kissing the top of her head. Before I can read into it, he’s pulling me in as well, wrapping those strong arms around me.

  “Harper,” he says, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

  My eyes snap up to meet his as a sense of panic starts to kick in.

  “He’s going to be okay, they don’t know the extent of the damage yet, but they believe he’s going to be fine.”

  The word fine rings in my ears and I wonder if he knows that’s not the word I want right now. I want to know if he’ll wake up, I want to know if he’ll walk again, I want to know if the man I love will be okay, not fine.

  “Can I see him?” My voice is hoarse as if I haven’t spoken in weeks but from the small smile on Will’s face a sense of calm washes over me.

  “Yes, he’s not awake yet but you can go in and see him.”

  Mel takes my hand, both of us following Will through the front doors of the hospital and into the elevator. No one ever prepares you that the smell of a hospital stays with you after a tragedy. The second I step foot into that elevator, I’m a kid again. That smell—the smell of death and heartache—flows over my skin as I try and hold back the tears. I don’t pay much attention to the people standing outside of Josh’s room, I don’t take in the looks I know they’re giving me. My sole focus right now is Will and the feel of Mel’s hand in mine.

  “This is him,” Will whispers, motioning to the door in front of me. I peer over at Mel as she squeezes my hand, giving me a reassuring look.

  “Do you want me to go in there with you?” she asks but I shake my head. She just lets go of me and I take a deep breath, opening the door.

  What I see inside makes the tears I’ve been holding in the past few minutes flow freely.

  Wires.

  That’s all I see.

  Wires and tubes connecting to every part of him. I hear the familiar sound of his heartbeat and I breathe a sigh of relief. He�
�s alive, that’s all that matters right now. That steady beat means he’s alive.

  He looks pale. His hair is all over the place as I step closer to the side of his bed, running my fingers through it. I trace the outlines of his face as I cry in silence because the idea of never seeing those jet blues again causes my heart to beat just a little bit slower. I notice a chair sitting empty next to his bed, so I sit, taking his lifeless hand in mine and basking in its warmth. That warmth reminding me that everything will be okay.

  I rest my head on the bed next to him and cry.

  16

  Harper

  “Please be okay,” I pray to no one in particular. “I need you to be okay, don’t do this to me…” I plead, hoping he somehow heard my voice.

  I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, but when Mel comes in to check on me, my back is sore, and the tears have dried.

  “You need to get up and walk around.”

  I shake my head.

  “I’ll stay. Go and get something to eat and maybe some coffee.”

  I start to shake my head again, but she stops me.

  “Nope, you’ve been in here for over three hours, you need a break. Take your phone with you, I’ll call you if anything changes, okay?”

  She’s right, I need to get up and out of this room, so I pick up my phone and Josh’s phone as well that’s sitting on the table and head out into the hallway.

  “You doing okay?” I hear from behind me and when I turn to see King surrounded by a few of his teammates, all eyes on me, I shrug. “Need King to give you a hug?”

  I break into a small smile, feeling instant relief with his presence. As much as he drives me crazy and has no sense of personal space, he’s become an integral part of my life now. And apparently I took too long to answer, he pulls me into a hug anyway.

  “Do you mind if some of you go into the room with Mel? I just need to get some air and maybe some food.”

  King’s eyes soften but he nods silently. I give them all a grateful smile as I make my way toward the elevator and outside.

  The second the fresh air hits my lungs, I lean against a wall and take a deep breath, closing my eyes. My anxiety has waned the last few hours, but that fear still lingers in the back of my mind. All I need right now is for him to wake up and then we take it one step at a time. Just as I’m about to head back inside to get some food, my phone rings and I pick it up, thinking it’s my phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Josh?!” comes a panicked female voice on the other end, I look at the screen and realize I picked up Josh’s phone by accident, and from what the caller ID says, this is his mom.

  Fuck.

  “Mrs. Anderson?” I question, hoping my answering doesn’t cross any weird lines.

  “Who is this?” she asks, her voice wary.

  “Harper Stevens, ma’am.”

  Her chuckle puts me at ease when it comes through the phone. “Don’t you ma’am me, you must be the woman that has stolen my son’s heart.”

  I’m pretty sure my blush can be seen from across the country. “I am,” I say through ten shades of embarrassment.

  “Can you tell me something, Harper?”

  I tell her yes.

  “How is he?”

  God, where do I start and how do I get through this without crying.

  “He hasn’t woken up yet, but the doctors are optimistic that he will within the next few hours.” At least that’s what Will told me.

  Whenever the doctor came in, everything he said felt like I was back in college and unable to understand a word.

  “Well, that’s a slight relief. How does he look?” I hear her whisper that she wishes she was there and for a split second I wish she was too.

  What I wouldn’t give for someone maternal to take over and tell me everything was going to be okay. The tears start again, and I can hear her sigh on the other end of the line.

  “Oh sweetie, I am so sorry, I didn’t even think about how you’re doing through all this.”

  I nod, still not saying a word.

  “I won’t ask you anything else about my boy, I’ll call William if I want an update but just promise me something, sweetheart.”

  “Okay,” I mutter through a clogged throat.

  “Take care of my boy, he loves you and I know you love him. Just keep loving him and he’ll come back.” She says her goodbyes and I find a bench and burst into tears. That was definitely not the way I wanted to meet Josh’s mom, but let’s be honest, it could have been worse.

  Josh’s phone starts ringing again and I take a deep breath and answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Harper?” the baritone voice asks on the other end.

  “Yes? Can I ask who this is?”

  “Sorry, darlin’, that was so rude of me. My name is Dixon Davis and I’m Josh’s lawyer.” My eyes bug out of my head and my heart starts beating a thousand times per second. “You there, Harper?”

  “Yes,” I stutter, shaking myself out of the shock. “Sorry Mr. Davis, I’m here.”

  “Please call me Dixon.”

  “Okay, Dixon, can I ask why you’re calling?” The nerves are getting the better of me as I sit back down on the bench and hang my head. God, I want this to be about what I think it’s about.

  “I have good news, darlin’. We found out who was running that website and who sent all those photos and videos.”

  I take a deep breath, waiting for the name of the person who was prepared to ruin both our lives.

  “Does the name Trace James Miller sound familiar?”

  “No,” I say as the wheels in my head start to turn.

  “Maybe you know him better as TJ Miller.”

  The shock is palpable, and I close my eyes, wondering how that’s even possible.

  “Are you serious right now?” I ask, knowing the answer but still wondering why he would do something like this.

  “Unfortunately, yes. I do need you to come into the office as soon as possible to sign off on some paperwork so we can get the litigation started. I’ve already removed the website and have officers notified about TJ’s involvement as well as a Miss Angela Gentry.”

  “No fucking way…” I mutter, hearing Dixon’s laugh through the phone. “Sorry, I just can’t see how that’s possible.”

  How the fuck did Angela and TJ pull this off when they just started dating?

  “It appears that there was correspondence between the two as early as May of this year.” That’s right when Josh and I started dating. How the fuck is that possible?

  “So what now?”

  “Now I need either you or Josh to come in and since our boy is incapable right now, all I need is your signature to get all of this started.”

  I tell him I’ll call him back and hang up the phone, sitting there in utter shock before I hear footsteps behind me.

  “So you finally figured it out,” TJ mutters from behind me and I jump back, not expecting him to be here. “Honestly, I expected you guys to figure it out long before now. But I guess I was stealthier than I thought.” That smirk lights up his smug face and I wonder what Josh ever did to him to cause such hatred to bleed through every pore.

  “Why?” I ask, retreating backward as his eyes bore into mine with every step he takes toward me. “Why would you do this to him, to us? You don’t even know him that well!” My back hits the wall with a thud as pure rage gathers in his gaze.

  “I’ve known guys like Josh my whole life. Handed everything on a silver platter, his talent praised as if he was God’s gift to the sport when in reality, he’s just another washed-up has-been who is past his prime and deserves to be put in his place,” he mumbles, his face lowering so that were at eye level. “You want to know the best part of all of this? Seeing you riding him, fucking him, and screaming his name when I knew you would ruin him.”

  Disgust cascades over every inch of my body, hating the man before me even more than I already did.

  “So that’s it, you want
ed to ruin his reputation with those pictures?” I ask, not really understanding his logic.

  “Yes and no,” he whispers, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, causing every part of me to recoil, which causes his anger to peek through. His fists land on the wall beside my head and I jump, hating that he’s got me cornered. “All I wanted to do was take Josh’s sport, cause some tension and maybe prove to the Hawks that I was good enough. I had this whole plan set up, I paid a few guys to wait at Paul’s Bar and jump him outside, might have even tipped off some paps about what was about to go down.”

  My brows furrow, because how the hell would that have ruined him?

  “Ahh, I see you’re confused,” he says through a maniacal laugh. “While yes, he would have technically been set up, the tabloids didn’t need to know that. All they would see was Mr. Golden Boy fighting outside a bar after a few drinks. Management would get involved, he would get benched for a few games and that would be my time to shine.”

  “But none of that happened,” I state, not remembering any of this in the news.

  “Very observant, sweetheart.”

  I cringe at the nickname, hating the way it sounds coming off his lips.

  “No, it didn’t happen. Instead, I met a very beautiful woman whose hatred for you almost rivaled my hatred for Josh. Her plan was to steal him away, have him cheat on you, and you never forgive him. But she didn’t expect him to fall for you so hard, so fast, so we conspired together. Came up with a plan that was foolproof.”

  “Not that foolproof…” I mutter, causing TJ to slam one fist beside my head while the other wraps around my neck and squeezes.

  “You were supposed to break it off after the first set of fucking pictures. Angela said you would, but instead you hid them like a fucking coward. I was almost ready to give up when he broke up with you after Angela sent him that email with the proof of the photos. I got my shot. Everything was working out but then you fucking stayed with him! So we upped the ante. Angela gave me her key to the gym, I broke in and stole some footage and thought this was my chance. The tape was sexy as fuck.” His eyes scan my body as if he’s remembering what I looked like that night.