“I will, Mom.”
“You’re a good girl.” She beamed at me, her weary eyes brightening for a moment. “I honestly don’t know what we’d do without you.”
With that, she left in a flurry of car keys and purse straps.
I gulped as I stood there alone with the scent of fried foods tickling my nose. No pressure. My parents were counting on me. I officially had no other choice. I had to handle this on my own.
Even if it meant starting World War III.
The door to Charlotte’s room was already open. The muscles in my shoulders tensed as I paused outside it and wondered what kind of scene I’d enter. She was probably still nursing a headache, feeling crabby as ever. Did I dare give her the fries when she might pelt them right back at me? Or should I use them as incentive not to bite my head off when I told her that she couldn’t hang around Sarah anymore? The answer eluded me, even as I tentatively stepped foot inside her door, but what I saw made my jaw drop.
Typically, my baby sister’s room resembled something more like the aftermath of a tornado than a bedroom. But now, every single piece of cast-off clothing had been picked up, down to the last sock. I could actually see the floor. The piles of books on her nightstands had been placed neatly back on the bookshelf. Her comforter was pulled up over her bed and the fuzzy throw pillows inhabiting their rightful places at the top. And in the middle of this unnatural scene was my sister, dancing in shorts and a tank on her pink shag rug—which I’d forgotten existed beneath the mess—with her purple Beats headphones on.
I could barely remember why I’d come here, I was so shocked. “Hello?”
Charlotte spotted me and tugged her headphones off, giving me a giant smile. “Mandy! Come in!”
This was so not what I’d prepared myself for. I stepped inside, wondering if I’d somehow landed in another dimension.
“Oooh, is that for me?” Charlotte pointed at the greasy takeout bag in my hands.
I nodded and handed it over. She didn’t look in the fry-pelting mood anyway. Charlotte snatched it up with a chirpy ‘thank you’ and dove right in.
“Oh my gosh, I needed this so much.” She stuffed a handful in her mouth and rubbed her belly with the other hand. “I haven’t been able to eat anything until now. You’re the best, Sis.”
Sitting on the edge of her bed, I eyed her suspiciously. How was I supposed to start a strict lecture on the dangers of drinking and hanging with terrible people like this? It just didn’t make sense. Why was she so perky?
“Charlotte, I think we need to talk about last night,” I said in a low voice, rubbing my palms up and down the tops of my thighs. “About the party.”
She swallowed down a mouthful and nodded at me, her mouth forming a deep frown. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”
Depositing the takeout bag on her desk, she pulled out the chair and sat facing me. Sorrow washed over her face, resulting in the pitiful little pout she’d perfected over the years. She splayed her hands out on her knees, palms up, and fixed me with a steady look.
“I am so sorry for last night,” she said. “I know what I did was stupid and irresponsible. And I definitely know now how awful Sarah and those girls are. I won’t make that mistake again. I promise.”
I blinked at her, unsure I’d heard what she said. “You...do?”
She smiled and nodded energetically. “Absolutely. I’m just sad I didn’t realize it sooner.” Holding her hand up to her mouth, she giggled. ”Of course, if I’d realized it sooner, than I wouldn’t have realized something really wonderful last night.”
My head was beginning to spin. That was a lot of realizing in one night. I had no clue what she was talking about.
“What do you mean?”
She jumped up from her chair and spun, reaching her hands toward the ceiling. Her dancer’s legs flexed with impressive shape. “You said I needed to find my person and I did. It was totally and completely by accident, but I found him. And now, he’s all I can think about.”
“Wait, what?” I stared up at her, feeling lost. “Who are you talking about?”
She scowled and stopped spinning, placing her hands on her hips. “None of my so-called friends cared about me when I got sick. I could’ve disappeared into a gutter and they wouldn’t have done anything. But he did. He found me. He took care of me and made sure I was safe.”
Dread pooled into my stomach. I was starting to have an inkling of who she was talking about, but it couldn’t be. The universe didn’t have that sick of a humor—did it?
“Charlotte, are you talking about...Jayden?”
Her eyes turned shiny with fondness and a goofy smile appeared on her lips. “Ugh, his name is even better when I hear someone else say it.”
“Jayden? Jayden Paul?”
She nodded. “The one and only.”
All I could do was smile painfully at her.
“Can you believe it? I was looking for someone to understand me, and he was there this whole time, passing me in the hallways at Rock Valley High. He was so sweet. After he helped me to the swing to wait for you, he told me about his older brother and his addiction. Thanks to him, I’m never going to party like that again. Jayden really cares about me. I can’t wait to see him again.”
I grunted and shifted my seat. “You’re going to see him again?”
She bit her lip and squealed. “Yes! Tomorrow, after baseball practice, I’m going to march right up to him and show him just how thankful I am. Do you think I should make him cookies? Boys like baked goods, right? What flavor will make him fall for me, too?”
“Jayden Paul?” I couldn’t help but ask one more time.
She shot me an annoyed look. “Yes. And please don’t tell me you hate him. Because if you keep this up, I’ll officially have no one and I’ll die a sad and lonely death.”
“No, I don’t hate him,” I said softly.
But Charlotte didn’t hear me. She was already bustling about the room, spouting off ideas on how to properly thank the boy who’d become her new obsession. All the while, I stared blankly at her. It was official. My life had become one giant train wreck. I hoped that whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes was getting a good laugh, because someone needed to.
Charlotte had gone and found her person, despite the fact that he didn’t know anything about it. And I guess I could say that the one good thing about all of this was Charlotte’s promise to never party again. That was one major problem off my list. Still, that didn’t seem like a promise she’d keep for long if she found out about me and Jayden.
I left Charlotte’s room with a heavy feeling pressing down on my chest. Nothing in this world was simple.
My sister had fallen for the boy I’d kissed.
How could a story like that have a happy ending?
Chapter Eighteen
I should’ve been rejoicing. It was Monday and officially the start of my last week as team manager for the Rock Valley High baseball team. My physical therapist had been pleased with my results this morning and the boy I had a major crush on had been texting me all day, sending sweet messages.
Jayden: You look beautiful.
I’m a sucker for yoga pants and hoodies.
Especially since Saturday night...
My heart thumped loudly as I looked up from my screen to see Jayden in his catcher’s pads behind home plate, tucking his phone into his sweatpants pocket. The moment our gazes met, he shot me a heated grin that made my stomach clench with need.
Ugh—why did he have to be so perfect?
The fact that he was basically the only reason my sister was now happily staying away from Sarah and the rest of those awful girls was not lost on me. Or the fact that if we kept this up, I’d eventually have to tell her the truth. It wasn’t something I was ready to face. She’d been obsessing about him all weekend, telling me over and over again how amazing he’d been at the party on Saturday.
The only thing I could concentrate on in this moment was keeping my litt
le sister in the dark until I figured out what to do. If I could manage that, then everything else would fall into line.
Hopefully.
“Heads up!” Coach Morgan called from the foul line.
The third baseman threw a baseball toward home that ricocheted off the dirt and straight into Jayden’s gut. He grunted as it bounced off his pads, then it fell back to the ground and rolled away.
“You’re slower than molasses on a winter’s day, Jayden,” Coach yelled gruffly. “Get your head in the game and stop making eyes at our team manager.”
Jayden’s bright red face probably matched my own as he quickly snatched up his catcher’s mask from the ground and put it on. I ducked my chin and went back to repainting down the first base line. We’d been busted. Thankfully, Coach Morgan was a no-nonsense kind of leader, because none of the other guys dared to add their comments. But I could feel their teasing glances and wagging eyebrows.
And luckily for me, the bleachers were still empty of admirers. It wouldn’t have been good for Charlotte to be around with Coach Morgan making those kinds of comments. I could only imagine what’d she do.
It was better not to find out.
The team went back to scrimmaging and I finished touching up the foul lines. I avoided Jayden’s gaze as best as I could for the rest of practice, even taking the Gator on a solo gum run near the end. But when I returned and parked near the dugout, the sight I saw left a sour taste in my mouth.
The boys had pretty much finished practice and dispersed toward the locker rooms to change. The field was nearly empty, except for Charlotte standing near the dugout in a flirty little pink lace dress, her brunette hair waving in the breeze like she’d specially ordered a wind fan for this very moment. She was talking to Jayden and smiling up at him as if he’d hung the stars. In her hands, she held the plate of snickerdoodle cookies that she’d spent all Sunday evening baking. She’d even made me try one.
They were good—for a man-catching dessert.
I could handle seeing them talk. That wasn’t the problem. The part making my stomach churn was seeing Jayden tilt his head back and laugh at something she’d said. It wasn’t because I was jealous. I was sure of that. Honestly, it was sweet of him to be so nice to her, especially when she needed friends. But I knew I could never talk to him like that without hurting my sister. Could never make him laugh or kiss him in public, without damaging the progress she’d made. It wasn’t fair. I wanted that.
But the fact was, my parents depended on me. And that meant keeping Charlotte on stable ground.
I couldn’t watch them any longer. Turning on my boot, I hurried off to the concession stand to count the boxes of pop and candy, even though I knew everything was already stocked up. And when I’d hidden in there long enough to make sure everyone had finally gone home, I crept out and closed the door behind me.
“Hale!”
Coach Morgan’s gruff voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned slowly to see him marching toward me, his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed like he had a lecture just waiting to spill out of him. I cringed, hoping he wasn’t going to mention anything about Jayden or distracting his boys during practice.
There was no way I could stand through something like that without melting into the ground in shame. But instead of lecturing, he stopped in front of me and then reached out awkwardly to pat me on my shoulder.
“You’re a good worker, Hale,” he said, his jaw flexing as he chomped on his Big League gum. “We’ve never had a girl on the team before. Frankly, I was a bit concerned when Coach Padilla came to me with this request, but you’ve been a real asset.”
I sighed in relief and tucked my hands in my sweatshirt pocket. This was so much better than a lecture. “Thanks, Coach. I’ve actually enjoyed managing a lot more than I thought I was going to. You’ve got a good team.”
“Yeah, we might even stand a chance this year at districts.” He smiled grimly at me. “I know you’ve still got a week with us, but if you ever change your mind about going back to track, just know, you’ll have a place here with us.”
I pulled back and laughed softly. “But what about your other manager? Won’t he want his position back?”
Coach Morgan huffed and shrugged his meaty shoulders. “All Ashton does is drive the Gator around and waste my gas. He can still manage to do that with you hanging around. At least you’ve got some common sense in that head of yours.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said with a grateful smile. “I’ll think about it.”
It was nice of Coach to offer, but I was ready and raring to get back to the track. All I needed was my PT’s all-clear on the ankle. Then, it was about making up for lost time.
Coach Morgan said his goodbyes, then loaded up in his Gator and puttered away. Finally, silence settled on the field. It was nice to not be distracted by any of the noises, smells, and sights of a high school baseball practice in motion. This was calming. This could help me think.
And I needed to do a lot of that in the next few hours.
I picked up my clipboard of baseball stats and went to check the locks on the storage rooms one last time before I left. But as I rounded the corner to the concession stand, a hand darted out of the doorway and yanked me inside. I blinked in shock in the semi-darkness until Jayden’s grinning face came into focus.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he said in a low, gravelly voice.
His fingertips pressed into my waist as he gently guided me backwards. All I could do was stare up at him, my heart thundering loudly like runners at the start of a race. My back pressed against the wall and he leaned down to capture my mouth with his.
The kiss was soft and gentle, but still contained an urgency that made my head buzz. Electricity sparked on my scalp as he gently ran his fingers through my hair, ruining my tidy ponytail. I wrapped my arms around his torso and returned the kiss, wishing for all the world that we could just stay in that concession stand forever and not deal with the rest of the world.
Jayden pulled away first, his chest heaving. He softly caressed my cheek with the pad of his thumb, his lips quirking in a sexy grin. “I like kissing you.”
A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. There was no denying that kissing Jayden was all I’d thought about for the past two days.
“I like it, too. I might even like it better than fighting with you.”
His eyes lit up with mock surprise. “Now, that’s saying something. Mandy Hale has a soft side, ladies and gentlemen.”
I hit him playfully on the shoulder. “Don’t push me. We could go back to bitter enemies in a heartbeat. All I have to do is say the word.”
“Then, don’t.”
His eyes glinted with emotion as he stared into mine. The feeling in his voice weighed on me like a boulder sitting on my chest. He was so sincere, it almost hurt. I pressed my lips together and reached up to touch his cheek and trail my thumb gently along his bottom lip. He was irresistible when he looked at me like that, as if I were his every dream come true. It made me feel like the luckiest girl alive.
“I know this might be too early to ask...” He closed his eyes tightly and leaned into my touch. “...but I have to do it. See, there’s this big event coming up. I’m not sure if you’ve heard about it, but there’s usually a dress, and a tux, and a limo involved. Maybe even a free meal, if you’re lucky. Are you possibly interested in such an event?”
He opened one eye and squinted at me. I was pretty sure I’d quit breathing. Jayden Paul was asking me to prom. I should’ve been out of my mind happy—and there was definitely a lot of squealing going on in the back of my head—but dread pooled in my stomach instead.
Prom was...public. It was a night of holding hands and dancing close and taking cheesy pictures I might someday show to my kids. There was no way I’d be able to keep any of that from Charlotte. Not when she was currently obsessed with Jayden.
I just couldn’t deal with that right now. And I couldn’t tell Jayden the truth. Not until I’d fig
ured this out. He wouldn’t understand.
“You know, I’ve never been one for heels.” I dropped my hand from his face and grimaced, trying to hide my discomfort.
He shrugged. “Wear your track suit, for all I care. I just want to go with you.”
“I’m a terrible dancer.”
“We’ll be terrible together.”
My heart plunged into my gut as I extracted myself from between his arms. I tried to keep a smile on my face, but it wasn’t easy with this terrible hopelessness going on inside of me. What I wouldn’t give to tell him yes. To skip happily away from this team manager thing with a date for my senior prom. And not just any date—a date with the guy that gave me delicious shivers every time he looked at me.
“You know, I’ll have to check my schedule. I think I remember a big track meet that weekend and I’m already so far behind because of my sprained ankle.” I gave him the biggest smile I could muster. “I’m not sure. Can I get back to you?”
The disappointment that flashed in his gaze was so strong it made me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic. But Jayden was quick to cover it up with an easy-going grin. “Sure. Whatever. Just let me know.”
Biting my lower lip, I nodded at him. The thrill of this meeting with Jayden in the concession stands had died a sudden and tragic death. We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, neither one of us seeming to want to look each other in the eyes. Then Jayden leaned over to kiss me on the cheek and walked backwards out the doorway, finally looking at me again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked.
It almost hurt to see the renewed hope in his eyes. Like I hadn’t just cut his heart out with a dagger by refusing to answer his prom question.
“Sure.” I swallowed hard. “Tomorrow.”
As I watched him leave, I knew I couldn’t bear to see him tomorrow. Not with this terrible conflict going on inside of me. If I let myself have him, it would destroy my sister’s already fragile hope for the future. It would ruin the work I’d done to keep stress out of my parents’ lives and everything I’d done to protect my mom.
Dare You to Fall for the Catcher Page 13
