by Teagan Kade
“Mom.”
“So, who is he? Tell your mother.”
The most incredible guy on the planet. “No one.”
“You do realize you’re going to need to be a little more detailed with answers when you’re a doctor.”
“He’s not a patient, Mom.”
“So there is a boy.”
I decide to toss her a morsel. “He’s on the baseball team.”
“Is he now? Big arms, tall?”
“Something like that.”
“You’re being safe?”
“Mom!”
“I’m dating myself, you know.”
“Are you?” I reply, thankful to turn the conversation back to Mom.
“I found this lovely gentleman on that app all you kids are crazy about, Kinder or whatever it is.”
“Tinder,” I correct, trying to mind-bleach out the horrid imagery running through my head.
“And you’re telling me to be safe.”
“Maturity comes with experience, Willow, not age.”
“Ew.”
“What? I can’t have a sex life?”
“Enough, please.”
“He’s a pilot. He wants to make me a member of the Mile High Club. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
“Mom!” I exclaim again. “I get it.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Baseball player,” she muses, returning to me. “Is that all you’re going to give your poor, starved-for-information mother? Do I get a name?”
“Asher,” I relent.
She mulls it over, repeating, “Asher. Asher. Sounds like the head of a motorcycle gang.”
I laugh. “Not quite, but if he ever gives up baseball I’ll let him know he’s got a long life ahead of him as a career criminal.”
I hear Amy at the door. God knows how she got into the building this late. “I’ve got to go, Mom.”
She gets in one more “Stay safe.”
“You too, Mom.”
I hang up.
Amy stumbles in. “Do you know how small the window in the bathroom downstairs is? You’d think most people would want to break out of this place, not in, but there you go.”
“Why didn’t you just stay out?”
She collapses onto her bed. “Unlike some, I don’t have a boyfriend with his own bachelor pad.”
I lay down staring up at the ceiling. “I suppose it does have its perks.”
“Just let me know when you’re ready to give him up,” Amy yawns. “I’d ride that flagpole day and night.”
Never, I think with a secret smile. He’s mine.
All mine.
*
Rain threatens training the following day, but while the clouds hang heavy and blotted grey, nothing happens.
Asher’s in great form. He smashes ball after ball, each of them streaking across the sky.
I watch him talking with Coach Harris afterwards, Bailey yipping and yapping away tied to the fence.
Finally, the two wrap up. Coach untying Bailey and walking her away, smiling, talking to his newfound recruit.
I meet Asher by the water table. “I see the coach has a new friend. You don’t think it’s a little bit ironic that the coach of the Hellcats is smitten over a tiny dog?”
Asher hooks a finger into the front of my pants and pulls me into him. “He’s not the only one who likes things in small packages.”
I push him away laughing.
He steps over to the water table and drops a cup over his head, shaking it out before putting his cap back on. “I told Coach about our predicament and he happily agreed to take Bailey on. He wasn’t sold at first, but when I told him Taylor might have been involved, it was a done deal. I don’t think he’s a big fan of the cheerleading squad.”
“Bailey will be okay at his place?” I question.
Asher nods. “Sure will. The Coach and his wife used to have a Maltese apparently, and he lives off campus, has a decent backyard for her to play in, parks all around. She’ll be fine, more than fine.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m so happy that sorted itself out.”
“Me too, but I don’t think Taylor’s going to give up that easily, so be on guard.”
I spot Leon eyeballing us from the pitcher’s mound. “I see Leon’s back.”
“And just as well. We need him.”
“But what about what he did to you, to us?”
Asher lifts the brim of his cap. “I know, and it would have been easy to let him burn, but it wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“He’s a dealer, isn’t he? I’ve heard the rumors.”
“Was.”
“Asher…”
“Everyone deserves a second chance, Willow, even a lost soul like Leon.”
“Are you speaking from experience?”
“Perhaps, but you’ve got to realize this is more than a team to me. It’s a family. You don’t leave family behind, no matter how much they’ve fucked up. You do what you can to protect them.”
It’s not my place to judge. I can see where he’s coming from. I’ve never really had that kind of bond with anyone, a friendship that would demand such sacrifice. “Will he be okay?”
Asher grins. “Let’s hope so. He’s a killer pitcher. He’s really got a shot.”
“As do you. Remember that.”
He drags me toward him, kissing me on the forehead with all the delicacy of a breeze brushing a flower. “I will.” He holds me at arm’s length. “Coach offered for us to come around for a BBQ tonight. What do you say?”
I smile back. “I’m vegetarian, remember?”
*
I was expecting the whole team to be at Coach Harris’s place, but it turns out he only invited Asher and I.
Like Asher said, the coach’s place is a dog’s paradise. He even has a cute little dog house in the corner under a big, sprawling oak.
I take a sip of lemonade watching Asher play with Bailey. For a second I picture a child there as well, an inky-haired toddler running and laughing behind them. I have no doubt we’d make cute kids.
“You’re smitten with him, aren’t you?” asks Coach, flipping sausages on the grill beside me.
“I am,” I smile.
“He acts like a bad ass, you know, but our slugger over there’s a marshmallow inside. Most of these tough guys are.”
“He doesn’t seem like much of a marshmallow when he plays ball.
Coach laughs. “You’re right, but baseball’s a different kettle of fish. It’s a warzone out there. It spits sissy boys right on out. There’s no room for ‘soft’ anything in baseball.”
“You talk about it like it’s sacred, a lot like my dad actually.”
He looks at me, the sausages sizzling. “It is, young lady.” He returns to tending the grill. “I almost made the Major League myself, you know.”
“What happened?”
He takes a breath. “A girl.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, ‘oh,’ which is why I was reluctant about you two at first, but I think if anything you’ve been the best kind of medicine for our boy there. He’s more focused than ever. He’s ready. The question is, are you?”
I can’t summon a reply. Am I? If Asher is snapped by up a Major League team, what happens to me? Do I follow him, give up my own dreams and aspirations? I don’t know. It’s far too heavy for barbeque fodder.
“You’ll treat him right, won’t you?”
I nod. “Of course.”
I swear the coach is about to cry. I don’t ask him about children. Asher already told me the story.
Coach Harris had a son. Like Asher, he was captain of the Hellcats, but he died—dropped dead from an aneurysm a day before he was to graduate.
Asher’s the coach’s big hope for a championship four-peat. I’m going to make sure he comes through.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ASHER
Having a photographic memory is all well and good, but even superhumans need to
hit the books once in a while, especially considering this final exam is a solid fifty percent of overall grading. The library, typically a lonesome place, is fast filling with students eager to cram before ‘E week’ where their futures will largely be determined by a single paper.
“I love the way your brow furrows like that when you’re studying hard,” I tell Willow. “It furrows the same way when you’re co—”
“Shhh.” She looks across the table at me. “Not here.”
“That’s not what you said last time…”
She tilts her head sideways. “Are you going to study or sit there all day firing sexual innuendo at me?”
“You love it.”
“A little, maybe, but right now the only place my head needs to be is deep inside this book.”
I nod in understanding and pick up my own, pretending I’m glancing down at the page when really I’m studying the gentle sweep of her neckline. “Proceed.”
When I look at Willow these days I’m definitely not seeing the quiet, studious type any more. I’m seeing a wild, sexually adventurous animal that just last night was gripping my sheets so hard they damn near tore in two. That’s what sex with Willow is like—beautiful chaos.
But it’s more than the sex. I see the way she is with the kids at the home, the dedication she shows to her studies. She’s got her priorities straight, which is more than I could have said for myself before we met. Playing in the Major League has always been the dream, but now it’s a ‘plus one’ dream, because god knows I can’t see a life without her any more.
The door to the study room swings wide.
It’s Taylor.
Not fucking again.
She stands between us, leaning against the edge of the table. She’s carrying notes in her hand. “Studying hard?”
I shake my head. “Yeah, we are, so why don’t you do yourself a favor and fuck off to your keg party or gang bang or whatever it is you’re into these days?”
She kneels down, puts her chin on the edge of the table and smiles. “Now, is that any way to treat a former lover?”
At least she’s got the ‘former’ part right finally. God, I wish Willow wasn’t around to hear this drivel. “Leave, or I’ll make you leave.”
“I’d listen to him if I was you,” adds Willow.
Taylor shakes her head slowly, pretending Willow isn’t there. “Ashey, Ashey, Ashey. You’re going to regret this.”
“So you keep saying. Now go.”
She stands and puts her hands up. “Okay, I’m going.”
She backs towards the door blowing a kiss at me. “Whatever you say, Slugger.”
The door closes and we’re once again left in peace, but I’m not through with Taylor. She’s got to know this is not okay.
“I’ll be right back,” I inform Willow, grabbing my backpack from under the table. The top’s open. Half the contents almost spill out before I have a chance to zip it back up and head out. But when I reach the front of the library, Taylor’s nowhere to be found.
Like her brain cells, she’s evaporated.
*
We arrive at Willow’s dorm room shortly before nightfall. Technically, males are against dorm policy, but no one seems to mind as I walk the halls. In fact, given the stolen glances and soft giggling, I’m sure they’d let me stay if I asked nicely enough—not that Amy would approve. The girl’s like something out of The Ring, all long hair and angst. I’ve seen her around a few parties getting the full college experience.
All that shit seems so distant now. It’s like I’ve been with Willow forever.
Amy’s nowhere to be found, but two campus security guards and Karen are waiting in the hall outside Willow’s room.
Given where we are, I expect Karen to address Willow, but she looks to me. “Asher.”
“Karen.”
She points. “I’m afraid we’re going to need to see that backpack.”
I turn. “My backpack. Why?”
Willow looks to me confused. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve had a report of stolen exam papers,” says Karen. She extends her hand. “Your backpack, please, Mr. Slade.”
I sling it off and pass it to the nearest Rent-A-Cop. “You’re wasting your time.”
While it’s being checked, Karen faces Willow. “I’m sorry about this, Willow, but we have to follow up on incidents like this. I’m sure you understand how—” She stops, the security guard handing her a collection of papers from my bag I don’t recognize.
She leafs through them.
“What hell are those?” I ask.
She looks up at me. “Where did you get these?”
They’re exam papers alright.
I put up a hand. “I have no fucking idea.”
“Language, please.” She sighs, handing the papers back to the guard. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to notify the Dean.”
“Honestly,” I protest. “I have never seen that exam before in my life. That’s the truth.”
“Mr. Slade,” starts Karen again.
I back away. “No.” And then the ball drops. “Taylor,” I announce.
Karen looks to Willow. “Taylor Vaughn?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “We just saw her at the library. She could have easily slipped something into my backpack. She was right there.”
Karen narrows her eyes at me. “And why would she do that?”
I throw my arms up. “I don’t know. Because she’s a psychopath, because she can’t stand to see me happy.”
Karen looks unconvinced. “Where would she even get these?”
“Was it her? Was she your anonymous tip?” asks Willow.
Karen’s glances between us again. “Okay, since you’re asking, Willow. Yes, Taylor was the one who reported it, so I understand your suspicion. In fact, Taylor herself has been under suspicion for some time regarding her grades, but understand I still have to run this through college protocol. Asher can state his case at the hearing.”
“The hearing?!” Willow cries, alarmed.
Karen nods. “I’ll make sure your concerns are heard, but for now, hang tight.”
“Hang tight?” I laugh. “While my grades are flushed away?”
Willow takes my hand. “It will be okay.”
All I can do is shake my head. “I sure as hell hope so.”
*
Five painful days pass before I’m called to the Dean’s office.
Karen and the Dean are already seated when I arrive, a third woman I don’t recognize is there to take minutes. It’s fucking cut-the-air-with-a-knife serious in here.
“Take a seat, Asher,” says the Dean.
I do.
“I’m sure you know why you’re here, Asher, so let’s get right to it. Documents were found in your backpack earlier this week, exam papers, to be precise, stolen from a professor here at the college. As I’m sure you can gather, that’s not good.”
Taylor’s going to get away with it, I think. She’s going to sink me, until there comes a ‘but.’
The Dean looks to Karen. “It has come to light during our investigation that you are, in fact, the innocent party here.”
Thank fuck. My chest deflates.
“As was suggested, the evidence points to Taylor Vaughn at this point. We have footage of her entering the library with what appears to be the exam papers in hand. She was also seen leaving the professor in question’s office only fifteen minutes prior, and she was the one who called this in.”
“So she’ll be reprimanded?” I ask.
The two exchange another look. The woman taking minutes stops typing.
“I’m afraid,” Karen begins, her voice tight. “While everything points to Taylor’s guilt and culpability in this matter, we don’t have any hard evidence connecting her to the papers.”
“But the footage?”
Karen shakes her head. “As I said, it appears to be the exam papers, but the video quality’s not good enough to place them.”
“What about
the professor? What did he say?”
Karen glances down. I think she’s embarrassed more than anything at the whole thing.
The Dean interjects. “The professor in question has been spoken to, but he has no idea how Ms. Vaughn may have gotten her hands on the papers. They were in his office, yes, but he has an open door policy. In truth, anyone could have taken them.”
Fucking great. I exhale in frustration. “So she gets off scot-free?”
The Dean stands. “You have our apologies, Asher. And as for Ms. Vaughn, she’ll get what’s coming to her in time. I’ve been here long enough to know that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
WILLOW
I’m on a high after the hearing. Yes, Taylor’s guilt hasn’t been proven… yet, but surely it’s only a matter of time until she slips up.
I don’t think Asher sees it the same way, which is why I’m dedicating all my energy to getting his mind on it.
I pull a flyer off the campus bulletin board as we pass by the science building and hold it out so Asher can see. “What do you think? Is it time I let my hair down?”
He reads it over. “The Sig-Phi ‘Let Your Hair Down’ Party? That one gets pretty crazy. The Hellcats are guest hosting, you do realize.”
I pocket the flyer and take his arm, letting my head falling against his shoulder. “I’ve heard you do crazy pretty well.”
“Who did you hear that from?”
“Mr. Slimey.”
Asher laughs. “I bet poor Mr. Slimey wishes he didn’t have any eyes at all given the things he’s seen me do to you.”
I tug at his arm. “So, are we going?”
“You really want to?”
“I do.”
“Fine. Why the hell not? It’s been a while since I showed my face at Sigma-Phi, and I suppose we are celebrating, are we not?”
“Oh, we most definitely are. You might even be able to get me drunk and have your wicked way with me.”
He smiles. “I don’t need to get you drunk for that.”
“It’s nice to see your ego’s still in check after all this business.”
“Hey,” he muses. “Some things don’t change.”
He stops, moving to stand in front of me. “Are you sure you’ll be okay, given what happened in high school?”