Page 5

LOGAN

I counted Cael down again, letting the ball leave my fingers in a soft, easy arch. Everyone was on edge, but for the moment it wasn’t because of me, and it was a small mercy. His count was better this time, and the bat made sloppy contact with the ball, sending it soaring toward the outfield.

Turning on my heel, I realized no one was talking, “The balls dropping left field!”

No one responded, and the ball was inches from cracking Van in the face.

“Mitchell!” I barked when no one opened their mouths to help. “Put your glove up!”

Thankfully, the tree listened—Van raised his glove just in time... for it to clip off and fall into the center fielder's hands.

“Throw to first!” Van snapped, unable to see what was happening.

“Baker!” I snapped, and he juggled the ball in his fingers before rifling it as hard as he could toward the first basemen. I didn’t know the kid, some second-string player who never saw the field unless Tucker was tired, but he wasn’t paying attention.

“Hey!” I called out. I didn’t know his name . Fuck.

Cael was moving too fast—collision was inevitable.

“First, put your fucking glove up!” I yelled, looking around for an ounce of help from the second baseman standing behind me, but he just shrugged.

I fucking hate these guys.

I opened my mouth to order another instruction, but it was too late. The message wasn’t relayed fast enough, and Cael took the ball to the shoulder with a heavy slap, knocking him back a step with a string of curse words.

Ella gasped as the two of them went down in a ball of limbs, dirt, and sand kicking up around them as they slid well past first base.

Van was the first to move. He ripped his bandana off his face and threw it down.

Dean moved toward Ella and Silas, who crouched around Cael and the other kid, whispering and talking, but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. The entire field was in chaos.

They had pulled out their pitchforks.

“What the fuck was that, Logan?!” He growled as his long legs carried him the length of the outfield in seconds. I stepped back off the pitcher's mound, tossing my glove behind me on instinct, and got ready for the fight.

“You’re blaming me for this?” I put my hands up in defense as he closed the gap between us. “No one else was calling plays!”

“You’re so arrogant.” Van went to shove me, but I slapped his hands away.

“Don’t,” I snapped. “No one else was helping, and you’re blaming me?”

“If either of them are hurt, I’ll show you how Ella’s right hook feels with an extra hundred pounds of muscle behind it!” Van stepped forward again.

Man, he’s the ugly kind of tall . I laughed at the thought, and rage shivered through his muscles, but I leaned back just in time to dodge his long reach and the incoming punch at the end of it.

“They’re fine. It was a ball to the shoulder and a tumble,” I said, putting that sick grin on my face quickly enough for it to irritate the left fieldman.

A hand wrapped around my shoulder and I whirled, raising my hand to toss a punch. Before I could stop the motion my hand connected with Cael’s jaw, sending him stumbling backward with his hands in the air.

“Hey, hey!” He called out, his sharp blue eyes rimmed with water as he fought to blink away the sudden pain. “I’m-”

“Shit,” I swore and moved toward him, but he kept his hands up.

“It’s okay,” Cael grumbled under his breath as he stood back out and stretched out his jaw. “What the fuck, man?”

“You take a punch like a girl,” I countered before I could stop the venom that dripped from me.

“Fuck you, Logan, I’m trying to help you!” Cael stepped forward. “Back down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

“I’m trying to save your ass from being gang beaten in the middle of the forest. Will you chill out?!” Cael practically doubled in size as the frustration bubbled beneath the surface. He straightened out to his six-three form, making me feel more outnumbered.

“I don’t need your help, Cody!” I said. “Stop trying to save everyone and focus on the reason why this team is falling apart in the first place. Your fucking drug problem!”

I’d hit a nerve.

I shouldn’t have said it, but it slipped out in anger and I instantly regretted the words when the hurt flashed across his face. That was a conversation between the two of us.

It wasn’t meant for anyone to hear.

Not even his precious found family.

“You’re acting like an asshole,” he countered with a fake smile and poked me in the chest with a finger.

“How many times do I have to tell you assholes not to touch me?” I snarled and shoved him back harder that time.

I was swarmed in seconds—piranhas circling blood, ready to tear me limb from limb. They were shoving and yelling, nothing coherent; they all just wanted a piece of me after punching Cael. In hindsight that was stupid, but I hadn’t expected the contact, and my first instinct would always be to defend myself when my adrenaline ran rampant.

Van was scrambling to get his hands on me, but a larger set pushed him back as Arlo put himself between me and the mob. Silas was on top of Jensen and Todd before they could slip into the small gap that was left.

“You’re a slimy piece of shit,” Van spat.

“Enough,” Arlo snapped and shoved him back with enough force to really move the oversized lap dog.

Dean filled the space and pointed at me. “Go to the cabins, now!” He ordered.

“You were the one that thought this was a good idea,” I snapped at him, throwing my Lorettes hat at his feet. “I don’t need this fucking team. I don’t need any of this bullshit!” I shoved off another set of hands, chest heaving in fury and stomped back to the cabins.

“Josh!” Cael’s voice chimed out as I reached the long line of cabins, but I ignored him and kept my path back to the safety of my bunk. I wanted to slam the door, pack my bags and leave this fucking camp.

I’d walk if I had to.

“Logan, stop and talk to me!” Cael barked. I could hear him with every quickened footstep and slammed the door behind me.

It opened again seconds later, and he stood out of breath in the doorway.

“What the hell was that?” He asked, tossing his hat to his bunk and putting his hands in the air. His jaw was already bruising—red giving way to purple and, soon enough, it would be an ugly purple color staining his skin.

“I’m—” I almost apologized but the anger was still fresh, adrenaline pumped through my veins, and the only thing I wanted to do was tell him to go fuck himself. “Just leave me alone, Cody.”

“No.” He stepped further into the cabin.

“I’m warning you.” I slammed my bag to the floor and squared up to him. One-on-one, the chances of me actually beating him were better.

“Cut the intimidation tactics out. It’s just you and me in here.” He rolled his eyes at me. “You fucking punched me.”

“You deserved it,” I countered.

“Man, you are wound up. Where’s the Logan from the diner? Calm, cool, and collected?” He asked.

“That’s a show, Cael,” I lied. “I gave you what you needed to recover. Now, get the hell out of my way. This team doesn’t want me. You don’t need me. Put some second-string wannabe on the mound. You’ll still win.”

“It’s not about that!” Cael argued. “We’re—”

“Let me guess—you’re about to preach some family bullshit, but you didn’t even tell any of them that we spent six months together? Not a single one of them knows I’m your sponsor! You don’t trust me either, Cody, so don’t. It’s all bullshit.”

“We decided together it was best no one knew!” He protested.

“I still expected you to tell King and his little girlfriend, or even Tucker!”

“ You asked me not to!” Cael growled, actually getting angry for once. “I don’t break promises! They didn’t need to know, and your little outburst isn’t about that!”

“Whatever the hell you psychos are doing here, it’s weird. You’re all running around with your mommy and daddy issues, diagnosing yourselves.” I raised my hands out at my sides. “You’re not a family—you’re a college baseball team!”

“Why are you fighting this so much?” Cael asked, his calm demeanor pissed me off.

I laughed in his face. “That’s what this is, it’s a cult.”

“Josh.” Cael laughed, shaking his head. “It’s not a cult. We just have each other's backs, and if you stop fighting it, we can have yours, too.”

“I don’t need friends, Cody,” I hissed.

“Everyone needs friends.” He smiled at me. It drove me insane how unbothered he was by everything.

“Cael, I just punched you in the face…” I scowled at him.

“Okay, so?” He shrugged. “You’ve got about thirteen more before you take the championship belt from Arlo for the amount of times he’s punched me.” Cael laughed.

“You guys are some of the most fucked up people I’ve ever been around.” I sighed.

“But you’ll stay?” Cael asked.

Would I? Logically, I needed them—I knew it, and I hated it.. But not in the way they all kept claiming. I needed my spot on the roster to fulfill my scholarship and finish school. Without the Hornets, I didn’t have the funds to pay tuition, so technically, I did have to stay.

But the emotions were tearing me to shreds, begging me to explode and take the whole camp with me. The way they seamlessly got along, even in the depths of turmoil, confused me. It went against everything I had been taught about families.

Arlo was a violent dog with a history of biting, Cael was an unhinged alley cat battling drug addiction, and the rest of the team followed them like they were god’s word. And then there was Dean, the golden boy. A fitting nickname for a six-three grizzly bear with pure muscle, a rumored heart of gold, and a smile to match.

Team Captain.

Infuriatingly positive and willing to climb mountains to get this to work.

“I’ll stay.”

“Okay, good,” Cael hummed. “Promise me something though?”

“If you’re about to let me in on some fucked up Hornets tradition like Coach kisses you all on the forehead before bed, count me out.” I snapped, scooping my bag from the floor.

“You wish.” Cael chuckled. “No more jabs about my recovery.”

“Fair.” I nodded. I watched him tap two fingers to his chest. “I’m not doing your stupid Hornet salute.” I rolled my eyes. “It further fuels my cult theory.”