Page 6 of Playing Hard to Hate

GRIFFIN

PRESENT

Drops of sweat rolled down the back of my neck, sinking into the thick fabric of my uniform. I wiped a hand down my face, squinting through the bright rays of the spring sun beating down on the field, which made it nearly impossible to see clearly.

We were nearing the end of the preseason training, which always brought on a special kind of unease and excitement.

The crowd sat on the edge of the metal bleachers as the batter rounded the bases.

A cloud of dust was left in his wake as he slid into home plate, scoring the first home run of the game.

Cheers erupted around the field as the crowd roared.

We all piled our way into the dugout, shouting our congratulations, and wiping the sweat from our brows while greedily inhaling water.

One of my best friends, Hunter, fist-bumped his twin brother, Graham, and then made his way over to me.

“Another win!” I clapped him on the back, and he nodded his gratitude before slumping down on the bench.

“Feels good to be up there. It’s everything I dreamed it would be.” He bent forward over his knees, his dark eyes surveying the crowd. “Almost feels too good to be true.” His gaze settled on me, and I shook my head.

He always worried I pulled strings to get him and Graham on the team, but in reality, we had all worked hard and gotten what we deserved. He just needed to believe it.

“We deserve to be here—all of us do.”

“You’re sure your dad didn’t throw some money at them?” He glanced around to make sure we were still alone. God forbid anyone overheard this conversation and began to question if I’d really earned my position on this team.

I’d spent hours on the field, pushing myself to become better. No one was perfect. There was always room for improvement in this game and a new technique to employ.

The work never ended, and because I knew that—understood that—I was able to stand here today.

This wasn’t the life my dad had wanted for me.

I had wanted him to be my biggest fan as a kid, to always be in the front row of every game, to wear those obnoxious baseball dad shirts, and even hold up the signs that had my name and number on them.

But as I got older, I saw who he was, and it sure as hell wasn’t my biggest fan.

He wanted more for me. Wanted me to have a life off this field. Outside of baseball.

He wanted his only son to follow in his footsteps at the law firm he’d started in his early twenties, and being a lawyer was the last thing on my mind. Being stuck in an office all day or inside of a courtroom…just the mere thought made my skin crawl.

I lived and breathed baseball, and when I chose it over him and the promising career he wanted for me, things between us changed drastically.

No longer did he support any of my dreams. Instead, he stayed at the office even later and didn’t even bother coming to one of my high school games, let alone college games.

He made it clear where he stood, but I still wasn’t changing my mind. My happiness mattered, and this field, this sport, made me happy.

Shaking my head, I looked at Hunter, his dark brown eyes assessing my features. “He wants nothing to do with this life. I chose my path. He doesn’t support it.”

Hunter and Graham found it hard to believe my dad, or any dad, could just turn his back on me.

They didn’t understand the childhood I grew up with.

But when I chose the college that offered the best baseball team and not the best law program, my fate was sealed.

A tear ripped through our relationship. I was beginning to believe it was irreparable, and I had stopped caring.

“He’ll come around,” Hunter tried assuring me. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t believe him. He had always chosen work over me and my mom.

If only he had shared the same dream, maybe he’d be on the bleachers today instead of hiding away in an office, ruled by the demands of clients, never truly happy.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I grunted.

We won the first game of the regular season, and as per season ritual, the party was held at a rookie’s house. Which meant Graham, Hunter, and I were scrambling to prepare their two-bedroom house for a long night of drinking, pizza, and video games.

Sometimes, being the rookies sucked. Other times, it was all right.

“All right, don’t shoot me.” Graham dragged a hand down his face, wincing as he looked at me and Hunter as we attempted to organize the messy kitchen and living area that was about to be crowded with our teammates.

“What did you forget?” Hunter glanced up from wiping the stove he clearly hadn’t bothered to clean in at least two weeks. Grunting, his brows furrowed in concentration and a bit of frustration as he scrubbed the black surface, his jaw clenched.

“Well, I didn’t forget…I just thought I had bought something.” Graham scratched his head sheepishly.

The twins had been my best friends since high school. They were more like my brothers than friends, and despite their similar looks, they both had strikingly different personalities. Graham was the softer brother, super forgetful, kind, and never on board with confrontation.

Hunter, on the other hand, was ready to fight anyone and everyone at the drop of a hat. He was loyal, extremely defensive of his family, and most of the time, easy to anger. And usually, he was mad at his twin and me.

Hunter stopped scrubbing to look up at Graham, who was smiling at his brother like his innocence was gold and he could do no wrong.

“Please don’t tell me you forgot to order the pizza,” Hunter grumbled.

“Oh, no.” His twin scoffed. “That’ll be here in ten minutes.” Graham chuckled nervously, and I grimaced. His job was to get the food and drinks, order enough pizza for the team, and buy enough beer to keep the boys entertained.

“You forgot the beer?” I guessed, and he nodded.

“Seriously, Graham? You forget something every time we have to host! You had one job, you idiot!” Hunter threw down the rag he was using on the stove and turned to his brother, clenching his fists.

And…here we go.

“Don’t worry! I’ll run out and get it. I need to grab a few other things, anyway.

I’ve been meaning to go,” I announced. Graham visibly deflated, shooting me a thankful look, while steam still blew from Hunter’s ears.

Graham was always the people pleaser. And Hunter was always ready to blow the world apart.

“You have to stop cleaning up after him. He’ll never learn. He’s a grown adult, Griff.”

Dismissing him with a shrug, I grabbed my keys from the bowl on the kitchen island and left the house. Graham remained quiet, but I could feel his gratitude despite him never saying a word.

I hated entertaining the team anyway. Any excuse to get out of there was a good one. Hunter and Graham were social butterflies. They thrived around others. Me? I preferred peace and quiet. To be on my own.

I’d rather celebrate my win alone, with just Hunter and Graham, or with the girl I planned to spend the rest of my life with, and not a bunch of guys who only wanted to get drunk.

I understood it was important to build morale on the team, but I’d rather do some stupid challenge during practice than drink my night away.

Speaking of the girl I planned to spend the rest of my life with, that was a completely unattainable dream at this point, unless she woke up and forgot what I did to her back in middle school.

I managed to ruin that relationship a long time ago, and she had never forgiven me, no matter how many times I apologized.

And no matter how many other girls I had been with, none compared to her. No one understood me like she did.