by Lynn Stevens
“Who are these sources?” I asked out loud.
“It gets worse. Keep going,” Paige answered.
Gambling has been an issue with baseball since the Chicago Black Sox scandal in 1919. Eight players threw games for financial gain. Although the players were acquitted in a court of law, they were banned for life from the game they loved.
The NCAA rules clearly state that a student athlete can be banned for life if they bet on any team while at Westland University. Athletes can be suspended for playing fantasy sports, betting for or against other teams, and internet gambling. Westland University’s own bylaws enforce the rules of NCAA’s sports wagering, but our school takes them one step further. If a student athlete gambles on any sport, they will be expelled immediately, much like the performance enhancing drug policy.
Because of this bylaw, Westland’s baseball team could be all but dismantled before the season even starts. Several members of the team, all upperclassmen, are under investigation for violating the sports wagering policy. While it would be unjust to name said students until the investigation is complete, my sources have shared several occurrences where gambling has taken place including wagering on another player’s opinion of a sporting outcome.
“Oh no,” I whispered. I scrolled back up to the byline. Hailey Ransiko wrote the piece. And the photo beside it was the girl Paige and I talked to a few weeks ago at CuppaJo. She asked weird questions then. I knew I didn’t trust her. Now I knew why.
“Yep,” Paige added. “That bitch pumped us for information, and we didn’t even realize she worked for the school paper. I feel like an asshole. Seriously, Liv, I thought she was my friend or I wouldn’t have even introduced you to her.”
“But we didn’t tell her anything.” That I remember.
“We talked like songbirds.” Paige touched my shoulder and I faced her. “She asked about the guys. We told her about the bets. Even if they weren’t sports related, we gave her leads.”
I skimmed the rest of the piece. None of the players were mentioned. Neither were we. Devon couldn’t know I talked to this woman. Except she approached us at the student union more than once. That didn’t mean anything, though. She had been dating Chuck Mathis. Her source could be herself. I stared at Hailey Ransiko’s pretty face. The sly smile on her lips screamed snake in beauty queen looks. I wanted to smack her.
And I wanted to know if she told anyone that I was one of her sources. If Devon got expelled over this mess, he’d never speak to me again. We’d have fought to get together for nothing.
A complete stranger could’ve just ruined everything.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Devon didn’t respond to my messages that night. Or that morning. I decided not to text him again. He didn’t show for classes, either. There was so much shit going on, I was probably the last person on his mind. Besides, I needed to research for another internship over the summer. JenCar wasn’t the only place in Madison looking for engineers. I worked on the projects, sat with my advisor, and added a Monday night shift at Steak Stockade to pay off my credit cards. They hadn’t gotten terribly high, but the clothes I bought for my internship hadn’t been cheap despite going to a resell shop. Plus I’d eaten out far more than normal. And I preferred to keep my balance at zero.
The names leaked out about who on the baseball team gambled. Chuck Mathis, star second baseman, Barry Acklin first base, Tyler Robins shortstop, Jonathan McElroy catcher, and a couple of the starting pitchers, including Devon. The team had already lost their centerfielder and right fielder to the PED scandal. It looked like they’d lose the entire starting lineup. Only the freshmen were untouched. They hadn’t been at school long enough to be corrupted, according to the latest article.
I finished my shift on Monday. My feet needed a soak and my hair needed degreaser. Kit walked out with me.
“Check it out, Liv,” Kit said, stopping at a two-toned Chevy Camaro. Most of the body was cobalt blue, except for the gray-primed doors. “She’s all mine. Whaddya think?”
I walked around the car. For the most part, it was in great shape. There were rust spots near the wheel wells, but nowhere else that I could see. “’76 or ’77?”
“She’s a ’76,” Kit said, beaming like a new father. “This baby is a classic.”
I ran my hand over the tailfin. “She’s beautiful, Kit. Just take care of the rust and paint the doors. The ladies will be eating out of your hands.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” The smile fell from his face. “Liv, there’s somebody creeping by your truck.”
I turned around. Across the dark parking lot, an even darker figure leaned against the driver’s door. It was like a shadow on my truck. My heart sped in my chest. Kit wouldn’t leave me alone. Despite knowing that, fear snaked its way through each vein, freezing me into place. His head moved, and it was as if I could feel him looking right at me. Right through me. The shadow pushed off my truck with his foot and stepped into a nearby light.
Devon.
The growing panic collapsed like a building in an earthquake. Kit stepped in front of me, blocking my view of Devon completely, or Devon’s view of me. I wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. It was sweet either way. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay. I know him.”
“So? Who leans against a girl’s truck like that in the middle of the night?” Kit asked over his shoulder.
It was a valid point.
“Olivia?” Devon moved closer. “We need to talk.”
“Really, Kit. It’s totally okay.” I moved around the grill cook and smiled at him. “And the car’s gorgeous. Just get that oil leak fixed soon.”
Kit’s face went from bad-ass to oh-shit in less than two seconds. He dropped to his chest and peered under his car. “What the hell? How did you even see that, Liv?”
I almost laughed but kept myself in check. There was no way I’d seen it. It was just a way to get Kit to back off. Besides, based on the age of the car and the current condition, there was bound to be a leak somewhere.
“Hey,” I said, meeting Devon halfway. I reached out to touch him arm, but he stepped back so I only felt air. “You okay? I heard about the—”
“What the hell did you say to Hailey?” he asked. There was a razor-sharp edge to his voice.
“I… Nothing. Why?” It was cold outside, but the air surrounding Devon was freezing.
“Don’t lie to me. She told me that you and Paige talked. She wouldn’t tell me what you said, but she admitted to having a little chat with you. She said you told her everything.” He shoved his hands into the pocket of his Westland hoodie. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothing, I swear. I’ve never seen you gamble on anything other than stupid stuff. What could I have told her?”
“That you’ve seen me gambling on stupid stuff.” He shook his head and glanced away. When he turned back toward me, his eyes narrowed into slits. “Was this some kind of sick revenge? Did you really want me to fall for you so you could cut me off at the knees?”
Fall for you? Did he just say…? My breath caught in my throat.
“I thought…I thought you were different. I thought all that shit from our freshman year was in the past. I thought all our stupid competition bullshit was in the past.” He took two steps and bent his face to mine. “I thought you might actually care about me, too. Fuck me for loving you, Olivia Dawson. Fuck me for thinking this was more than just a game to you.”
He turned around and stormed away. I watched him climb into his SUV and drive away. Warm arms wrapped around my shoulders. I let Kit hug me from behind until I could finally breathe again.
It didn’t matter what the truth was to Devon. All that mattered was that I betrayed him.
Even if I did love him. Fuck me for not telling him that.
Kit had tried and failed to cheer me up. His lame jokes fell on deaf ears. I drove home in a daze, texting Paige from a stoplight along the way. I wanted to keep on going back to Kerns with my t
ail between my legs for a different reason. How did everything become such a colossal mess within such a short period of time? I’d managed to get my dream internship and lose it. I managed to put my prejudices aside and fall for a jock only to lose him. If only I could rewind the clock. If only I knew how in the hell to fix all of this.
My building was alive with light despite the hour. It was almost two in the morning. The rest of the apartments were rented to grad students who tended to study more and party less. That didn’t stop them from staying up until three or four, though. Or they fell asleep with their lights on. I’ve done that on more occasions than I could count on my hands and feet.
I walked up the steps on weary legs. The shift then Devon’s bombshell exhausted me. Paige opened my door and pulled me inside.
“What happened?” She pushed me onto the daybed and handed me a hot cup of herbal tea. “Your text wasn’t exactly coherent.”
“Devon. That’s what happened,” I said as I sat the mug on the coffee table. “He showed up at Stockade and waited until I got off work.”
“And?”
I stood and shrugged my coat off, tossing it onto the wingback. Then I stripped out of my uniform and put on red-and-black flannel PJs.
“Wow, whatever he said really fucked with your head,” Paige said. I settled beside her, pulled my quilt over both of us, and put my head on her shoulder. “Tell me what he said.”
“He said…” I blinked back the tears. “He said I talked to that bitch to get revenge on him. He said I’d cut him off at the knees.” I paused, not wanting to tell her the most painful part, but I had to. I needed her to help me figure out how to fix this. “He said he’d fallen for me.”
“Oh shit.” Paige reached for my tea and put it in my hands.
I drained it, burning my tongue in the process. “What am I going to do?”
“I’m not sure there’s anything you can do.” Paige squeezed me against her. “The only person who can fix this is the person who broke it to begin with.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“I don’t want to lose him, Paige. I…” I pulled away from her and smiled sadly. “I think I love him, too.”
“Maybe just wait. The truth is bound to come out, Liv. Somebody will figure it out.”
I settled back against my pillows. Somehow, I didn’t think anyone else could fix this.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
He wouldn’t return texts. Or calls. Or even online messages. He stayed as far away from me as possible during our classes. Four days since he went off on me at Steak Stockade and I couldn’t get so much as a fuck off from him. How could I fix this mess when Devon wouldn’t talk to me?
Paige and I sat in the student union on Friday afternoon before I had to go to work. My phone rang in my pocket, which was odd enough. Most people I knew, including my father, sent texts. I pulled it out and almost dropped it.
“Who is it?” Paige asked, sucking her strawberry milkshake with vengeance.
“JenCar?” I said.
“Answer it!” She reached for the phone and swiped answer before I could.
“Ms. Dawson?” Madeline Upton said on the other end after a too long pause on my part.
“Yes, sorry. I must have hit mute.” Keeping my voice even was damn near impossible.
“I do that all the time. Drives my husband crazy.” She sounded so relaxed and nonchalant, it was hard to believe this was the same woman who fired me. “I’d like you to come in on Monday afternoon if you’re available. We have some things to discuss.”
“Um…okay. What time?” I stared at Paige whose excitement caused her to bounce in her chair.
“Four would be perfect. Rex will escort you straight to my office.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
She hung up without saying good-bye, but who cared.
Paige slapped my hand. “Well? What happened?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” I set my phone down, afraid the shaking in my hands would make me drop it onto the plate of grease and ketchup from my comfort food meal. Every now and then a girl’s got to have a burger and fries. “She wants to see me Monday at four.”
“And maybe you’ll get your internship back,” Paige said. She slapped the table this time instead of me. “You’ll be back on track.”
“Yeah, maybe, but I doubt it. She was pretty clear that I’d never intern at JenCar again.” Is that what I wanted, though? If Madeline Upton said they’d made a mistake and they’d like me back, would I even take it? I’d worked hard on researching internships and other local companies since I got back to Madison. There was a lot out there that would not only look fabulous on my resume but would expand my knowledge in a way JenCar wouldn’t have.
“This is awesome. Why aren’t you happy?” Paige picked up her milkshake and finished it off.
“I don’t know. I mean, I thought JenCar was what I wanted, but what if it really isn’t?” I thought back to my conversation with Henry. “Maybe I should take a different path.”
“A different path? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?”
I smiled and dropped my head. Paige didn’t know about my last conversation with Henry. We’d been dropped into the gambling scandal and that had taken priority. “Something my dad said. And Henry. I’ve been on the same path for as long as I could remember. It’s time to take a detour. And you were right. I need to have some fun. In another year, I’ll graduate and be out of here. I can be an adult then. Right now, I’d like to be twenty-one.”
Paige slowly nodded as a smile spread across her face. “That’s what I’m talking about. Let’s have some fun tonight.”
“I have to work until close, but I’ll see if I can get tomorrow night off. I filled in for a couple of others earlier this week. Logan owes me.”
“Yes, he does. And you’re going to turn that into a night of debauchery.” She tossed her empty cup into the nearby waste basket, drawing applause. “What? Dating Jayce wasn’t a total loss.”
We burst into laughter. Even if my plan to fix my failures didn’t succeed, I’d always have my best friend around.
…
“Liv,” Logan said as he rushed the obstacle course of waitstaff to get to me. “We have a party of ten that just showed up. Can you take them? Please?”
“Calm down, Logan. Put them in the party room. They’ll be fine with Amber.” I smiled politely and hurried back to the atrium where my section was. My tables turned over quicker at the front of the restaurant than the tables in the party room. That led to more tips. Amber would have to deal with it. Besides, Logan wouldn’t let me have the night off to hang with Paige. I’d rarely asked for a Saturday off, and when I did, he denied me. So he would have to deal with the consequences. At least he kept his promise and kept Amber away from me.
I kept my fake smile on as I stepped up to a table and set their cholesterol-filled meal in front of them. It looked delicious. Normally the food looked greasy and inedible to me. Then again, I hadn’t eaten since oatmeal at breakfast and an energy bar for lunch. I’d spent most of my day sending out resumes for summer internships. Even if Madeline Upton wanted to meet with me on Monday, I needed to be on top of the game. She wasn’t going to offer me my job back. Deep down, I knew that, but I wasn’t stupid enough to ignore her request, either.
Logan entered the atrium and hurried over as I refilled several ice teas and took orders for additional drinks. “Liv, please. I need someone to cover for Amber. She…had to leave.”
I smiled as I approached my next table and spoke to him through gritted teeth. “She quit you mean.”
“About ten minutes ago. She dropped a plate on somebody’s lap. He lost his cool and yelled at her. She started crying and took off.” He asked a few tables how their meals were and glowed with the positive feedback. As I brushed by him on my way to get more drinks, he fell into step behind me. “Please? You’re the only one who
can handle a large party and keep your tables up front clear. I closed off the rest of the party room so this group will be the only ones back there.”
“Fine.” I tossed my drink orders at Brian behind the bar and turned to face Logan. “But the next time I actually ask for a night off, I get it. None of this ‘I need you, Liv’ crap.”
He was too flustered to say anything but yes.
I kept my head down and dug into the bottom of my apron for a pen as I stepped into the room. It was unusually quiet, even with only ten people.
“Hello, my name is Liv and I’ll be your server this evening,” I said as I looked up. They all turned toward me at once and my step faltered. Ten members of the baseball team, one of which was Devon Miller, stared back at me. Not this again. “Can I start you out with an appetizer?” My voice stuttered and skipped along with my heart. “Or drinks?”
Nobody said a word. It was quiet enough I could clearly hear Janee whining to Logan in the other room.
“Did you know Hailey was a reporter?” Chuck Mathis asked as he stood.
“I didn’t—”
“Then where’d she get all that information about Miller?” Barry Acklin asked beside his friend.
“I don’t—”
“Did she pay you?” another voice said, but I didn’t bother to look at him.
I turned my gaze solely on the back of Devon’s head. “Stop! Just stop.” They quieted down, but Chuck Mathis continued to glare. “What’re you talking about? What information about Devon?”
Finally, he turned toward me. “That I bet a grand on the World Series. That I had a fantasy basketball team. That I had a bet in Vegas on the Super Bowl.”
“But you didn’t,” I said. In the back of my mind, I asked him, Did you?
“Who else would’ve told her that?” he asked before turning around.
I stared at Chuck Mathis. “You would’ve. Weren’t you dating her?”
His face reddened with rage. “I didn’t tell her a damn thing.”
“Neither did I.” I stepped back from the table, which felt more like an ambush than anything else. They all knew I worked here after all. “Devon?”
