Page 7 of Fake Dates and Home Plates (Way Off Base #1)

Chapter Seven

Henley

Taking the stairs up to my apartment in Theo’s shoes that are a few sizes too big, I brace myself for what’s waiting on the other side of the door.

Lily could already be out hunting Dakota down for all I know.

Instead, I find Lily sitting on the couch, talking animatedly on the phone.

“She just walked in, Kate. I’ll text you later,” she says before hanging up. Lily’s been on a first name basis with my parents for years now.

I join her in the living room, flopping down on the opposite side of the couch. “I don’t know if it’s weirder you and my mom text, or that I know you’re probably plotting something together.”

My legs feel like overcooked noodles, and my entire body is starting to feel heavy.

She waves her hand casually, as if I shouldn’t worry about what the two of them might be planning. “Don’t worry about it. How are you? Where were you? Whose clothes are you wearing?”

The questions are rapid fire, no breath between them.

Damn. I realize now I left my dress and shoes in Theo’s guest bathroom last night and didn’t think to grab them this morning.Honestly, maybe leaving them behind was a mercy. After what my poor shoes have been through, I need to burn them to put them out of their misery.

“I’m fine, and it’s a long story, one that should probably be told with insane amounts of sugar and wine. Since Coach Stone is likely planning to put us through hell when training starts next week, though, I guess I’ll settle for water and some Greek yogurt.”

Last night’s French toast runs through my mind again. That was delicious, but I need something with protein to help my body refuel.

My stomach growls loud enough to startle the cat, and Lily shoots me a knowing look.

“You sit. I’ll get you a snack.”

I open my mouth to object, but it’s more out of politeness than any real protest. “I can?—”

She cuts me off with a pointed look. “Don’t even try. You look like you got hit by a train and dragged for a mile.”

I press my palms over my eyes, breathing in deep through my nose as she disappears into the kitchen.

I’m not surprised; Lily’s a natural caretaker. I’ve known it since freshman year when she’d show up to practice with containers of homemade granola bars and packets of electrolyte drink mixes for everyone. She remembered my favorite flavor and made sure to save one for me every time.

While she’s in the kitchen, I spread out on the couch. A smile takes over when I realize how ridiculously big Theo’s slides are on my feet. Opening the camera app on my phone, I take a picture.

Before I can overthink it, I post it on social media with the caption, ‘Get a man who will swap shoes with you when your feet hurt instead of a boy who swaps bodily fluids with people who aren’t his girlfriend.’

While I’m at it, I log into the health services portal and request an appointment for this week. Even if we did always use condoms, who knows where else Dakota’s dick has been? I need to get tested for sure.

Lily brings me over a bottle of water and a bowl filled with yogurt, fruit, and granola. With a raised eyebrow, she’s telling me to spill.

So, I do.

Her reactions shift throughout my story—from murderous anger, her eyes filled with rage, as if she were already plotting Dakota’s demise in vivid, gruesome detail, to her jaw dropping in disbelief, shocked by the offer Theo presented.

“And Theo wants you guys to pretend to date? What does he get out of it?” she asks when she’s finally forming complete sentences.

I shrug, spooning a bit of yogurt and trying to play it cool, even though my pulse is still trying to sprint out of my skin. “The satisfaction of pissing off Dakota, I guess.”

Lily snorts. “Petty. I can respect that.”

It is petty, but honestly, I’m trying not to read too much into it. Besides, I don’t have any room to judge, considering I’m doing this out of pure spite.

We sit in silence for a while, just the sounds of my spoon scraping the bowl and Lily processing this new level of chaos. She doesn’t look at me like I’m insane, though. She looks…invested.

“This could be epic, or it could be a disaster,” she says finally, the corner of her mouth twitching. “Either way, I’ve got your back.”

There’s a lump in my throat I wasn’t expecting. I swallow it down with a swig of water and give her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I have a strong feeling it’s gonna be both.”

“If Theo’s right, and there is some sort of gross game the fraternity is playing, they are bound to fuck up. I mean, these are stupid, entitled little boys who consume entirely too much protein powder, not geniuses planning a covert mission,” Lily states with seriousness.

I nod. I thought the same the whole car ride over. There’s no way they’re really that slick.

“I don’t have a plan for that, but when I do, I’ll fill you in. Right now, I’m just disgusted at the idea of those guys using sexual encounters with women like a sport. Makes me want to scrub a layer of my own skin off.”

A shiver runs down my body when I think of how bad this could be, and the snack I just finished feels like it’s souring in my stomach.

“We just need proof,” Lily says, tapping a finger against her temple like she's already plotting. “If we can get something solid, this whole thing could blow up in their faces. The fraternity could get suspended. Hell, they could all be expelled.”

That’s the real problem. I have no doubt each of the guys involved won’t want to cover their asses. Half the baseball team’s starting players are in that fraternity. Even with proof, who is to say they’ll be in trouble at all?

“Do you think you could talk to Chase?” she asks me.

Lily knows Chase is an old hookup turned casual acquaintance. I think it over. He was the whole reason I went to find Dakota in the first place. “I’m not sure. He’s the one who hinted I should go find my boyfriend last night.”

Doesn’t mean he’ll tell me anything else.

Exhaustion starts to set into my bones, and I take it as my sign I need some sleep.

“Yeah,” I sigh, rubbing at my eyes. “I need to call my parents first. Not gonna tell them everything, but if I don’t check in, they’ll show up here with a search party and a week’s worth of casseroles.”

Lily chuckles. “I like your mom’s casseroles.”

I know she does. They’ve traded recipes before.

“I could use a rage run,” I say under my breath.

Lily raises an eyebrow. “Before or after the nap?”

“After,” I say, already dragging myself toward my room. “Definitely after.”

When I wake up a few hours later, I feel a little more human than I did this morning.

The phone call with my parents was extremely helpful. They may have read the campus gossip this morning, but they still listened patiently while I gave them the full rundown.

Minus the whole fake dating.

Some things aren’t meant to be shared with the people who birthed you.

I stretch lightly before grabbing my phone to check the missed notifications.

Several missed calls and texts from Dakota, all of which have gone unanswered, along with comments and even private messages about the picture I posted and whose shoes I was wearing.

There’s one message that stands out against the rest, though.

Theo sent me a short DM with his phone number, saying his new girlfriend should have it.

I notice the absence of the word fake but don’t fixate on it. Instead, I send him a text letting him know it’s me.

Immediately, it shows him typing something before a new text comes through.

Be free at seven tomorrow, Getaway Girl.

I roll my eyes at the demand and send him a thumbs-up emoji.

Guess we’re starting this off strong.