“Hey,” I say, “mind if I join you? Coop took my spot.”
Lucas looks up, startled, and then grins—before immediately toning it down with a shrug. “Yeah, sure. But is this going to be about work? I think I’m off the clock.”
I sit with a snort. “Nice try, buddy. You’re never off the clock.”
“Is that so, pal? Chum?”
“Sure is, friendo.”
“Friendo,” he repeats. “Good one.”
We don’t dare give each other full smiles, but his eyes are dancing, and mine are dancing along with them.
“I’m just texting my family,” he says. The bus pulls out of the lot with a groan, rattling the overhead vents. “Sounds like Logan had a monster game.”
“Awesome,” I say, genuinely happy. I like Logan, when he’s not being nosy. “Feel free to finish that,” I say, pulling up his stats on my phone. I’m smiling and nodding, and before long, I’m looking at the rest of the players. Diego, Arturo—both decent, but neither of them are solid enough to make a splash yet. After more scrolling, I spot Jake?—
Ouch.
Two strikeouts, he grounded into a double play, and he popped up.
And then he threw his bat.
It didn’t hit anyone, thank goodness, but no one throws bats in Spring Training.
I purse my lips, and air leaks out like it’s coming through a tiny hole in a balloon.
Lucas looks up. “Everything okay?”
I show him Jake’s stats, but as I’m showing him, my phone buzzes with texts from my family.
And one from Jake’s agent.
I silence my phone before I can look at them.
“Do you need to get that?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
I close my eyes and lean my head back. I’m clutching my iPad on my lap, but my free hand is resting on seat between Lucas and me as the bus bumps on a turn.
Lucas grabs my hand, his thumb brushing softly over my knuckles. My phone buzzes again, and I open my eyes just long enough to turn it to Do Not Disturb. But it’s long enough that I see one more thing.
Mom
I thought you two had a plan. What happened? This is getting out of control, kids.
Dread crashes over me.
It hits again and again like waves, knocking the wind out of me. I force myself to breathe slowly, deeply, not letting whatever happened with Jake pull me down.
“Five more days,” Lucas whispers over the hum of the engine.
“Promise me,” I whisper back, not wanting him to hear how breathless—how terrified and desperate—I sound. “Promise me you’ll still be here in five days.”
“Easiest promise in the world, Quinn. I’m not going anywhere.”
