“Got any big plans for the last few weeks of summer?”Blake asked once he’d made a huge dent in his food.
“Our students will be coming back this week, so I need to make sure all the new books have been labeled and shelved correctly.”
“Aside from work,” Evan signed,“I’m playing ball two nights a week and on Saturdays.Practice, then games.”
Mercedes got excited.“Did you know Evan is a great baseball player?I watched a few games.He’s excellent.”
Carli smiled.“Yes, he’s always been good.He played all through high school.The varsity team actually won the state championship one year.”
Evan’s face hardened.“Sure, I loved playing until we got that new coach who didn’t think deaf kids could play ball.”
“What?That’s ridiculous?What was his reasoning?”Mercedes’ temper erupted, thinking how he must have felt back then.
“I was disabled, so obviously I couldn’t be on the team.He said I wouldn’t be able to hear the other teammates yelling to throw the ball or other idiotic stuff.”
Carli patted her brother’s hand.“You had some pretty good friends who stood up for you.”
Evan’s face softened, and he grinned.
“What happened?”she asked when he didn’t share the information.
“The entire team threatened to walk out and not play if I couldn’t be on the team.”
“Wow,” Blake said, eyes wide.“That must have felt great.He let you back on the team, right?”
Evan’s lips twisted to the side.“It did feel good and we had a great year, but the coach never really warmed up to me.He was pissed that the team made him look bad, especially when I scored some of the winning runs or caught balls that ended the game in our favor.”
Mercedes stroked his arm, then gave it a quick squeeze.“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“It was a long time ago.”Evan seemed to shake it off, but she had a feeling he hadn’t really let it go.
The towel landed on the bathroom floor.Evan bent to pick it up, then paused.He’d been attempting to keep the apartment cleaner than he’d ever done with Adam.Winning the approval of his new roommate had become high on his list of things he liked doing.Should he keep it up, though?Something had been nagging at him since last weekend, when they’d spent the day in Boston.He was getting in too deep.His feelings for Mercedes had grown even more since moving in with her a month ago.
Not that he was against a relationship with her, but he knew it would never happen, or last very long if he somehow managed to convince her to date him.She was way out of his league.As much as he liked to put on an air of confidence, his sister called it cocky, he knew he wasn’t smart enough for her.Maybe it was time to think about moving out.Where would he go?Absolutely not back with Adam, who was still bumming space on his parents’ couch.
Leaving the towel where he’d dropped it, he put his razor away but didn’t bother wiping the whiskers from the sink.One of her bras, a lacy pink number, hung on the towel bar above the sink.He tore his eyes away from the sight so images of Mercedes wearing it, and nothing else, wouldn’t pop into his mind.
As he ambled down the hall to his room, he peeked into the kitchen.She was stacking dishes in the dishwasher, mumbling to herself.He assumed she was mumbling to herself, seeing as no one else was in the house.
After throwing on a light gray t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, he went to find breakfast.Maybe if he irritated her more, she’d be grouchy with him.That could maybe make her less attractive and easier to ignore.Who was he kidding?The woman was stunning.He should still dial back on the clean thing, so she wasn’t as big of a fan.
She pivoted when he walked in, and her face showed irritation.Apparently, his plan was already working.
“The faucet is leaking so much that it’s not feeding enough water to the dishwasher.I called the apartment manager, but he isn’t picking up.”How could a scowl still make her so beautiful?
“Does your manager work on weekends?Ours never answered a call if it wasn’t nine to five on a weekday.Even then, good luck getting him after four.”
“I don’t want the dishes to sit in the sink for the entire weekend.The water is barely coming out because the leak is so bad.”
He was going to suggest washing them in the bathroom sink, but she didn’t look like she’d appreciate that suggestion.He stepped to the sink and turned the handle.The water trickled out of the base of the faucet.“This is more than a loose washer.The whole faucet needs to be replaced.”
Her shoulders sagged, and he thought he saw tears in her eyes.Why did the sight punch him in the gut?“I can fix it.All we need is a new faucet.I can get one at the hardware store down the street.Do you want to come and pick one out with me?”He shouldn’t have asked.Should have simply told her they had to suck it up until Monday.Her tears wouldn’t let him.
“Are you sure you know how?I wouldn’t even have the first clue where to start.”
His temper flared when she questioned his knowledge, but she held such hope in her gaze that he couldn’t be upset with her.Wait.Wasn’t that the point?Get upset with her, so he wouldn’t fall any deeper?
“I’ve got the tools in my truck and nowhere else to go until my game this afternoon.”
