I fist the bedsheets. “While my mom was busting her ass to provide for us, he was busy looking for his better life. He ended up marrying into a rich family. Likerich-rich.” I let out a hollow laugh. “Got his collegegirlfriendpregnant senior year. And yes, you heard me right. During school, he had his college girlfriend, and on break, he had us. I think Mom knew too. But she wanted me to have a father. And I loved him—for the few short years he was in my life.
“He’s why I fell in love with baseball. Whenever he was home, we’d play together. And then one year, he just nevercame back. For the longest time, I thought baseball would bring him back to me.”
Stupid, stupid Shane. The letter I sent him burns in my brain. That boy—the one who still hopes for his father to realize the mistake he’s made—still lives inside me.
“I didn’t find out for a while, but once I was old enough, I got curious and started trying to find out information about him. All it took was one internet search on the library computer, and I found him. That’s how rich the family he married into is. He’s some hotshot investment guy now. Perfect wife. Son and daughter equally as perfect. No cute house with a white picket fence, though. No, he’s in some ridiculously large mansion that has multiplewings. Did we ever see a penny of any of that money? Fuck no. So, yeah. There you have it. He left us high and dry for his better life.”
Even in the darkness, tension radiates between us.
“That’s unbelievably fucked up,” Jed bites out. Anger hardens his words. There’s restraint in them, like he’s holding himself from storming to my father’s home.
And somehow that helps. Jed Stone Jr. is angry on my behalf.
I don’t realize I’m still gripping Jed’s arm until he gently pries my vise-like fingers off him.
“Sorry,” I say sheepishly.
He shakes his head and gives my hand a quick squeeze before letting it slide to the mattress. “Don’t be sorry. Just need to make sure the arm has enough blood in it to work tomorrow, you know?” His teeth flash in the darkness, and I curse it. Because it’s so rare to see, and I hate that I can barely appreciate it.
I let out a huff of laughter. We fall into silence andit’s…a good one this time. One full of shared understanding, of ease and comfort.
My eyes grow heavy, and a yawn slips out. Jed’s follows right after. I’ve always thought it was funny that yawns are contagious.
“You know what this means, Storm Cloud?” I ask drowsily.
“Mmm?”
“I think we just became besties.”
His chuckle is low and hazy from that almost-sleep state we’re in. “You might be on to something, Sunshine,” he murmurs.
His words drift in and out, and my eyelids drag shut. Sleep is closing in on me.
“But just so you know, Shane. You deserved better. So much fucking better.”
I let out a soft, sleepy hum. I’m almost gone when his last words slip through the fog:
“I pity him. Because he’ll never even realize what he threw away.”
TWENTY-SIX
SHANE
We havetwo more nights until we go back home. Two more nights, which I will not survive. Each night since we had our little bro-fession has been a steady exchange of stories and small details. I’m learning Jed Stone Jr. piece by piece. And I want all the fucking pieces.
I amdoomed.
I bang on East and Paulie’s door. A second later it swings open, and a smile fills Easton’s face just as I shove past him.
“I’m sleeping here tonight.”
Paulie, who is sitting on his bed—how lovely to havehis ownbed—looks up from his phone and nods. “Okay.”
I throw myself down across the foot of his bed and scream into the comforter. Then immediately regret it. That thing is probably disgusting. I quickly roll over.
“Are things tense with you and Stone?” Easton asks.
I laugh. Maniacally. Because no. No, they’re really fucking not. Besides maybe the fact that I want to jump his bones even harder now. If I get the chance to be with himagain, I’m going to jump him the fucking hardest ever. I’m not even making sense.
