by Len Webster
“You’re right,” she said in a small voice as she glanced down at her wet hands. She finally lifted her chin, but those big green eyes of hers hadn’t lost their sad gleam. “You and me at Stanford. Go back to Mia. I’m going home.”
“No, AJ, I’ll take you—”
“No, Evan. Please, not today. Please don’t try to do that Evan thing that always makes me change my mind. You have fun on your date. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then he watched as she spun around and made her way down the street. The wind had picked up and tossed her brunette hair wildly into the air.
Mia was right.
AJ did have shiny brunette hair.
Evan watched as she walked farther away from him.
And right there, on that sidewalk, he’d never felt more disconnected to Alexi in his entire life.
AJ.
He meant AJ.
Not Alexi.
Not the name his brother called her so lovingly.
AJ.
AJ, AJ, AJ.
My best friend, AJ.
My best friend who is walking away.
My best friend who looked at me as if I hurt her.
My best friend, Alexandra.
It had been a day since Evan last spoke to AJ on that busy city street. He messaged her after he’d finish treating Mia to lunch to see if she was okay, and all she replied was, “I’m fine. See you tomorrow.” He was tempted to go over to see if she was really fine, but when he went to his room, he looked out his window and saw her light was off. He had checked through the night, and it had never once turned on. Her curtains were drawn, and it was her way of asking for space. When he had come home from his lunch with Mia, he realized just how selfish he had been.
It was AJ’s chance to meet someone important in the science community, and he had denied her of it. He had been so selfish. AJ had never asked him for anything. She never did. She hadn’t even asked him to take her to MIT and see Professor Church. He had offered—No, he had promised. And a promise made to AJ was an oath. And for the very first time, he had broken that promise and forgotten all about her day at MIT. He understood why she was so hurt. He understood why she looked at him the way she did.
He had hurt her.
He took away a chance at her future so he could go to lunch with Mia, who he found cute but very opinionated. Mia, who ate her lunch in silence and apologized many times. Mia, who was and never would be as special to him as AJ.
Evan had found it hard to sleep last night.
He found it hard to get rid of the images of AJ’s tears.
The last time she had cried was when no one had asked her to homecoming. That, he couldn’t control. But yesterday, he could have. He could have driven her to MIT and demand that Professor Church give her another chance. Explain that it was all his fault and not AJ’s.
It’s my fault.
Evan let out a sigh as he walked across the Parkers’ lawn. He had thought about climbing the tree outside AJ’s window, but her window was closed, and it was too windy to risk it. He wasn’t sure if she was still mad at him. She should be. If she was, he’d give her more space and time. He’d drop her off at Fenway for the Red Sox game and pick her up when it was over. He’d do anything for AJ’s forgiveness. Evan climbed the few steps until he was face to face with the Parkers’ front door. He took a deep breath and knocked on the hard wood.
It took a matter of seconds for the door to open to Mrs. Parker’s warm smile.
“Hello, Evan.”
He smiled at her. AJ’s mother was in her late thirties. She’d barely aged in the years he had grown up with her daughter. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, and Mr. Parker was and always would be a lucky man for having her as a wife.
“Hey, Mrs. P. Is AJ ready?”
“I think so. Want to come in? She’s upstairs in her room.”
He nodded and entered the large house the moment AJ’s mother stepped aside and welcomed him. The Parkers’ home was always bright and warm. It was a family home. And it was the complete opposite of his cold and lonely house. In fact, it had never felt this warm and inviting throughout his entire childhood.
“It’s cold out there today. Did you want anything warm to drink or eat before you both go?” Mrs. Parker asked as she closed the front door.
Evan walked over to the stairs and glanced over to see that smile still on her face. “No, thank you, Mrs. P. Is Mr. P home?”
She nodded, that glint of love in her eyes sparkled. “He’s in his office.”
“You both not coming to the game?”
“Unfortunately, not tonight. Noel has an important meeting at work in the morning he has to prepare for. We’ve already let Kyle know. We’ll watch the game on TV. Alexandra was already dressed for the game, so she should be ready to go.”
“Thanks, Mrs. P,” Evan said before he climbed up the stairs and made his way to AJ’s bedroom. Her door was wide open, and he peered inside to see her at her desk and on her laptop. He knocked on the doorframe, and she turned around and gave him a small smile.
“Hey,” she said in a soft voice.
Her green eyes shone, and that wounded expression from yesterday was nowhere in sight.
It felt undeserving to see the relief consume her eyes.
“Hey,” he said in an unsteady voice.
AJ got up from her desk chair and faced him. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Evan flinched. AJ wasn’t the one supposed to apologize. It was him. It was his fault that he made her look irresponsible to the MIT professor.
“No, AJ, it was my fault. I’m sorry.”
“I know you are.”
Stepping into her room, he asked, “Are we okay?”
A smile graced her lips. “We’re okay. I should have probably called you yesterday morning to confirm that ... never mind, I don’t want to think about it anymore. I hate walking away from you mad. So, yeah, we’re okay.”
Evan crossed her large room until he was standing in front of her. “But you have every right to be mad. I forgot, AJ. I was selfish and made other plans. You were right. That professor could have been your mentor, and I ruined that for you. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I called him and apologized. Told him that something I couldn’t control came up. Professor Church accepted my apology.”
Hope flared in his chest.
“So when is your next tour? I promise I will not screw it up again.”
“There isn’t one.”
Evan winced.
“No,” he breathed. “You deserve another chance. It was my fault.”
AJ reached up and gently pressed her palm to his cheek. “The world doesn’t work that way, Evan. Professor Church has early enrollment interviews and his own research project. It was the only free day on his calendar for months. But it’s okay. Stop worrying about it, all right? MIT wasn’t the plan. Stanford is. Now, let’s go cheer on Kyle.”
And he would.
Cheer for his brother.
For AJ.
Because he knew it would make her happy to watch the Red Sox and lose herself in the intoxicating Fenway atmosphere.
He only wished he’d been the one to intoxicate her.
That thought was the very first, and the very worst he’d had of Alexandra Parker.
And as Evan stared into her emerald green eyes, he had never felt more exposed to his heart and to her in his entire life.
“Get off your knees, Gilmore! You’re blowing the game!” Roy, one of the oldest season ticket holders, hollered.
Next to Evan, AJ yelled, “Let’s go, Red Sox!”
And when Little Miss Red Sox started a chant, everyone followed, Evan included. Soon enough, Fenway was cheering “Let’s go, Red Sox!” and clapping between chants. It lifted the somber atmosphere that was
typically electric.
But somber was justified.
It was the bottom of the third, and the Red Sox were losing by two runs. Evan’s brother, Kyle, wasn’t having one of his best games. Normally, it would bring him joy, but with it being so close to the World Series playoffs, he knew how important this game was. Evan was sure that only him and his team knew that Kyle was playing through a damaged ulnar collateral ligament injury. Kyle had sustained the UCL injury during practice, and the team doctors had instructed him to rest or he’d cause severe damage to his elbow. As much as Evan despised his brother, he didn’t want him injured. All Kyle had was baseball, and Evan wasn’t sure if Kyle had a future without it.
“Fucking pansy!” someone screamed when Kyle pitched a foul ball.
“What is fucking happening to you, Gilmore?” another person added.
Evan watched as Kyle pulled back and pitched a fastball to the Baltimore batter. The spectators around him were in awe as the ball flew high in the air. But not AJ. She had gasped and leaped out of her seat the moment Kyle pressed his arm into his chest and clutched his elbow.
“Evan, what’s wrong with him?” AJ asked in horror. It was at that moment that the other Red Sox fans noticed that their captain was injured. “Evan?”
He got out of his seat and wrapped his arm around AJ’s shoulder. “He’s gonna be okay.”
“They’re pulling him out,” AJ said.
“Fuck! The Yankees game is in two weeks!” Bill, a lawyer who had inherited his family’s season ticket, complained.
“No,” another cried out when the substitution was official.
For the first time in his Red Sox career, Kyle Gilmore had been replaced because of an injury. Captain Reliable had conceded defeat to his injury. He was famous for playing through the pain but not this time.
“We have to go,” AJ announced.
The concern on her face had him nodding and grasping her hand. There would be no changing her mind. She cared about Kyle. That concern wasn’t for the game or the Red Sox. It was over his brother’s health. Evan led her down the aisle and toward the tunnel. When they had made it to the Red Sox players’ locker room, they were denied access while the medical team looked over Kyle. AJ paced, and Evan watched her as worry caused her shoulders to slump. Finally, after the sixth inning was about to start, security and staff granted them access to the locker room. AJ ran inside, rushing to Kyle’s side. Evan watched as she buried her face into his left shoulder.
“I’m all right, kid,” Kyle assured, pointing at the sling on his arm.
AJ pulled away as tears fell down her face. “I’ve never seen you in that much pain before.”
“I’ve just aggravated my UCL damage.”
“I didn’t even know you damaged your elbow.”
His brother laughed as his free hand brushed her hair away from her wet cheek. “No one knew. I didn’t want to worry you. I’ll see a specialist and have to miss the game against Toronto, but I’ll be back in time for the game against the Yankees.”
“Kyle, I don’t care about the Yankees,” AJ said with so much honesty in her voice. Evan felt her concern. He saw it on her face. “I care about you and your health. Don’t hide things like an injury from us again.”
“Us?” his brother breathed.
AJ nodded and glanced over at Evan, who was still standing by the door. He remained quiet, not sure what AJ meant by “us.”
“Yes,” she said getting both the Gilmore brothers’ attention. “We’re your family, Kyle.”
A small smile curved his brother’s lips. “I’ll be fine. Alexi, how was your tour of MIT yesterday? I was supposed to call but didn’t get a chance. Did you love it?”
Fuck.
Evan knew he was in trouble.
If there was anything Kyle loved more than baseball, it was AJ and making her happy. He knew they’d have a fight over him not taking her to MIT. But this time, Evan would take Kyle’s shouts and disappointment. He deserved it.
AJ wiped her cheeks and smiled at the injured Red Sox captain. “MIT was nice. I loved it. The professor who showed me around was incredible. You know he was nominated for a Nobel Prize? He said he was happy he lost because it meant he could always improve—which was confusing, but I think winning something like the Nobel Prize in Physics is a lot of pressure. But …”
She’s lying.
She’s lying for me.
And Kyle believes every word she says.
“But?” Kyle asked.
“Stanford is still my first choice,” she explained.
Evan’s heart swelled.
Stanford with AJ.
“Kyle, we’re going to have to take you to Massachusetts General Hospital. The paramedics are here to escort you.”
AJ’s eyes widened. “You’re going to the hospital?”
Kyle nodded. He kissed AJ’s temple and stood from the bench. “For X-rays. Evan,” his brother said, getting his attention. “Make sure Alexi gets home. I don’t want her at the hospital, all right?”
It was rare when Evan agreed with his brother. He knew AJ would want to go, but she hated the smell of hospitals, and it made her sick. Kyle had always thought it was the idea of death that had her pale with sickness, but Evan knew it was the smell.
“But—”
“No, Alexi,” Kyle said. “I’ll be fine. I’ll text you once the X-rays are done. Go home. You don’t want the Red Sox fans to bombard you and my brother for information, especially since the Yankees game is coming up. They’ll all be worried. Evan, get her home as quickly and as safely as you can.”
“I will,” Evan promised. He walked up to AJ and grasped her hand, feeling his brother’s eyes on their connected touch. “Come on, AJ.”
“But—”
“Please,” Evan whispered as her green eyes found him. “Please, Alexandra.”
And it was as if he’d said the secret words of conviction as AJ’s eyes softened with understanding. “Okay.” Then she gazed over at Kyle. “You don’t text me tonight, and I will be at your apartment first thing in the morning.”
“You have school tomorrow,” Kyle reminded with a grin.
“Exactly,” AJ said as Evan pulled on her hand and led her out of the players’ locker room. He didn’t lead her back to their seats. Instead, he led her out of Fenway until they were near the ticketing office, where the lights were brightest.
He needed the truth from her, and Evan was sure he’d see it in her eyes. Evan turned around to see the confusion on her face as he let go of her hand.
“Evan?”
“Why did you lie, Alexandra?”
Her pupils dilated as her lips slowly parted. “Oh.”
“Why did you lie to my brother about going to MIT yesterday? Where did you even get that story about the professor not wanting to win the Nobel Prize?”
Cheers from inside Fenway filled the silence between them as she stared at him. “It wasn’t a story. After Mr. Miller got me that tour with Professor Church, I did some research on him. Him not wanting to win the Nobel Prize was in one of the interviews I read that he did with The New York Times.”
The truth simmered in her eyes, and he nodded, believing her.
“But why did you lie to him about going to MIT?”
AJ took a deep breath and pressed her lips tightly together. She was quiet for a long moment. “Because I care about you more, Evan. I know how much you hate arguing with Kyle, and I know you hate him being disappointed in you the most. So I lied.”
“For me?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
Evan stepped forward and tucked her hair behind her ear and then palmed her face, his thumb brushing along that faint mole on her cheek. Evan knew she would never let anyone this close to her. “Alexandra?”
“Yes?” she whispered.
“You ca
n be mad at me for what I did yesterday, but please don’t be mad at me for too long.”
His best friend smiled, causing that tightening in his chest. Her smile was flawless as was the rest of her. “I’m not mad, Evan. I mean, I was hurt, but I’m not mad anymore. It wasn’t about the tour as it was meeting a man like Professor Church. I wanted to be inspired by him. I wanted to be in the presence of one of the greatest living minds in the scientific world.”
“You’re incredible,” he said in a small voice.
Because at that moment, underneath the stadium lights outside Fenway Park, he was really looking at Alexandra.
And she was everything.
Absolutely everything to him.
“But—”
She shook her head, cutting him off. “Evan, I can’t go through college without you. You’re the only person who understands me and doesn’t think I’m a total loser. I was being selfish, and I’m sorry. Stanford has one of the best science departments in the US. I want to go to Stanford with you.”
His heart dipped, leaving him breathless.
“That’s still the plan for us?”
“Of course.”
“And we’re okay?”
Her smile stretched farther. “We are.”
“I still feel like a dick,” he admitted as he forced his thumb to stop its strokes of her silky skin.
“You were, but I forgive you,” she teased.
Evan lightly laughed as he pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips to her forehead. He glanced down at her, staring into those beautiful green eyes. He could see her forgiveness reflected in them. He knew he had to make it up to her. He couldn’t live with the thought she could still be upset with him. And he knew that he couldn’t make complete amends for what he did, but he would try.
“Alexandra.”
“Yes, Evan?”
His thumb had a mind of its own as it softly swept over that faint mole of hers. “Can I make it up to you?”
Her eyes widened. “Why would you need to?”
“Because you’re the most important person in the world to me,” he answered truthfully.
Honestly.
