“I know. I am, too. But we’re fucked-up, Aaron.” She laughed, but I found no humor. “Glad you found a way to pin Greta down. She’s the yin to your yang.”
Then she hung up. I stared at the phone in my hand for a solid minute before the guilt went away. I was fucked up. So fucked up.
“Ay, want breakfast burritos?” Tanner’s booming voice distracted me. He approached me in the living room with half a burrito hanging from his mouth. I took one from his hand and bit into it. It was good shit. “I knew you’d want one. Sammi’s has the best ones in the state.”
I nodded, enjoying the combination of chorizo and cheese. We had an hour before we needed to go to the field for a double header. It was against some small school a state away and my blood pumped for a game.Competition.The field was one of the few places I felt safe and comfortable. “You look rested, Hilly.”
“Yeah. Slept like a baby last night.”
“Guess you didn’t hear me come in around three, then. I ran into the fucking corner table I hate.” He glared at the table Jeff insisted we keep. I didn’t mind it, but for whatever reason Tanner despised it. “I finally convinced Angelica to sleep with me.”
I stilled. Angelica. I knew her.Slept with her roommate, a handful of times. Kellie or Kylie or something with a K.
“Krystal still loves you, by the way.” He laughed.
I guess her name was Krystal.I scrunched my nose, trying to remember her. All I got was red hair. Boobs the size of pillows. And that was it. Tanner waited with an expectant expression for my reply, so I nodded. “She was an animal in bed.”
“So was Angelica. Damn.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to hit that again.”
“Are you trying the monogamy thing for a second time?” I wondered. Zade made it look easy. I had no choice with Greta now, even though it wasn’t real, just a way to save my future. Last time he’d attempted it, he’d slept with someone else within a week.
“I don’t know. She was a lunatic. A lovely lunatic.” He paused with a finger to his chin. “You’d be shocked to know she didn’t want to define it. She’s my kinda woman.”
“Good for you, man.” I meant it. Tanner liked the ones he couldn’t have. He always had. “Want to play a round of Madden before we leave?”
“Bro.” He scoffed and threw his phone to the couch. “I beat you every time.”
“Bullshit.” I laughed. “I kicked your ass a month ago.”
“I was drunk. Not a fair match,” he fired back, the competition riling us both. “But I see you’re all cocky and shit. Game on, fucker.”
“One game. Loser wears a onesie to breakfast tomorrow.” I’d come up with the idea after watching Greta shop for them the week before. She was obsessed with finding one for the winter months. She may have had the best mouth I’d ever tasted, but she was an odd duck.
“Dude? Do you want people to feel bad for you?” He tossed me a controller and fell back onto the couch. “I can’t wait to see your dumb ass wear a Batman onesie. You’re gunna look like such a tool.”
“Watch it, Johnson. I got hella sleep last night.” I’d given in to Greta’s ludicrous idea and tried the socks. They’d worked, goddamn it. And they helped me kick Tanner’s ass.
“Bitch,” he mumbled at me as we headed toward my car an hour later. Zade and Jeff had left earlier for pitching warm-ups and we were forced to leave together. I felt amazing. I loved winning at anything and knowing this shit was going to wear a onesie tomorrow made me smile. I smiled a lot. “Knock that shit off your face.”
“Hell no. You talked so much shit.” I blasted underground rap and tuned him out. It was our pregame warm-up and I knew both of us would play out of our asses that day. “Want to do double or nothing who gets on base more?”
“Sure thing, ass face.”
* * * *
“Hill. See me before you leave,” Coach said to me right before we all headed to the showers. I nodded, but dread filled me from head to toe. I never knew what he had to say anymore. Tanner overheard him and clapped my shoulder.
“I’ll wait for ya.”
“Thanks, man.” I showered within minutes and had my bag packed to head out for the night. I walked the short path to his office and strode in. His weathered face showed no emotion.Fucking awesome.
“Your focus lately is something to be reckoned with.”
“Thank you.”
“How are you holding up?” He leaned forward onto his elbows, the first sign of worry coming into his eyes. “How’s the relationship going?”
I sighed, pinching my nose. “I’m fine. Greta’s been a hell of a sport with it all. We were photographed a week ago. I haven’t checked anything on social media. I just post shit, like we discussed, and exit out.”
