She exhales. “Amelia, I need you to be honest with me. Is there something going on between you and Wilder?”
The room feels too small.
My mind races. Lie? Deflect? Protect?
Before I can respond, the door swings open.
Wilder steps in.
Behind him is Coach Carson.
Oh God.
Wilder’s eyes find mine instantly. There’s apology there. And determination.
Coach Carson shuts the door hard enough that the sound makes me jump.
“What the hell is going on?” he demands.
Susan stands. “That’s what I was just asking.”
Wilder steps forward. “It’s not complicated.”
“It looks complicated from where I’m standing,” Coach snaps. “My starting pitcher just got into a fight with his catcher in the middle of the stadium.”
Wilder doesn’t flinch.
“That fight,” he says evenly, “was about Amelia.”
Susan’s face drains of color.
I feel like I’m standing outside my own body.
Coach Carson turns to me slowly. “Is that true?”
I swallow.
“Yes.”
The word hangs there like a grenade.
“Define about,” Susan says, her voice tight now.
Wilder moves closer to me. Not touching, but close enough that I feel his presence at my side.
“We’re together,” he says.
Susan’s eyes snap to him. “You’re what?”
“We’re in love,” he clarifies.
Coach Carson mutters a curse under his breath.
“How long?” Susan asks.
“A few weeks,” I admit.
Her disappointment is worse than anger.
