Rounding Third

by Michelle Lynn

  “Kind of but not really. They’re my neighbors. Jen hangs out with them more than I do.”

  My hand moves to the handle of the truck, but Crosby grabs my other hand, stopping me.

  “Not yet,” he asks in the nicest plea.

  I relax back in my seat.

  “Staying in this truck is not the right decision.” I look into my apartment where Jen slithers by the window in only her bra and underwear. She runs by it fast, as though she doesn’t want to be seen.

  “Since when do we make the right decisions?” He picks up his head and looks over at me. “We still on for coffee tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. We can talk about the newspaper article. Spencer okay with it?” My hand hovers over the handle, enabling me to make a fast exit.

  “Yeah. If I were him, I’d be ashamed to share the same name as me.”

  There’s that unconfident Crosby sneaking back in from two years ago. The one who thought he was worthless and didn’t deserve a baseball scholarship to a top university. He believed that after what he’d done, he should forever live in a state of hell.

  “Don’t say that.” My hand squeezes his.

  If I had my own genie, I’d use all three wishes on Crosby. One of them would be to break apart his pain into little pieces and vacuum them up into space.

  “Regardless, he’s good, so I’d rather have my input on the story than have them saying whatever they want.” He slides his hand out of my hold and puts the truck in gear. “Anyway, I’d better get going.”

  “Oh, okay.” I fumble to search for my purse and open the door. “I’ll meet you tomorrow morning?” I ask once I’m outside the door.

  “Yeah.” His eyes don’t meet mine.

  “Okay, see you then.”

  “Yeah.”

  I step back, and Crosby barely waits for me to shut the door before he starts backing up. As I watch his truck drive down the street, my throat constricts, and tears prick my eyes.

  “Bye,” I whisper right before two arms wrap around my waist.

  I don’t have to turn around to see who it is. Liam’s overuse of musky cologne signals his presence.

  “What’s up, baby?” he whispers into my neck, pecking my skin with his lips.

  There was a time when his lips on me would rush a path of goose bumps.

  “Nothing. Where did you come from?”

  I turn around and look around the parking lot, not seeing his car.

  “I walked from the lab.”

  “Walked? It’s, like, a mile.”

  “I needed the air. Who was in the truck?” he asks.

  My skin crawls from what I’m about to do.

  “No one. Only a ride back from my job with the sports physician.”

  “No one I need to worry about?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Come on.” I put on my best act from high school drama club and he buys it. Not that he has reason not to.

  “Nice. Glad my girl didn’t have to walk.” He leads me toward my apartment, securely holding my hand in his. There’s no surge of electricity in our linked hands.

  “I’m used to walking miles, but you…” I glance down at his loafer shoes. “Your feet must be killing you in those.”

  He looks down, like he doesn’t remember what he’s wearing. “I’d go through all the blisters and pain again for you.”

  When he yanks me to him, I tumble into his chest.

  “What a knight,” I comment. I open up my apartment door that was unlocked. “Jen!” I scream over her blaring music.

  She stumbles in, buttoning up her shirt. It’s about to pop a button at the breast level.

  “What?” She disregards Liam, like usual.

  “You left the door unlocked. You have to be more careful.” I flick the lock behind us.

  She shoots me a lazy salute. “Ten-four, Mom.”

  “Hey, Jen,” Liam calls out.

  She lifts her middle finger at him, disappearing down the hall.

  “What did I ever do to her?” Liam shakes his head, taking a seat on the couch. He props his feet up on our coffee table, relaxing into our cushions with the remote in his hand.

  I sit on the couch next to him, but he grabs my hand, pulling me into his lap.

  Where did this sudden affection come from?

  “What are you doing tonight?” He nuzzles his face into my neck.

  I normally would be melting in his arms from his foreign attention, but it’s weird and very unlike Liam to shower me with more than a peck to the lips.

  “Staying in.” I rise to my feet, but he yanks me back down.

  “We’re having a party at the house.”

  “On a Thursday?”

  Normally, frat rules dictate parties are only allowed Friday and Saturday.

  “It’s Hank’s birthday. House voted.” He shrugs his shoulder, and flips the channel to another reality television house improvement show.

  “Oh. Let me ask Jen.” I move again to stand, but he slams his mouth to mine. My lips don’t open from the mere surprise of his actions, but he thrusts his tongue through my lips, and his hand gropes my breast.

  “Gross.” Jen breezes in the room with an empty glass.

  Liam pushes me back, leaving me lying across his lap with swollen red lips and my breast tingling with pain.

  I push him away and stand. “What the hell has gotten into you?” I ask, ruder than I intended.

  “Can’t I love on my girlfriend?”

  “Love?” That’s a big word we’ve never mentioned before.

  “You know what I mean.” He comes up behind me, sneaking his arms around my waist.

  At this point, his affection is grating on my nerves. I’m ready to push him out the front door and flick the lock. I like affection, but this is sickening and rare and not us.

  “Jen,” I call out, wiggling out of his hold, “you want to go to Kappa tonight?”

  She eyes Liam, curling her lips in revulsion. “No. I’m going over to the baseball house.”

  My eyes cast down because I would rather go to the baseball house, too. The Kappa guys are all so entitled.

  “But, if you want me to, I’ll go with you.”

  I shoot her my biggest thank you smile. “Thank you.”

  She rolls her eyes, but her lips turn up at the corners. “Whatever. Go get ready, and we’ll leave.”

  I jog to my room. “I’ll see you there, Liam.”

  “Meet me in my bedroom,” he says.

  My eyes crinkle in confusion. Ignoring him, I shut my bedroom door.

  Chapter Seven

  Crosby

  I slam on the brakes, throw my truck in park, and grab the baseball tucked in my glove compartment. Tossing it in the air, I walk into the house and find my roommates circled around a table, doing shots in one hand with beers in the other.

  Not interested in bullshitting, I give a small wave of my hand and rush up the stairs.

  “Hey, Third Base,” Oliver calls out.

  I pretend I didn’t hear him and continue to climb the stairs.

  My door shuts, and the image of that asshole coming out of the apartment with a blonde spiraled around him assaults me. I desperately wanted to point to him, show Ella the scum she was dating, but I can’t be her back up, or worse, the rebound after her break-up because he hurt her. How could someone who had her ever be willing to jeopardize that?

  Her words to the Barbie twins from next door ring in my ears. I hear her disregard of me and her voice saying that she’s still with the asshole who was fucking someone else in the apartment building she calls home. The baseball suddenly weighs twenty pounds, and before a debate runs in my head, I throw it across the room.

  Bang.

  It splatters the drywall, finding a new home, lodged between two two-by-fours. My hands cover my face, my fingers gripping the short strands of my hair.

  “You aren’t the first.”

  I flip my head around to find Brax leaning against the frame of the ba
throom door with a cocky grin splashed on his face.

  “Fuck.” I bite down on my closed fist.

  “Cros.”

  He shuts the door to the bathroom and enters my room. The last thing I need is him spouting holy advice to me.

  “Ella?”

  I close my eyes, wishing I had fifty baseballs to hammer at the wall.

  “Do you want to go to the batting cage?” He sits down on my desk, propping his feet on my chair.

  “We’re not fifteen.”

  “Yeah, but you’re angry with Ella. It’s always worked before. Remember the time when you started liking her, and she kissed Noah?”

  He laughs, and I can’t hide my own amusement because I hit two home runs and two triples that next game. I fielded every ball that came my way and nailed them right toward Noah’s face, but the bastard caught every one.

  “Maybe it will improve your game.”

  I shake my head from Brax’s obscure trait to lead me in the right direction, even if it’s in his own chaotic nature.

  “Listen.” He claps his hands, veering my attention from the new ball juggling in my hands.

  I hold it in my right hand and stare over at him.

  “You’re going about it all wrong. You need to stay as far away as you can from her. Let her come to you because you know she will. I mean, you two are Crosby and Ella.”

  “That doesn’t mean shit anymore.”

  “Anyone can see that she still wants you, but your return churned up a lot of crap. I know I look like I have it all together, but the truth is, you being back brings memories—good and bad.” He smooths his hands down his thighs.

  I never even considered what my return would be like for Brax.

  “You and Noah were my best friends, and I lost both of you that night.”

  I bite my lip and swallow the dry lump occupying my throat. “I love her,” I admit, purposely staying away from the topic of Noah.

  “No shit. If you love her, you need to do one thing.”

  “What?”

  “Stop acting like it didn’t happen. Face it, deal with it, and remember Noah and Kedsey.”

  Easy for him to say. He wasn’t there that night. He wasn’t driving the car. He wasn’t labeled.

  “And, for fuck’s sake, stop stalking her. Make her jealous. Make her come to you.” He draws out the last word as he looks me directly in the eyes. “Now, get dressed. We’re going over to Kappa.”

  I throw my hands up in the air. “You told me to stay away from her. Why would I go to her boyfriend’s party?”

  “I also said, make her jealous. The girls on this campus are excited to meet Mr. Third Base. Consider tonight your coming-out party.”

  “Fuck, I’ll kill him if I go.” The ball molds to the palm of my hand.

  “Hey now, Coach will bench you for a fight. Plus, I just came up with a killer plan.”

  “Did you know he cheats on her?”

  Brax’s face turns beet red, and that happy-go-lucky smile falters. “What?”

  I slowly nod my head. “Yep. Saw him outside her apartment with a blonde.”

  “Jen?”

  I wave him off. “Nah. Some other chick.”

  His hand runs down his face. “Tell me you told her.”

  I shake my head.

  He groans and leans against my desk. “Cros, you’ve gotta tell her.”

  I juggle the ball in my hands, my coping mechanism calming my anger.

  “I don’t want her to hate me. Let’s remember, when you didn’t talk to Noah when he told you he saw Liz with that fucker from Clement.”

  He rolls his eyes. “I was blinded.”

  “So is she.”

  “It’s a sure win for you if you tell her. Fuck, I could kill the preppy asshole.”

  Seeing how protective Brax is over Ella makes me wonder how close they’ve become during the years I’ve been gone.

  “I don’t want her to think I’m telling her to make her end it.”

  “Then, let’s make sure she finds out herself.”

  “You want me to let her walk into that buzzsaw?” My body stiffens. I’ve hurt this girl so much already.

  “It’s for her own good. Save her from the dick. We both know she’s better off without him. He’s a cardboard cutout. Shit, give me the ball because I’m going to break his nose for you and her. Now, get ready. We’re out in thirty minutes.” He saunters through the bathroom door, shutting it behind him, and turns on the shower.

  A half hour later, I’m walking next to Oliver on the way to Kappa. Brax is in front of us with Tyler, who I recently found out is referred to as Saucey, each with beers in their hands.

  When I was in the shower, Brax’s advice made sense, but now, this seems like a terrible idea. Then again, she hasn’t run back into my arms yet, like I hoped she would. After she kissed Noah when we were fifteen, I asked out Gianna. She was at my locker during the next break between classes, flirting her way into a date on Friday night.

  I guess we’ll see if jealousy is still Ella’s kryptonite.

  We follow the line of people to the door.

  Those big red Greek letters nailed to the front of the house makes me wish I had a carton of eggs. How did Ella end up with a frat guy? If anyone, I assumed I’d have had competition with an athlete—no one near my caliber, but definitely a guy who would appreciate her qualities of looking like a knockout in a dress and sexy in cutoff shorts and a tank top.

  Immediately, a slew of girls bombard us when we enter. Oliver cozies up to the first redhead he finds while Saucey’s eyes search.

  Brax claps me on the back. “This, my ladies, is Crosby Lynch, third base.” He winks over and disappears into the crowd.

  A round of oohs and aahs float around our little circle while each girl nudges to get closest to me. I smile down to them, uncomfortable with this whole act.

  “Who wants a drink?” I ask.

  They all giggle with resounding yeses.

  One brunette grabs my hand, leading me into the kitchen, while her ass swings back and forth, slow and steady, like a pendulum. She checks back every three steps to make sure I’m looking.

  The kitchen is overflowing with people. Guys are circled around a girl sprawled out on the counter, doing tequila shots off of her. A ring of people is waiting next to the keg to fill their red Solo cups with beer. A group of guys, jazzed up in their conversation, hold tumblers with liquor bottles lined in front of them.

  “What do you want?” The brunette squeezes a girl out of the way to rub along my shoulder.

  “I’ll get it.” Another girl hands me a beer.

  Fuck if I’m going to drink it. I might be a guy, but I get my own drinks. I hold it in my hand, flashing her a smile as a thank-you.

  Each girl asks me questions about baseball, pretending like they give a shit about my position. All they care about is how fast they can get me upstairs or in a bathroom for bragging rights on who screwed the new third baseman. I’ve been here and done this in my dark days at junior college.

  I’m about to cut this whole stupid idea of Brax’s short when Ella enters through the doorway. She’s with Jen, and her dickhead boyfriend, Liam, is plastered to her side. She doesn’t see me, so I take the opportunity to find out who the new Ella is.

  Jen moves over to the tequila shots, happily taking one off the girl’s stomach. Ella laughs, but when Jen actually takes the lime from the girl’s mouth, she shakes her head. One thing I’ve figured out is Jen screams for attention however she can claim it.

  Ella’s boyfriend moves to the high-class group with their straight scotch and whiskey. Grabbing a glass of dark amber, he downs it back like a shot, and one of his friends in a polo shirt pours another one. His eyes ping everywhere but on his girlfriend. Fuckhead.

  Hell, I never left Ella alone at a party unless she was with Noah or Brax.

  From the corner of her eyes, Ella glances to him every few minutes and then rolls her eyes. I sense some dissention between them already
.

  I desperately want to break through this wall of girls. I’ve been nodding to whatever they’ve been saying since Ella came in view, and they haven’t stopped talking for a breath. My feet are itching to move, my one free hand fists from wanting to touch her, but I can’t. Brax was right. I’ll never get her if I’m accessible the entire time.

  Just then, Liam’s hand skates along a girl’s back as he weaves through the crowd. I watch his hand skim up the side of her body before cupping her breast. It’s a hidden display, but he whispers something in her ear, and she pushes her ass into his crotch right before he thrusts into her. Within ten seconds, it’s over, and he’s smiling on his way to Ella. The fucking asshole is fooling around with more than one girl.

  My body stiffens, and now, my clenched fist is preparing to pummel his ass.

  He hands her a cup of alcohol. She sips it and conveys her thank-you with a sweet kiss on his cheek. Jealousy piles deep through me.

  As I watch the two, he does all the touching and kissing, but his eyes roam to other girls in the small room. A blonde passes by him, one of his frat brothers distracts Ella, and jackass whispers something in the blonde’s ear before following her out of the room.

  The frat brother holds Ella until Liam’s gone. She seems completely unfazed, and she either ignores or is ignorant to her boyfriend’s cheating. She pours the glass of vodka into another cup on the kitchen counter and holds the empty glass in front of her.

  “Third?” A small blonde touches my arm.

  I twist my head back in the circle of girls vying for my attention. “It’s Crosby,” I clarify.

  “Oh. Hey, do you want to go upstairs?” She nestles up her crotch to grind along my thigh.

  I slide my leg back. “Nah, I’m good here.” I smile down at her. “Maybe another time.”

  Like never.

  “Lynch!” Saucey screams into the room. He’s definitely had his fair share of alcohol, meaning the stash isn’t only in the kitchen.

  My eyes instinctively move to Ella, and I find her and Jen’s eyes searching the room. Strike that. Ella’s searching, but Jen’s eyes stop on Saucey. Before Ella can find me, I focus my attention on Saucey and then shoot a welcoming smile to the girls, so they swarm closer to me.