Page 14

Chapter fourteen

Rhett

I’ve been playing ball since I was four years old.

I’ve had dyslexia my entire fucking life.

Yet I can count on two hands the number of times my fucked-up brain has impacted my game.

For the most part, I’ve been lucky with coaches who understand I might take longer to process certain things or that video analysis and visual aids help where written plans and play books are a disaster.

But every now and then, my disability likes to rear its ugly head and remind me I’m not that far off from the dumb jock Evie’s friend suggested I am.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Darling, what’s going on out there?” Coach slams his hand against his leg. “Didn’t you see what Ramo was trying to tell you?”

I grunt in acknowledgment, my jaw clenched tight. Yeah, I saw the signals. But they were so fucking fast, I couldn’t make sense of them quickly enough. Which fucked up my timing leaving second, and meant the Revs got an easy out on me at third.

Coach pulls his hat off, rubbing his bald head before slamming it back on. “Alright. Well. Get your eyes up next time.” He walks back to the steps leading out of the dugout and leans against the railing.

There’s not much I hate more than letting down my team. I rip off my sliding mitt and toss it to the ground before leaning forward and exhaling a curse.

The fucking truth is, I can’t blame just my dyslexia for my performance on the field today.

Walking away from Evie this morning, with things so up in the air, felt wrong in all kinds of ways. And then having to sit in a car next to Yami and listen to him go on and on about some club he wants to hit up tonight since we have tomorrow morning off was like pouring salt in the wound.

My plans for tonight didn’t involve Yami or any of the guys. And definitely not a club. No, my plans involved uninterrupted time with Evie, preferably including a bed, but I’d accept the couch as an alternative. Whichever she preferred.

Ladies choice and all.

And now the consequences of leaving things unfinished with Evie are hitting me where it hurts. Because I can’t focus on anything but the conversation I want to get back to.

“What’s going on with you, Darling?” Ronan Sinclair comes to sit beside me on the bench. I don’t have to look at him to imagine the concerned expression I’m sure is on his face.

“Nothin’, Sin. All good.”

However, I guess my answer isn’t enough for him.

“Not buying it. You’re off your game. I won’t push, but if there’s anything I can do, let me know.” He leans against the bench, folding his arms across his chest. “How’s everything going with Evie? She still living with you?”

I abruptly stand, needing to get away from his stare that seems to see right through me. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. Excuse me, I need some water.” As I move away from Sin and his all-too-knowing questions, my stomach churns. The Tridents are a family. A protective family. We look after our own, and that includes partners, siblings, and kids. Which is why, if I get involved with Evie, even if it’s a one-time thing, and anyone finds out…it’s not just my best friend I’ll have to worry about.

It’s my entire team.

Somehow, I manage to pull my shit together for the rest of the game. We even eke out a narrow win, but I can’t take any credit. At least I didn’t fuck up again.

In the showers, all the guys are talking about their plans for tonight. Somehow, Yami’s got everyone roped in, including the wives and girlfriends.

“C’mon, Mav, you and Sadie never come out,” Yami says to our third baseman. To be fair, up until recently, Mav wasn’t just antisocial. He kept himself apart from the rest of us and had a reputation in the league for causing trouble.

But he’s different now.

Still not social, but he smiles once in a while.

“Fuck off, Yami. I’m spending tonight at home fucking my girlfriend. You enjoy your club full of sweaty strangers.”

Yami just claps his hands together, walking over to me and draping his arm over my shoulder. “Fine, fine. I don’t need your sexy bad boy energy ruining my chances anyway. Darling and I will quite happily find a sweaty stranger to have some fun with. Without you.”

“Sounds kinky,” Mav responds drily, and I shove Yami away.

“Seriously, man,” I grumble. Even though every bone in my body is screaming at me to go home to Evie, my brain is back online and saying loud and clear that not going out with the guys would raise suspicion. And the last thing I need is any reason for Yami to suspect anything is going on.

I guess I’m going out tonight.

Thankfully, the club they want to hit is within walking distance of the stadium. The entire walk there, I’m palming my phone in my pocket, debating whether I should text Evie or not. Yami said he told her that we were going out, so technically, I don’t have to. But I feel like shit for not touching base with her myself.

Except, what do I say?

I shouldn’t have kissed you this morning, so I’m letting your brother take me to a club so I can try to forget about you.

Yeah, that’ll go over really well. Besides, she kissed me first.

In the end, I don’t send anything. Whatever I say to Evie, whatever we end up doing, it can’t be figured out over a text message.

At the club, Yami leads us right past the line and inside where the music pulsates.

Normally, I can enjoy a night out with the best of them. There’s a reason they call me Darling.

But tonight, I’m not feeling it.

Tonight, I’d rather be heading home than pressed into a booth in the VIP area with a rookie on one side and some woman wearing a short silver dress on the other. She’s turned to face me and is leaning forward in a way that makes it far too obvious she expects me to check her out.

Too bad for her, I don’t have any interest. Instead, I look around the club. Anywhere but at her.

“So, like, you guys travel a lot. Do you get to go to cool places?” she asks, sipping what looks like a martini and leaving a lipstick stain on the glass.

“All we ever see are airports, hotels, and baseball stadiums. Not a lot of time for sightseeing.”

I didn’t think my answer was funny, but I guess I was wrong because she titters in laughter. Honestly, she reminds me of some of the girls back home that were too big for their britches. Acted like they were fancy debutantes when in reality their mama and daddy ran the feed store.

The act didn’t work on me then, and it ain’t working on me now.

“Excuse me, darlin’, I need to find the little boys room.” I gesture for her to let me out of the booth. She pouts but moves. Not enough for a clear path, of course. Oh no, I’m treated to a full-frontal brush against her body as I move past. I suppress a shudder and head for the restrooms.

Once inside, the noise level is slightly muted, and I lean against the black countertop, letting my head hang as I breathe deeply.

My peace is short-lived when the door opens, bringing in a burst of music and background noise before it closes again.

“Dude, what the fuck is going on? ”

I look up at Yami. His feet are spread wide, one hand stuffed in a pocket, the other holding a drink.

Ah, shit.

“What do you mean?” I ask, my brain scrambling to come up with an explanation. The problem is, I don’t know what the fuck he saw, or thinks he saw, or…shit. Stop. Focus, Rhett.

“I mean, where the hell is my best friend? My wingman? You’ve been off all fucking day, man. Hell, shit’s felt weird ever since I got to your apartment this morning.”

My throat feels like it’s closing up as he tilts his head to the side.

“Did Evie’s dog piss in your shoes or something?”

And just like that, he hands me the perfect excuse on a silver platter. Sorry, pup, you’re getting thrown under the bus.

“Nah, man. Just not sleeping well, I guess. You know, the damn puppy’s gettin’ up at all hours.” The lie slips off my tongue far too easily and I hate myself for it.

“Oh yeah, that would suck.” He walks over and takes a piss before joining me back at the sinks and washes his hands. “I get it if you wanna head home. Honestly, your game sucked today, bro, you need to sleep.”

I give him a tight smile. “Thanks, asshole.”

Yami just laughs off the insult and heads to the door. “I’m heading back out there. You good?”

I nod. Once the door closes behind him, my head falls forward again. “Fuck.” At least I can go home without Yami questioning me, but now I’m not so sure I want to face Evie.

I have no idea what to do about her.

That’s not true. I know what I want to do, and I know what I should do. And I’ll be damned if I can figure out which is the better option.

I leave the club without saying goodbye to anyone. In my truck, driving home, the dark streets of Vancouver offer no answers to my dilemma.

In the parking garage of my building, I turn off the engine and sit there for a minute. I want Evie. But having her puts a lot at risk.

I’ve got to force the idea of being with her out of my head. She’s a temporary roommate. A friend. My best friend’s sister.

And she can’t be anything more.

The door to my apartment opens silently, thank God. The lights are off except for the dim one in my kitchen that Evie leaves on when she knows I’m coming home late. My gaze lands on the two coffee mugs sitting beside the coffee maker.

A silent reminder that tomorrow morning I’ll have to face her.

After stripping down to my underwear, I fall into bed and stare at my ceiling. No matter how hard I try to convince myself that I’m making the right decision by re-establishing a boundary with Evie before we fully cross it, I can’t get my mind to settle enough to let me sleep.

Which is why I drag my sorry ass out of bed at six, pull on a pair of sweats and an old T-shirt, and stumble into the kitchen, needing coffee injected straight into my veins, preferably.

I’m halfway through my first cup when I hear a door open, and Ruthie comes scampering toward me. I bend down to give her some love, petting her head and scratching her floppy ears until I hear the sound of softer footfalls coming down the hall .

I straighten and slowly lift my gaze to her. She’s standing at the edge of the hallway with one foot crossed on top of the other, looking adorably sleep mussed. Her long black hair cascades in messy waves over her shoulder, and she’s wearing an oversized T-shirt that’s so big, I can’t tell if she’s got anything on underneath.

And all of the logic I wrestled my way into believing last night, the decision that makes sense and protects both Evie and myself, flies out of my head as the blood rushes downward.

Maybe she’s not meant to be mine forever, but for right now?

She is.

It’s only a few long strides to close the distance between us. One hand lands on her hip as I push her back against the wall. Her mouth falls open as she looks up at me with wide eyes.

“I really wanna kiss you right now, Evangeline.”

This close, I can feel her chest rising and falling rapidly. But she doesn’t answer. I’m about to step away, not willing to do something she doesn’t want just as badly as I do, when three words are whispered into the tense silence between us.

“Then you should.”