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“Look, your dad is the most popular teacher in school and from what I’ve heard, your mom was too. You’re the captain of the JV football team, you’re popular, good looking, and everyone loves you,” she explained with a sad shake of her head, leaving him even more confused than he was before.

“And…” Cole said, letting that one word trail off, wondering if she was going somewhere with this.

“And I’m not. I’m a nerd, possibly a dork, I’m not really sure at the moment. I’m also a scholarship student who needs to get good grades to keep my spot, which means that I have to work my butt off. I’m not rich, I don’t fit in, and I’m probably never going to, and I’m okay with that.”

“You’re not making any sense. I’m not rich,” he pointed out.

“No, but you fit in, which means that when you suddenly take notice of me that other kids do as well. They’re watching me more, noticing just how much I don’t fit in and when you’re not around–”

“It’s worse,” Cole said, finishing for her on a heavy sigh.

Nodding, Chloe said, “They don’t just pick on me anymore because I’m a nerd or because I’m poor and my parents are dead. Now they’re speculating why Cole Bradford has suddenly noticed that I’m alive, and honestly, I don’t know how much more of it I can take.”

“What are they saying?” Cole asked her as she reached up and grabbed her bag off his shoulder.

With a pitying look, Chloe said, “What do you think?” as she walked away and this time, he let her.

Chapter

25

“She doesn’t look so good,” came the softly mumbled words that Sebastian barely heard as he took in Mikey, slumped over a park bench, qu

ietly mumbling to herself as she stared ahead, looking shell-shocked and adorably pathetic. Not really sure what was going on, Sebastian glanced down at the arm hanging over the side with what looked like a crumpled piece of paper held tightly in her hand before glancing up at his siblings and cousins as they all stood around her, sending her pitying looks.

“What happened?” Sebastian asked when it became obvious that no one was going to jump at the chance to tell him.

With a sigh, his cousin Joshua reached down and gently pried the paper out of Mikey’s hand while she mumbled sadly, “I’m a pitcher,” and handed it to him. Frowning, Sebastian smoothed the paper open and ran his gaze over what looked like the baseball team roster only to curse when he saw it.

Right field.

Biting back a sigh, Sebastian glanced back at the top of the list to find three names with “Pitcher” after their names, noting that all three of them ended with Dilmore. He crushed the paper in his hand and tossed it in the trash can. He couldn’t believe the coach actually went through with it. It was a dumb move, but something that they’d have to worry about later.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian asked softly as he knelt down next to the bench.

“I’m a pitcher,” came the mumbled response.

“I know you are,” Sebastian said, taking her limp hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“I hate right field.”

“I know you do.”

“I hate my new coach,” Mikey said with a sniffle and a nod.

“I do, too,” he admitted on a sigh.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she mumbled weakly.

“Yes, you can.”

“I really can’t.”

“It’s just for a few months, Mikey. Just to get your foot in the door and to keep your skills fresh. Once we get you into a new school with a new coach, you’ll be back on the pitcher’s mound,” he promised her, hoping that it would be enough.

There was a slight pause, giving him hope and then, “I just want to lay here and feel sorry for myself,” Mikey mumbled with another sniffle as she turned her head so she could stare at an old oak tree.

“And you’re doing an amazing job,” Sebastian said, biting back a sigh as he stepped over her and knelt down on the other side so that he could talk to her.