“Yeah.” My palms were sweating. I rubbed them on the front of my yoga pants. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. Sorry for the way I treated you.”
“It’s fine.” He shrugged, his gaze moving back to the quarter pinched between his thumb and forefinger. The slight narrowing of his eyes and redness in his cheeks told me he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be.
I leaned up against the outside of the cage, my fingers curling around the black chained link. “It’s not fine. You were just trying to help. I froze you out. And it kills me to know that I hurt your feelings.”
His frown deepened and he pushed the last quarter into the slot. Picking up the bat, he shot me a look that held a glint of pain. “Listen, Mandy, I got the hint when you didn’t return any of my messages this week. You don’t need me around. You don’t need anybody’s help.”
Ouch. I totally deserved that, but it still stung coming from Jayden’s mouth.
I scrunched my face up and inhaled a shallow breath. “I can see why you’d think that—”
His desperate gaze seared into mine. “I confessed my feelings to you this week. I told you I loved you and then you pushed me away. I get it. You don’t want me. Honestly, you didn’t need to drag this out by coming over here.” I opened my mouth to argue, to explain that I’d been under lock and key, but he cut me off. “The truth is, I’m already over you. So don’t worry, you didn’t hurt my feelings.”
Shock hit me like a baseball going ninety-five. I clutched the muscles in my torso, fighting against the impact. “You’re already over me?”
“Yeah.” He turned to line up at the plate, avoiding my gaze. “So go back to your track team. Forget about me. Just like I forgot about you.”
I was too distracted by my heart breaking to notice the first pitch being released by the machine. But when Jayden swung and missed it, the loud sound of the ball hitting the backdrop made me jump. He swore and then lined up to bat again, this time clipping the second pitch and making it spin off behind him.
I backed away slowly, not taking my eyes off of Jayden’s form for several seconds. There was a voice inside me desperately wishing that he would turn around and look at me. Just one last look. I needed that much. But he didn’t. And when I couldn’t stand the sight any longer, I ran out of the building, tears spilling down my face.
“What happened?” Charlotte threw open the sliding door of the van and scanned me over as I hurried to the front seat. “What’s wrong?”
“He hates me.” I sniffed and pulled my seatbelt across my lap. We needed to get out of there as soon as possible. I didn’t want to stay in this parking lot a moment longer than I had to. “He says he’s already over me. And that he’s forgotten me. This was obviously a huge mistake. Let’s go home.”
I pulled down the visor to check my bloodshot eyes in the mirror. Instead, I saw Charlotte in the back seat, rolling up the sleeves of her denim shirt, her nose scrunched up as anger flashed in her eyes.
“I don’t care if he saved me at that party,” she growled. “I don’t care that he loved my cookies. Nobody makes my big sister cry. I’m going to go teach him how to make an idiot sandwich.”
“Slow your roll, Gordon Ramsay.” Mom sent Charlotte a warning glare in the rearview mirror. Her face softened when she looked at me and she reached over to squeeze my leg. “Baby, I’m sure he’s not over you. Nobody gets over somebody that quickly, especially when he’s been crushing on you for so long. It sounds like he’s hurt and it might take a little more to make him see that you’re truly sorry.”
I wiped away the tears and hiccupped. “But what else can I do? I told him I was sorry.”
“Sounds like we need to come up with a plan.” Mom narrowed her eyes at the warped and dusty dashboard of the van. It was the same look she got when trying to think up a new recipe.
We all sat in silence for a few seconds as they brainstormed in their heads and I tried not to relive the last five minutes over and over in my mind.
It was easy to see that I’d hurt Jayden. I’d expected him to be frustrated, but this was in another category of pain. In all of our fights, in all of the years we’d had this insane rivalry, we’d never hurt each other like this. It wasn’t right that just when I’d realized how much he meant to me, I’d lost him.
Finally, there was a shuffling in the backseat. Charlotte popped her head between the front seats and then clicked her tongue in excitement. “I’ve got an idea.”
Mom slapped the middle console and grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“It‘s pretty inspired, but I don’t think Mandy’s going to like it.”
I grimaced at her, imagining all sorts of Charlotte-flavored pranks. “Okay...but will it work?”
It was going to have to be something majorly good to get me back in Jayden’s good graces.
“Oh, it’ll work.” She grinned evilly. “Trust me.”
I wasn’t sure I was good with putting my fate in the hands of my little sister, but it seemed I’d been left with no other choice. And when she spilled her idea, the three of us drove aimlessly around discussing ways to refine it.
And by the time we brought carryout home to Dad for lunch, we had a solid plan.
A plan to show Jayden that I wasn’t ready to forget him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The plan was officially in action.
Coach Padilla wasn’t exactly happy to let me skip half of practice on Monday, but I think she was relieved enough to have me back on the team that she relented after some begging and explanation. Which was perfect, because this was my only chance to use Charlotte’s idea to win Jayden back.
I’d also had to clear the plan with Coach Morgan. His reaction couldn’t have been any more opposite than Coach Padilla’s. He’d gotten all red in the face, then slapped his knee and practically giggled with glee. His answer was clearly yes.
So, that’s how I’d found myself sitting in my mom’s van just down the block from the baseball diamond, spying on the team as they arrived for practice and started warm-ups.
“Are you sure you guys want to do this?” I turned to look at Mom and Charlotte, fear making my stomach churn. “Maybe we should just call the whole thing off. I shouldn’t have asked you guys to put yourself out for me.”
Mom rubbed my back and smiled. “Baby girl, have some faith. You’re always taking care of other people. For once, let us help you.”
“Yeah, we want to do this,” Charlotte added with a reassuring smile.
I scrunched up my face and sighed. “Okay. But for the record, if this ends in my total humiliation, I’m dropping out of school to become a professional hermit.”
Mom laughed, leaning back in her seat. “We’ll see about that.”
My heart thudded painfully in my chest as Trina pulled up in her car beside us with Audrey in the passenger seat. She parked along the curb and we all got out of our vehicles to the sound of excited barking. Reaching inside her car to open their kennels, Trina brought out three dogs, each cuter than the last.
“Awww, Mom, can we keep it?” Charlotte asked as she took the white furry one in her arms and it licked her neck.
“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Mom said sternly, although her eyes softened as she took in the sight of the chocolate lab mix that wagged its tail with enough force to knock anybody down.
Audrey led it by the leash and came to give me a hug, her eyes shining with tears. “This is so perfect. I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
I shot her a warning look and sighed. “Don’t start crying now. We haven’t even done anything yet.”
“I know, I know.” She blinked them back and gave me a smile. “I’m just so excited I can’t control my emotions.”
I went to roll my eyes, but was distracted by the third and final dog, a golden retriever mix with the sweetest smile I’d ever seen. It came over to sit on my feet, its pink tongue lolling out of its mouth as it looked lovingly up at me.
“Trina, these dogs are pe
rfect.” I looked up at her while scratching behind the Golden’s ears. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“My friend at the shelter was happy to loan them to us.” She took a small chalkboard sign with a string attached and draped it over the golden’s head so that it hung from its neck. Smiling at me, she went to put two more signs on the other dogs. “I think she was hoping this little escapade would get one or all of them adopted. It’s going to be hard taking them back when this is all over.”
I gulped, my throat tightening. When this is all over. It could either be the best moment of my life, or one of the worst, depending on Jayden’s reaction. I could only hope that what he’d said on the bus was true.
Show me a furry face and I’m done for.
“All right, they’re done with warm-ups and Coach Morgan has them set up for a scrimmage, just like he promised,” Mom said, sneaking a peek around the van to spy on practice. “Jayden’s behind home plate. Mandy, head for the announcer’s booth. We’ll wait for your signal.”
“Good luck, M,” Audrey said, handing me my own chalkboard sign.
I gave her a thumbs-up as I walked away, but my arms were trembling. It wasn’t a very hot day, but my dress still felt suffocatingly hot. It was the dress I’d worn to the mall on our date—the one saved for special occasions.
Now that the boot was gone, I’d paired it with two lacy ankle boots that were the perfect combination of feminine and useful for quick escapes, if need be. Tied around my waist was Jayden’s hoodie. The very hoodie that had haunted me from day one and now served as a reminder of how much I had to gain from putting myself out there like this.
And how much I had to lose.
Mom had picked the perfect spot to park so that I could walk up to the baseball diamond hidden by the tall announcer’s booth behind home plate. No one would see me coming.
I didn’t get a glimpse of Jayden before I entered the booth, but I could hear him, calling out to his teammates. The sound of his voice made me shake with nerves. My cheeks were inflamed and my knees wobbly as I climbed the stairs to the announcer’s window where I’d blasted Adele only last week. Sitting at the table, I moved quickly to put a new CD in the drive, pressed play, and cranked up the volume to high. It was time for another Adele song. But this time, there was no moping involved.
The pitcher was just about to wind up when “One and Only” came blasting through the speakers. He and the rest of the guys immediately looked up at the booth for the source of the disturbance, but I ducked away in time so they couldn’t see me, and headed back down the stairs, my heart thundering.
This is going to work, I kept repeating in my head.
It was easy to see when I peeked around the corner of the booth that the boys were confused. They had all frozen in their places. Jayden had torn off his mask and was shaking his head, his brown shaggy hair mussed from wearing the gear. His back was to me, but I could tell from the way his body tensed when he clapped eyes on Audrey as she entered the baseball diamond with the chocolate lab. I would’ve given anything to be able to see his expression in that moment. She walked toward him and he dropped to his knees to scratch the dog on the head.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, looking up at Audrey. “Is this your dog?”
At this point, I could only see the side of his face, but he definitely looked confused.
“Read the sign,” she said with a beaming smile as she cocked her hip.
He reached for the chalkboard sign tied around the dog’s neck and read it aloud, “Triple Dog.” With a furrowed brow, he looked back up at Audrey. “What does that mean?”
“Cool your jets, Jayden,” she said with a wink, handing him the leash. “More’s coming. Believe me, the wait will be worth it.”
Next, came Trina with the golden retriever. She hit the field just as the Adele song crescendoed into the chorus. Jayden stood to watch her walk toward him and hand him the second leash. He leaned down to read this sign as well, his eyes narrowed.
“Dare You.”
He looked up to see Charlotte already headed his way with the white fluffball of a dog. I had wondered if he’d pepper her with questions the moment he saw her, but he stayed silent. She gave him a quick side hug before handing him the leash and running off.
“To Go To,” Jayden read off its sign, fending off dog kisses. A reluctant smile played on his lips.
Their part was over. This was my grand entrance. I entered the field as quietly as I could through the gate behind him, holding up my sign. My entire body was on fire with nerves. I was pretty sure I hadn’t taken a full breath for the last hour, because my head was spinning. Somehow, despite all that, I managed to stay upright and wait for Jayden to turn around.
It wasn’t until the dogs spotted me and tugged on the leashes in my direction, did he realize I was there. He turned with an agonizing slowness, his face a blank mask as his gaze landed first on my face and then flicked down to the sign in my hands.
“Prom With Me,” I read aloud for him, my voice trembling. “Triple dog dare you to go to prom with me, Jayden Paul.”
Never in my life had I thought I would be the one to do a promposal, especially not after the embarrassment of last week with Collin and Mason. But even I had to admit, Charlotte’s idea was brilliant, and if this didn’t work, nothing would. I’d come up with the bit about using the dogs. I was hoping they’d earn me a little extra credit in the forgiveness category. Who could hold a grudge next to three ecstatic tail-wagging pups?
Adele’s voice continued in the background even as everything else seemed to melt away. All I could see was Jayden, staring at me with a hardened expression, his jaw flexing. I swallowed hard, willing my hands to stop shaking. And as Jayden reached up to run a hand over his chin, I tried to take a deep, calming breath.
“You’re asking me to prom?” He licked his lips, confusion flickering in his eyes. He looked down at the dogs, vying for his attention, and then back at me. “I don’t understand. I thought you were done with me.”
I took a step toward him, my pulse throbbing in my neck. I’d tried to plan out what I was going to say to him, but my head and heart were pulling me in a way I hadn’t prepared for.
“Since I sprained my ankle three weeks ago, I’ve learned a lot. Thanks to you, I learned that I am more than just my running ability. I am an accomplished pinball master. A professional jelly-bean taster. A fantastic team manager, and a potential water boy.”
His expression remained neutral, but I thought I saw a flash of humor in his eyes. It emboldened me to move closer, my breathing getting shallower.
“I learned that it’s not a bad thing for me to accept help sometimes. That it’s useful to have someone who can sweep me off my feet when I’m hurt. Who can talk me through my problems. Put a smile on my face. And even help me to look out for the ones I love.”
My gaze darted over to my sister where she stood outside the fence next to our mom and my friends. They were watching everything closely with hopeful expressions on their faces. My heart swelled with love for them. Mom had been right. I didn’t have to handle everything myself. I could give up control. They would always be there to help me.
“And finally,” I continued, looking back at him, emotion entering my voice, “I learned that I could hurt you deeply with my carelessness. And that I would regret it for the rest of my life.” That confession stung, but I was pretty sure both of our hearts had needed it. I took a deep breath to help me wrap it up. “You can tell me that you’re over me. And you can say that you’ve already forgotten me, but I would regret it even more if I let you walk away before I asked you if you would forgive me.”
I pressed my lips together and waited for a sign from him—any little sign that might give me a clue if this humiliating show had been a success or an epic failure. But Jayden wasn’t going to go easy on me. He stared silently at me, his chest rising and falling under his catcher pads, his nostrils flaring slightly. My body buzzed under his gaze, my cheeks flushin
g and the tips of my ears hot. I would’ve given anything in that moment to know what was going through his head. Did he hate me? Did he still love me? Had I ruined our chances forever?
The longer the moment stretched out between us, the harder it became to hold my sign up. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I lowered it. I gave him the best smile I could muster and tried not to let the sorrow leak into my voice.
“I love you, Jayden Paul. I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you.”
My voice seemed to snap him out of his daze. He dropped the dog leashes and took two long strides toward me, enveloping me in his strong arms and kissing me with a passion so strong it took my breath away. Heat spread throughout my limbs as he cupped the back of my head and worked his lips over mine. There was nowhere to move, no place for me to put my hands except on the pads over his torso. He kissed me until I was dizzy and then finally pulled away to pin me with a fiery gaze that made me want to melt into a puddle.
“Is that a yes to prom?” I asked weakly, my fingertips gripping the grooves in his pads.
He laughed, low and husky. “Yes. So much yes.”
“Good.” I put my hands on his shoulders, still catching my breath. “Was it the dogs? I had a feeling the dogs would win you over.”
He laughed again and looked over his shoulder at the pups currently being surrounded by the baseball team and getting spoiled with attention. Trina had been right. They were so getting adopted today.
“They were definitely a bonus,” he said, looking back at me. “But I would’ve said yes to you any day. I told you before, Amanda, it’s always been you. I’m sorry I didn’t understand what was happening yesterday at the batting cage. I thought you were there to tell me goodbye. Another idiot moment to add to my growing list of regrets.”
I sighed and leaned into him. It was no wonder he’d reacted like that. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I’m sorry I was too stubborn to let you in. To let you help me with what I was going through. I’m going to try and be better about that from now on.”
Dare You to Fall for the Catcher Page 17
