Page 16 of Fake Dates and Home Plates (Way Off Base #1)

Chapter Sixteen

Henley

My phone lights up, buzzing with a call.

I’ve been stirring in and out of sleep since I got home from lunch earlier. Thank goodness we were able to shower after the meet, because after my stomach was full of the incredible food, all I needed was a nap.

Disoriented, I force myself to focus on the screen and see I’ve missed a call from Theo. Just as I’m about to return his call, his name appears again.

“Hello?” My voice is raspy from sleep.

“Hey, Getaway Girl. Sorry to wake you—by the way, your sleepy voice is adorable as fuck—but do you think I could stop by? It’s kind of important.” Theo’s words are running together, and he sounds out of breath.

“Umm, sure?” I say back.

“Great, which apartment is yours? I’ll be there in about thirty seconds.”

I hop out of bed and head to the front door. “2A. You’re already here?”

“Yup. I’ll explain as soon as you let me in,” he says before hanging up.

Looking through the peephole, I see him walking towards my apartment. Quickly, I open the door, and he rushes in.

“Thanks, babe,” he says with a kiss to my cheek.

He’s sweaty, but it’s the pet name that throws me off. “Don’t call me babe.”

I make a face at the nickname. I much prefer Getaway Girl over something so impersonal, but it does give me butterflies that he uses the endearment.

Theo nods, not at all put off by my correction, but he doesn’t say anything as he tries to catch his breath.

“So, did you just rob someone, or am I your hit for the night?” I ask as I grab a bottle of water from the kitchen for him.

He takes it with a thanks but looks confused by my question.

“I’m making an educated assumption based on your attire and accessories.” I gesture at his body.

He’s dressed in all black with a weird mask in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. It looks like he’s about to rob a gas station or hunt zombies, something suspicious.

“Are you insane?” I ask, showing him the time on my phone, which reads a quarter past one in the morning.

He finally straightens, smiling like an idiot, holding out the bat in his hand.

A baseball bat.

But then, I get a closer look. It’s not just any bat. It’s Dakota’s bat. His lucky bat. I’ve heard the story at least fifty times about when he got it and the grand slam play he made using it.

“Oh my God.” I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. “How?”

“I can’t tell you specifics, or the consequences are extreme. There was a pact made amongst gentlemen,” Theo says seriously, as if that’s not an insane thing to say.

I blink at him. “You stole it.”

He shrugs. “Borrowed without intent to return. Whatever.”

After finishing his bottle of water, he holds it up, asking where to put it. I show him where the recycling bin is before staring him down for an explanation.

He wipes his forehead with the sleeve of his hoodie. “We ran into campus security on the way out and had to split up.”

“You ran here? From the baseball stadium?” I whisper-shout, trying to avoid waking up Lily.

I know Dakota keeps that bat in his locker, which has two locks on it so no one attempts to steal it or any of his other belongings. I thought he was being paranoid, but maybe he had a point after all.

“I panicked and figured I’d bring you a little trophy in case you want to build a revenge shrine.” His eyes are sparkling with mischief and pride.

I shake my head, but I can’t stop smiling. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’ll be an idiot for you anytime, Henley Harkin,” he says, stepping closer.

Suddenly, I’m grinning like an idiot too. I reach out and wrap my hand around the wood, right where his fingers still hold it.

“You didn’t have to do that. You probably shouldn’t have done that,” I say softly, thinking about how much trouble he and whoever tagged along could have gotten into.

He leans in, our foreheads almost brushing. “I wanted to.”

Then, he kisses me.

I tug him a little closer. My fingers slip under the hem of his hoodie, tracing the warm skin beneath, and he groans against my mouth.

His grip tightens, and he deepens the kiss, picking me up and setting me on the kitchen counter.

His hips press against me, aligning him perfectly against my center.

I roll my hips against him as my hand slides down until it toys with the waistband of his joggers. I moan when his hands roam down my sides, settling into the curve of my ribcage.

As fast as it started, it stops, with Theo pulling away and inhaling a deep breath. I see his hesitation and feel his adrenaline rush fade into nerves as his fingers start to shake against my skin.

“I should tell you something,” he says, voice barely a whisper. “I’ve never…done this before.”

Raising an eyebrow, I ask, “Pull off a heist or make out in a kitchen?”

“I’ve never had sex,” he tells me, an embarrassed look on his face.

“Oh.” I search his face. “Okay.”

I’m not sure what I think about that. He’s a hot as fuck athlete with a gorgeous smile and a heart of gold. He’s funny and kind and one hell of a kisser.

And he’s a virgin.

“Are you saving yourself for marriage?” I ask, leaving judgment out of my tone. I don’t care that he’s inexperienced, not really, but what does this mean for us?

He shakes his head. “I’ve done a few things, girls have done a few things to me, but taking that final step felt like it should be special, not something that just happens at a party or in a rush before someone’s parents caught us.”

The exact opposite of my mentality then. Hell, sometimes the idea of getting caught made sex even hotter. The first time I hooked up with Dakota was actually at a party, in the bathroom.

“Does it bother you I’m definitely not a virgin?” I ask. Not that it matters. If Theo were the kind of guy to hold my past against me when there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to have sex or physical intimacy with anyone, we should cancel our real date now.

“Not at all. It just means you know what you want, and I have no problem letting you teach me exactly what I need to do to have you falling apart in my arms.” He says it all with a grin.

Oh. I like the sound of that. A lot.

I’ve shown guys where to find the clit and how to properly thrust without jackhammering into my vagina like a construction worker on concrete, but the idea of showing and telling Theo how to make me come has me wet just thinking about it.

“But I’m not trying to have a physical relationship until you’re certain you want everything else with me too.

I want the dates, and I want us to share our feelings when we need to.

I want us to take this friendship we’ve started building and evolve it into something that lasts.

” Theo says it all while brushing my hair behind my ear, never breaking eye contact.

Emotional intimacy used to be entirely off the table.

Then, I tried the whole something more than sex thing with Dakota, only to feel like an afterthought.

And, if I’m honest, maybe I didn’t treat him that well either, because until this moment, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to think about a long-term relationship with someone I truly cared for.

I’m still young. I have plenty of time to have fun and worry about settling down later. But when I think of it that way, I wonder what that means for what I have with Theo.

We could certainly stay friends, hang out, and keep in touch after graduation. Then, a sick voice whispers in my head that he could find someone else, someone who isn’t afraid of trying with him. It makes me feel ill, because I don’t want to imagine Theo kissing anyone the way he kisses me.

My throat goes tight. “I get it, Theo. I’m willing to try it, starting with our date.”

Theo’s been honest and upfront with me tonight, and I want to share his vulnerability.

“Try and be patient with me, please?” The last word is a shaky whisper as I say it, but he smiles when he hears it. Then, he leans down and kisses me softly.

“I’ve waited years for you to notice me, Henley. At least this time, you did so without throwing up on my favorite pair of sneakers.”

That’s the second time he’s mentioned me throwing up on his sneakers. That night at the diner, I was distracted, but this time, I have to process it.

What?

When did I…

Oh my God.

Senior year of high school. Some guy from the football team dared me to do a keg stand off against him. Beating a guy at any game gives me a high, so I took the challenge and drank way more than I should have just to win.

Afterwards, I stumbled to the bathroom to puke in private, but the door opened, and before I knew it, I was hunched over and spewing my guts.

“I forgot about that night!” My voice is louder than I intended, but I remember I’m supposed to be quiet and lower it. “I’d already taken three tequila shots when someone dared me to do that keg stand. Terrible combination.”

Theo laughs, and for the first time, I really notice it. I see how genuine and not forced it is. It’s not loud enough to draw attention, but it’s a noise I’d love to hear again.

“Yeah, but it was one of the best nights I ever had. After I held your hair and directed you to the toilet, I tried in vain to get the chunks off my shoes. Then, we locked the door and ignored everyone pounding to get in.”

It’s still a blurry memory, but I’m piecing together bits of it. “We sat in there for a long time.”

He nods. “We did. We talked a little in between your groans of drunk agony. It was the first time I think I realized you weren’t just the party girl who could run fast that everyone thought you were.”

That makes me smile. “Why didn’t you ask me out?”

Theo shrugs. “The rumor was that you didn’t date, and definitely not anyone from our school. Plus, your dad texted you saying he was outside to take you home.”

My parents didn’t encourage drinking at all.

In fact, every weekend, they would tell me horror stories about alcohol poisoning and substance abuse, but every one of those lectures ended with them insisting if I was planning to drink that night, they’d come pick me up.

They didn’t want me to drive or get in the car with anyone else.

At most parties, I had a couple of drinks and then sipped water. That night was the first and only time I tried to test my limits, especially since I take months off from drinking and can’t build a real tolerance.

I sigh. “It was for the best. That Henley wasn’t ready for you, Baseball Boy.”

“What about this Henley?” he asks as he kisses me again. “Is she ready for me?”

“She wants to be,” I answer honestly.

Theo steps back and checks his phone before he grabs his mask. “That’s my signal that the coast is clear and to head back to the car.”

I instantly miss the way it feels to have my thighs resting on his hips. Hopping off the counter, I walk him to the door.

He kisses me one last time. “Goodnight, Getaway Girl.”

“Sleep tight, you criminal.”