Page 9 of Curve Ball (The San Jose Coyotes #2)

ADRIANA

T he stadium is alive with the crack of bats and the roar of the crowd.

Isla practically begged me to come with her to the game, and because I’ve been so distant, I gave in.

I’m thirteen weeks pregnant, and Isla is just a little further along than I am.

But barely. We got pregnant around the same time.

It’s a secret I’ve been holding close to my chest, and it feels heavier with each passing day.

Her stepbrother, well, now he’s her husband, plays third base for the Coyotes, so we are here to support him.

Well, I’m here for her.

And the pants. God bless whoever invented baseball pants, because… chef’s fucking kiss.

“Adriana, you’re quiet tonight,” Isla says, her voice barely audible over the cheering crowd. She knows me too well, and I’ve never been able to hide anything from her. Normally, I’m loud and outgoing, but with everything going on, I just feel dull.

Boring.

“So I hooked up with someone,” I blurt out, my heart pounding in my chest .

Isla raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “Oh, yeah? And who’s the lucky guy?”

I hesitate, knowing that telling her the truth will complicate things. “It’s complicated,” I say, my eyes fixed on the field below. “Let’s just say he’s someone I shouldn’t have gotten involved with.”

“It’s not Marco? Is it?”

I cringe at the thought of ever letting that man back into my life. “Absolutely not.”

Isla’s expression softens, and she places a reassuring hand on my arm. “Then why shouldn’t you have gotten involved with them? Especially if it was just a hookup.” She pauses, then her eyes widen. “Are we talking like a criminal? Maybe someone in the mafia?”

“I’m going to take your Kindle away, I swear to God.” I laugh. “Okay, I shouldn’t ask, and lord help me, but does Kai… ya know… role-play with you? Since you are obsessed with romance books.”

Isla’s cheeks flush and her gaze falls on her husband, who must feel her watching him because he looks up and blows her a kiss.

Oh, he totally does.

Good for her, getting a man that gives her what she wants.

I laugh, a genuine sound that surprises even me. “Look at you,” I nudge her, leaning in and hugging her. “I’m so happy for you, Isla.”

“He really is something and to know he’s been waiting all this time. For me.”

The crowd erupts as the Coyotes score a home run, and I glance at the bench, and my eyes fall on the one person I didn’t expect to see.

Gael. He’s wearing a jersey with the number fourteen, his dark hair glistening and freshly faded on the sides, showing off his ink.

My heart skips a beat as our eyes meet for a moment, and he does a double take, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that takes my breath away.

He looks like he’s seeing a ghost, but in a good way—like he can’t believe I’m actually here.

I can see the hope in his eyes, and it breaks my heart, knowing I have to crush it.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, standing up abruptly. “I gotta go.”

Isla looks at me, confused. “What? Why?”

How do I tell her the reason I have to leave is that I hooked up with a player on her husband’s baseball team?

Oh, and that I’m carrying his child.

“I just... I can’t stay here,” I say, my voice shaking. “Please, just trust me on this. I need to leave before the game ends.”

Isla searches my face, but when I don’t give her anything else, she nods. “Okay, do you want me to go with you?”

“No, stay and support your man. I’ll be fine.”

Lie.

I’m anything but fine.

I never considered how close he could actually be to me.

Gael won’t be able to catch up to me because he can’t leave the game early, but I can only imagine the texts I’m going to get tonight. I should block his number.

I know I won’t be able to bring myself to do it.

Quickly making my way through the crowd of people near the concessions and team store, I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I know Gael will be confused and probably hurt, but I can’t let him catch up to me, can’t let him confront me here, in front of everyone.

Seeing him has made me reconsider telling him.

I can’t imagine him wanting a baby, knowing that it might ruin his pro-ball career.

How would him having a baby ruin his career, Adri? Men who play professional sports don’t have kids ?

Just me having an internal crisis where I try to lie to myself.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, seeing a text from Isla.

Isla

You okay?

Adriana

Yeah, I just needed to get out of there. I'm fine, I promise.

Adriana

Hey, I didn’t know Gael played on the Coyotes.

Fucking smooth, Adri.

Isla

Yeah! Gael is Kai’s best friend… They played college ball together and then got picked up by the Coyotes together. I didn’t know you knew him.

Adriana

I don’t, really. Just met in passing at Carbón.

I take a few more deep breaths, trying to steady my nerves. I can't believe Gael plays for the Coyotes and that he and Kai are best friends. It's a small world, and now I feel like such an idiot for sleeping with him.

I don’t want to cause issues with Isla and Kai because I slept with his best friend .

I know he's wondering why I'm running, why I won't give him a chance.

There is a part of me that just wants to lay it all out and let him decide and just wait it out.

To see if he is the man I hope he is. But I would hate myself if I let him hurt me or hurt our child.

Call me selfish, but I would rather not take the risk.

That’s what trauma does to you, I suppose.

You lose faith that people can actually be good people.

That a good man can actually exist.

I walk briskly through the parking lot, the cool air doing little to calm my racing thoughts.

My car comes into view and I pick up the pace, hitting the remote start on my fob.

I can’t believe how much has changed in such a short amount of time.

Just a few months ago, I was living my life, carefree and uninterested in settling down.

And now, I’m pregnant, and the father of my child is a professional baseball player who I can’t seem to get out of my head.

When I reach my car, I lean against the door, taking a deep breath, letting the vibrations soothe my racing heart.

I get in and turn the heat on full blast. The drive home is a mess of me subconsciously berating myself for being a chicken and racing with thoughts of Gael, of the baby, and of the future.

I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know I have to be strong, for myself and for my child.

One thing I should probably do is call my mom.

If anyone could have some advice for me, it would be her.

She raised me on her own after my father, if you could call him a father, chose to not be in our life.

Pulling into the parking garage of my complex and into my assigned spot, I cut the engine. I lean my head back against my headrest and let the tears fall, holding onto my belly as I whisper. “What are we going to do, mi pequeno amor? Tu mamá está tan perdida.”