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Chase

I hate parties. There are other places that I would rather be, such as in the comfort of my home playing video games, but some of these guys are my teammates, and it’s always a good idea to socialize outside of the stadium.

Every player on the team is part of my family, but standing around a party isn’t one of my favorite pastimes.

But here I am at our pitchers, Max Murphy’s party, and I’m here to celebrate.

It’s the All-Star break, and the team has a little time off. Well, those who were not chosen to play do, and I’m one of them. We were asked to continue training, but to keep things light. We promised to rest, but to kick off our week, we’re celebrating the break.

After the party, we’ll do as we promised with team management and will rest and reset. While a bye week is nice to have, there’s always the dreaded concern that the rest won’t be good for standings once we return.

But baseball, like any sport, is unpredictable.

The phone in my pocket vibrates, and I pull it out.

Please be an excuse to leave.

Please be an excuse to leave.

It’s my best friend and my agent, Ethan Hale.

What u doin’?

Nice grammar. At Max’s house. Party. Stroll through?

I’m close enough. I’ll pop in. See my favorite client.

I’ve known Ethan since my family moved into the house across the street from his. On day one, he came over and introduced himself, telling me we were going to be the best of friends. We were six years old, and here we are in our mid-twenties, and we’re both killing it in our respective careers.

I am the Terror’s third baseman, and he is the man who negotiates all of my contracts, which helped get me where I am today.

Growing up, I was considered the brawn, and he was the brains. After Ethan learned he wasn’t the athletic type, he set his sights on being the voice for one. Then our dream of being the best of friends would continue into adulthood.

As soon as he completed his Master’s in Sports Management, I forced him to sign me on as his first client.

That was four years ago, and here we are.

Still best of friends.

I grab myself a beer from the fridge on the back patio and slide up beside someone I know, Luke, a friend of our first baseman, Diesel. I’ve hung out with outside of team parties from time to time.

We’re silent as we watch people move about.

A group plays a card game in the corner of the room, and another group in the center of the large room we’re in — is currently dancing.

It’s a mixture of people here, not just the team here; there are friends of friends, a few agents that I recognize, some industry folks, a few celebrities, and a bunch of people that I’ve never seen before. It’s not a small get-together.

“Did you come alone?” Luke asks.

“Yeah, why? You wanna take me home, Lukey boy?” I playfully nudge him with my elbow, then place my head on his shoulder, which he quickly lifts to brush me off.

“Fuck man, who is that with your boy? She’s fucking hot!” his gaze stares straight ahead.

My eyes search the crowd until I see Ethan, but I don’t see who he’s talking about, at least not right away. As Ethan is making his way over to us, pushing through the crowd, he looks behind him, and that’s when I see who Luke is talking about.

Skylar. His younger sister.

This woman looks completely different from the last time I saw her.

Then, she was a tomboy, her hair was frizzy and out of control, and she basically shied away from the opposite sex, preferring to read rather than socializing with anyone.

But now, my breath is stolen as I see the woman walking behind my best friend.

She has smooth, warm-toned skin, with long, glossy black hair, styled in soft waves that cascade over her naked shoulder.

Her eyes, looking wild as she takes in her surroundings while they walk through the crowd of people, are expressive, with dramatic eye makeup emphasizing her honey brown tone, adding to the intensity of her gaze.

She is far from the emo teenager that I remember stomping around the Hale household when we were younger.

Hell, she was a shadow back then. Now she stands up with confidence and sophistication, like a shining beacon. And she’s fucking gorgeous.

I shouldn’t be looking at her in any other way than as a pseudo-older brother, but with my thoughts running rampant about how I would push her up against a wall and slip my hand between her legs, has me thinking anything but brotherly.

“She’s off-limits,” I say under my breath.

“You got dibs?” Luke asks.

“You just don’t,” I reply sternly, just as Ethan and Skylar step in front of us.

“This isn’t just some party. This is fucking insane, man. There are tons of people here. Are you sure you guys should be partying it up?” Ethan questions.

“Of course, Dad. We have a bunch of days off, you know, All-Stars, so we’re starting it off with a bang.” I look at Skylar and smile, “Nice to see you here, Sky.”

I look her up and down, noting her discomfort as she crosses her arms and shifts from side to side. She’s wearing a green sequin top with one shoulder strap. The jeans she’s wearing hug her hips perfectly with a straight leg, leading to heels that make her seem taller than she is.

“Hey, Chase.” She blushes, glancing down, shy.

“Quit staring, Matthews,” Ethan growls at Luke, who holds up his hands in defence.

“Not only did I grow up with this asshole here,” I poke Ethan in the chest, “but I also grew up with this one, too. Although back then, she didn’t wear any other color other than black.” I say to Luke.

“Nice to see that you found colors.” I turn my attention to her and tease as she rolls her eyes.

“Ah, so you’re related to this guy? I’m sorry,” Luke jokes.

“Yeah, me too.” She grins, feeling a little more at ease.

“So, what brings you to Nashville?” I ask.

“Oh, E. didn’t tell you? I moved here a few weeks ago.” She smirks.

I do my best to hide the shock from my features, but I fail miserably.

He mentioned nothing. Strange.

“Don’t get any ideas, either of you.” Ethan points between Luke and me.

I hold my hands up. “Dude, she’s like my little sister.”

“Keep that thought in your head at all times, bro. And you — don’t even.” He swings his gaze to her.

“Stop being such a caveman.” Skylar pushes his shoulder. “I’m a big girl and I can make my own decisions. You’re not my keeper.”

“Making sure these two bozos don’t get any ideas,” Ethan says quietly to her.

Ethan pins me with a look again, and I shake my head.

“Heeeeey, you guys are over here looking like you’re planning something.

What are you planning? Are you planning things?

They better be cool.” Matty slurs in his thick Russian accent, tossing his arm around Luke’s shoulders and looking around our small group.

“Oh, and hello to you, miss. I’m Matty. It’s my meet to pleasure you. ”

Ethan puts his hands on Matty’s chest as he leans in with his hand outstretched. “Whoa, buddy. Step back, control yourself,” he warns. “And wipe the drool off your chin.”

“Dude, E. Chill out, he’s just saying hi to the pretty lady,” Luke says. “He’s just being social.”

“Yesh, hi to you, ma’am. That’s me, social, like a giant ‘eddy bear. Hey, Chasy-poo, we need more things from the garage fridge. Can you help me grab them?” he asks.

“What kind of things do you need, buddy?” I ask.

“I think we needed some ice and some fresh drinks. There is a cooler on the outside. It’s empty.” He replies, looking up and giving me big doe eyes.

“You know what? There’s a little too much testosterone for me in the corner, and honestly, I need about 10 minutes of space from you.” She pierces her brother with a glare, “Chase, show me the way. I can help.”

“Sky, don’t-.” Ethan starts.

She holds up her hand and silences him before she turns on her heel and moves into the crowd.

“Sky! Wait up. You don’t know where you’re going.” I follow her, hearing Ethan call my name behind me as I disappear into the dancing crowd.