“And I want to gain it back. I will try forever. I’ll drive up here every single day. I will bring you cheesesteaks and pickles, with white chocolate and Lost for dessert. I’ll put corny hip-hop covers on YouTube dedicated to you. I’ll do anything.”
I smile tearily, unable to contain it after his silly diatribe. “I’m not sure…”
“You don’t have to be sure now. Go to class. I’ll be waiting in the parking lot after you finish, waiting to begin proving it to you. Just say you’ll meet me.”
I weigh the options in my head. Its safer to put those walls back up, not expose myself to pain, or love, or all of the scary emotions that came with them. But Owen, he had shown me that stepping up to the plate was worth it. And who cared if you struck out a time or two? It only matters if you get back out there and swing at the challenges life throws you.
“Okay. I’ll meet you.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
I lean my back against the old brick building, admiring the rays shining through the tall oaks that dot campus.
The weather is perfect, high temps and sunshine with no humidity in the air, which was weird for a September in Virginia. Students begin to trickle into the quad, those whose teachers called class just a minute or two early.
I hear the doors swing open just beside me, and pull my Tigers hat lower down on my head. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I wait.
Guys and girls pour out of the exit, clad in their Grover University gear, flip flops, yoga pants and basketball shorts. This might be a prestigious college, but we all still dressed like bums for class.
I see a long, curly ponytail swoosh a few feet in front of me, the head it belongs to turning to search for someone in the crowd.
“Hey freshman!” I yell.
She turns around, an annoyed smile gracing those perfect lips. I walk straight for her and don’t waste a minute fusing my lips to hers in a kiss that is probably not decent for public consumption.
She tastes like berries and home. Minka. The best taste in the world.
“Ew, junior boys are so creepy.” She teases, but by the breathlessness in her voice I know I’ve affected her.
“Well, this junior boy loves you. I love you so much.”
“And I love you.” Minka smiles up at me, her small body enveloped in my arms.
It still makes my heart do a funny lurch inside my chest when I hear her say that. I hadn’t heard it until about four months after I’d ambushed her in the lunchroom. When she said it to me then I thought I’d damn near have a stroke.
Those four months hadn’t been easy, for either of us. She was snippy and distrustful at first, not unlike our initial meeting when I’d tried to win her over. And I was so hard on myself for how I’d hurt her, I had a dark period there for a minute. But we got through it, me driving to Mitchum any chance I got to see her, and her slowly giving on the reins.
When she’d gotten into Grover, and subsequently accepted, I gave her an extra special accepted students tour. A large portion of the tour featured my bedroom. I’d like to think she was more than satisfied with the benefits package.
“So, I have a little celebration planned to commemorate your first week of classes being over…”
“Owen, have you really been that bored? Lucky you, no classes on Friday.”
“Would it be weird to say I’ve been counting down the minutes until you got out of class?”
“No, its actually very sweet.”
I wrap her locks around my fingers as I direct her towards my truck in the parking lot. “Good. We’re having a small get together, Chloe is invited, of course, as another one-week freshman.”
“Oh, great. Miles is going to kill you ha!”
Miles and Chloe had been beefing ever since the carnival. I didn’t know why. I did know that he was still not acting like himself almost a year later. “Whatever he can suck it up. And another surprise…”
I unlock the doors to my car, and out jumps Kelsey.
“OH MY GOD! Owen…what…Kels!?” Minka looks at me, her eyes wide with glee and shock.
Kelsey is leaving for a year-long trip to Africa in two days. The girls had thought they’d said their goodbyes last week before they’d come to school, but I had other plans.
“What are you doing here!?” Minka was yelling now, the excitement coming through in her voice.
“I had to come to your first weekend of college parties! Come on, who do you think I am. Plus, Clint would have killed me if I didn’t show my face before I left.”
Kelsey and Clint had become close over the last year, with Minka coming up a few times and me taking my buddies home some weekends. The way he looked at her though, I knew he wanted to be way more than friends.
Minka pushes up on her toes and gives me a sloppy, enthusiastic kiss before slinging her arm around Kelsey, talk of what they were going to wear already going on.
I stand back and admire my girl. My beautiful, smart, brave girl. She’s faced so much and come out to beat it into submission. I was in awe of her everyday.
It seemed like my existence up until I met her only depended on the next win. The next time I could mark that W. But I didn’t need that validation anymore. I’d won her heart, and she had mine. Everything after that was just balls and strikes.
About the Author
Carrie Aarons lives with her soon-to-be husband in an apartment they are constantly outgrowing. Nine times out of ten, she can be found with her head in a book. The other one, she’s most likely devouring sushi.
For more information:
@authorcarriea
carrieaarons
www.authorcaarons.wordpress.com
[email protected]
Pitching to Win (Over the Fence #1) Page 21