I have to clear my head and focus. He’ll be watching me for the rest of practice so I have to be perfect.
I jog back over to where Sam tosses the ball in the air, catching it repeatedly as he waits. “You good?”
“I’m good,” I say. My jaw tightens and I ready my stance. I won’t make another mistake today.
And I don’t. I throw every ball with all my might and I don’t let it show that I’m sore. My side burns where Emma kicked me, but I don't flinch. I stay concentrated and bury the pain because I refuse to let anything ruin this opportunity for me.
After about fifteen minutes Coach has us switch to hitting drills and then base running. By the end of practice I’m drenched in sweat and my pants are covered in dirt from sliding.
I quickly shower in the locker room and pull on a fresh T-shirt and faded blue jeans. I scrub my head with a towel to dry my sopping hair. My damp curls stick out in everydirection. I run my hands through it, but I don’t think it does much good.
“What’s the hurry?” Sam asks, leaning against the lockers. He’s still in his soiled uniform and has a towel draped around his shoulders as he tugs on both ends.
I check my phone for the time and cringe.
“I’m already late for dinner,” I say, lifting my foot onto the bench near my locker to tie my shoe.
Sam groans. “Come on, man. Don’t tell me you forgot again.”
“Forgot what?”
He rests his head back on the lockers and sighs. “We’re all going to the premiere ofBlue Vortex.”
I scrub my hand over my face. “Sorry. I totally forgot. Adam is barbecuing and I promised my mom I wouldn't miss it.”
I still haven’t gotten used to having him around even though he married my mom this past spring. I was so sure things wouldn’t get serious between them, but before I knew it, she was walking down the aisle toward a man who’d soon be infiltrating my entire life.
“Why did it have to be the same night as the premiere?”
“I know. I’m sorry, but I’ll make it up to you,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it.” His eyes cast down, and his shoulders shrug slightly. He’s been wanting to see this movie forever. He has all the comic books lined up, some framed, in his room. He loves that story like I love baseball, and my gut hurts that the premiere slipped my mind.
“You sure?”
He nods. “You better make it up to me, though.”
I grab my bag. “I will.” I start to walk backwards. “I’ll be around so much you’ll be sick of me.”
He laughs. “You better be.”
“I swear!”
He motions to the door. “Get out of here already.”
I dash out the door and run to my car, throwing my bag into the passenger seat.
My phone vibrates, and my stomach lurches as Mallory’s name shows up on the screen. Can’t I have one moment of peace?
She probably wants to know if I have her answers and the thought makes me queasy all over again.
I set the phone down and ignore her call.
10
EMMA
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Mallory asks. She’s throwing a load of laundry, which includes my drenched clothes from yesterday, into the washing machine. A simple task that to anyone else would be ordinary, but to me is magical.
