Page 78

He stood up from the bench and leaned, crossing his arms to rest over the top of the fence in front of the dugout.

His eyes scanned the crowd and gravitated toward the long blond hair beneath a worn navy blue ball cap.

Her white t-shirt read ‘Traverse City West Baseball’, and was short enough to show just the smallest fraction of skin between its hem and the waistband of her blue jean cutoffs.

Though he couldn’t see it from where he stood, he knew she was wearing her low-rise black Chuck Taylors, and that she had a number seven- his jersey number- painted on one cheek just behind her crescent-shaped dimple.

God, could that girl be more perfect?

Rae caught him looking at her and smiled brightly, then stuck her tongue out at him before smiling again. Quinn’s lips slowly curved upward in response, his chest inflating with warmth as he thought about how great the past couple weeks had been.

Their relationship had changed notably. Not in a huge way, but there were subtle differences Quinn couldn’t help noticing.

Rae had always been very hands-on, never afraid to wrap him into a hug or plant a soft kiss on his cheek or steal his hat off his head and ruffle his already messy hair.

She’d loop her arm through his as they walked or take him up on a piggy-back ride simply walking down the hall at school or in the parking lot to and from her car.

But ever since his mom’s car accident on Prom night, these actions had become more frequent, and more. ..well, just more.

Watching movies in the theater room at her house, she’d sit closer, or sit leaning her back on the arm of the couch with her legs draped over his lap.

She’d suggested more hang-outs in the hot tub, and had worn that tiny blue bikini from the end of summer party on more than one occasion.

It had caused problems on his end a few times, but he wasn’t about to ask her to change.

And she almost always wore something of his.

A hat, a hoodie, his team t-shirts with his last name and jersey number on the back.

He wasn’t complaining, of course. Actually, he loved it.

He just didn’t know how to interpret it.

Any other guy would probably take it as a sign that she liked him, but Quinn was skeptical.

He’d wondered if she was doing it because she felt bad about the car accident.

His mom had been in rough shape, and he’d been taking care of her more than usual.

Quinn wasn’t sure if this was just Rae’s way of trying to relax him.

Make him feel better and ease his anxiety over everything.

Another explanation could be the pact they’d made at the beginning of the year.

She made sure to ask him every now and then if they were still on for it, if he’d met anyone or had been with anyone since shaking on their agreement.

Obviously he hadn’t. Holding out to be with Rae was absolutely not a problem for Quinn.

However, there were a few things regarding the arrangement that had been gnawing at him.

When he thought about the pact they’d made, it made him excited, exhilarated, and a little bit like he’d dreamt the whole discussion and that it was all in his head.

That it was never going to actually happen, and he and Rae would simply remain friends who didn’t touch or kiss each other or get naked together.

There was also the issue that he didn’t want it to just be about sex.

He wanted so much more than that with her.

He wanted everything. He wanted to call her his and let everyone around know that she was off limits.

But for Rae, he was pretty certain it was just sex.

She didn’t want to arrive on campus at the University of Michigan in the fall and feel like the only inexperienced freshman around.

If it was more than that for her, Quinn was sure she would have told him.

She would have made a move, right? Because what reason did she have not to?

There wasn’t a single guy in their school who’d turn her down if she expressed interest, and she had to know that.

Just sex or not, Quinn was determined to make it as special as he could for her.

Maybe she’d understand how much she meant to him.

He wasn’t much of a talker and had no idea how to put into words what he felt for her.

He’d practiced it on several occasions, but the words seemed inadequate.

Maybe if he said them as he was being intimate with her, being gentle and caring and showing her how much she could trust him with her body, with everything.

..maybe then the words would feel like they meant something.

There was also the small matter of the pact being a virginity pact.

And...well, Quinn wasn’t exactly a virgin.

It was only one other person, but Rae was still operating under the impression that they were both sharing their first time together.

He doubted she’d find out. The girl he’d had sex with the previous year, almost a year before the virginity pact was in place, wasn’t someone Rae ever talked to if she could help it.

But...if the important part of this pact was that Rae wasn’t going to college with zero sexual experience, he didn’t think that point mattered much.

Quinn didn’t care about his first time. It wasn’t a big deal.

He cared about Rae’s, and he knew he was the best guy for the job.

“Case, you’re on deck to bat!” Coach Garcia called to him with a grin. He gave Quinn a pat on the back as he grabbed his batting helmet and walked out of the dugout. Gloves on, helmet secured, Quinn grabbed his bat and moved to the circle, readying himself to bat.

Tim Hoyt, a tall, dark-haired senior player was at the plate. The pitcher had been doing a good job striking out their players, and the bases were empty. Tim needed to make it to a base or they’d be going into a tenth inning.

Quinn gave a few practice swings as he stood in the on-deck circle, not taking his eyes off the pitcher.

He breathed in and out, long, slow breaths.

Stretched his arms and shoulders. Gave another practice swing and another round of steadying breaths.

If Tim struck out, Quinn was set to pitch the next inning.

He told himself confidently he’d make it a no-hitter and then he’d be first to bat.

He’d get a run, and the game would be done.

One way or another, he’d win this game for his team.

The pitcher wound up and sent the ball in. Tim didn’t swing. Good call.

“Ball!” The umpire called as the catcher threw the ball back to the tall pitcher.

Brows furrowed in concentration as he studied the pitcher. His wavy blond hair flipped out beneath his ball cap. He was sun-tanned and baby faced. His young features were a stark contrast to the ferocity with which he threw a baseball.

A wind-up and a pitch.

Crack!

Quinn’s back straightened and he watched as the ball flew into the outfield- Yes!

Tim ran to first base, then chanced it to second.

“Safe!”

Quinn let out the breath he’d been holding and grinned. The section of the crowd sporting green, gold, and white roared, cheering and clapping, getting to their feet.

The announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium, “With Hoyt on second base, we have Casey up to bat! Quinn Casey, a senior player for the Trojans, will be playing at Arizona State University in the fall. This just might be the guy the Trojans need to get their third consecutive state championship victory.”

“Damn right, I am,” Quinn muttered to himself with a smirk as he took his spot at the plate.

“Quite the ego there, huh?” The catcher remarked, having heard Quinn’s own confidence booster.

Without looking back at the catcher, Quinn kept his cocky smirk and replied, “It’s only ego talking if it’s not true.”

Quinn kicked the sand and clay mix at his feet and took one last look around to find Rae.

Ever since that day with the clowns in the dunk tank, he felt like knowing she was there and seeing her cheer him on, giving him encouragement, was the ultimate good luck charm.

He found her easily in the crowd and they locked eyes.

She smiled and gave him two thumbs up, scrunching up her face goofily.

He smiled back, brought his bat up to point it at her and winked with his sly, one-dimpled grin.

Turning back to the pitcher, he focused himself back into the game.

Deep breath in, slow breath out. He smelled the grass, the red clay, silt, and sand.

The chalk. The leather of the catcher’s glove.

He tuned out the sounds, focusing on his breathing, then focusing on the pitcher.

That was his world right now. The player on the mound, the ball, the bat.

Quinn rocked his weight back and forth, shifting from one foot to the other.

He gripped the bat, angling it up and behind him as he stared the pitcher down.

“Yeah, you’re in my world now, buddy,” Quinn whispered roughly.

As if in slow motion, the pitcher wound up and threw in a fastball.

Quinn’s weight shifted back. His front foot lifted off the sand as he felt the force that he was about to unleash gather in his core.

Time came back to normal speed, and he swung, full-force, hitting straight through the ball with a loud crack!

His lips curved back up into that familiar confident one-sided grin as he watched the ball fade, flying. ..flying...flying over the fence.

This was his victory lap. He saw Tim thrust both fists into the air as he continued to third base, then home.

Quinn started toward first base, jogging without urgency and tossing his bat into the air on the way.

The ball was out of here, he could take his time making his last lap of his high school career.