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CHAPTER ELEVEN

Emerson

“Isn’t this amazing!” Liz cheers, practically bouncing on her tiptoes as the roar of the crowd echoes all around us.

I’ve never gone to a major league game in person. Yes, I’ve seen them on television, and I’ve been to a hundred high school and college games. But this is an entirely different experience.

Liz laughs and I look over, seeing her focused on the field.

“He’s so weird,” she adds, pointing and that’s when I see him.

Kelton, jogging around the field with another guy at his side.

Both at a slow pace, talking to each other, completely ignoring the chaos around them.

“He’s always jogged the field, I don’t know why, but it never fails. ”

“Warming up his legs,” I say with a shrug all while watching him. Biting my lip I take him in fully. Baseball pants, and the way they hug should be illegal.

“Pick up your tongue.” I look over at her with my mouth gaping and she laughs.

A familiar sound starts to play over the stadium, the cheering amps up and people stand, clapping and dancing to the rhythm.

“Are you ready for your Tennessee Terrors?” the announcer roars, dragging out the words, firing the crowd up even more.

He starts running through their line-up and I feel the anticipation of hearing his name.

There is something about being here, seeing how many people have come out to see them play.

A packed stadium, the cameras, the news crews, it’s surreal.

“And batting seventh, our right fielder, number 34 Kelton James.” He steps out, lifts his baseball hat off his head and waves it around. I swear my heart feels like it stops. He looks up to the area he knows we are sitting in, places his fingers to his lips and then lifts them again.

Instantly I notice a few people, women mostly, start looking around and my face heats.

“Well, isn’t that something,” Liz adds and I elbow her. “He was up late last night, mulling over the kiss, among other things.”

“Let it go,” I tell her.

“Letting go was a mistake that was made long ago that I think needs to be resurrected.”

“Listen little Miss Matchmaker.” I give her my best irritated look and the bitch literally laughs at me.

“You don’t look mad, you just look like you smell something bad.”

Ignoring her I continue on. “It was a kiss, nothing more.”

“And you are as delusional as him.”

I can’t do this, I refuse to. By the time I take my seat the Terrors take the field and I can’t help it, my focus lands on right field.

Ball cap pulled low, aviators on, and in position, I’m in awe.

I’ve watched Kelton play more than a hundred times, but seeing him here, in his element, feels different.

He was born to play, the game runs through his veins.

The crack of the ball against the bat, I watch it soar through the air between the third and second baseline, slowly descending.

My heart races, my eyes locked on Kelton.

Liz places her hand on my arm, squeezing in anticipation.

It’s surreal and an incredible rush of adrenaline as the ball hits his glove.

It seems so effortless, just before he switches the ball to his other hand and throws it infield.

A smile covers his lips as he looks over to Jake Reynolds their center fielder.

He says something, Jake laughs and I can’t seem to look away.

Even the distance can’t eliminate the pull I feel to him. Coming here was a mistake, when I’d forced myself to believe there was nothing between us, nothing more than a moment of lust.

But I can’t deny it now. It’s the first time I feel like that part of me that has been missing has found its way back. I hate it and love it all at the same time. It scares me.

We don’t fit, our lives don’t mesh. We are so far apart and I’m not just referring to the miles between us.

I’m not fame and glamour, I’m cutoff shorts and flip flops to his million dollar home.

“That’s my brother.” Liz places her hands to her mouth, shouting and laughing. “Hell yeah!” She thrusts her arm in the air doing a crazy victory dance. That one play just won the game.

When she points with one hand toward the field and presses the fingertip of the opposite hand to the end of her nose, I glance in the direction to find Kelton doing the exact thing in the field. The crowd roars, people turning around to look at us.

“Oh my God!” she screams, slapping my arm and pointing. That’s when I see it. We are on the Jumbotron. And I looked horrified. Eyes wide in surprise, my mouth partially open in shock.

“Perfect,” I mumble, slowly lowering myself back to my seat.

When she joins me laughing at my expense, I can’t even defend myself. “You looked like you swallowed a bug.” Tears stream down her face, unable to control her laughter. “You will never live that down.” And I know she’s right. I’ll be a meme by the end of the night.