“I’m sorry. What?”
Every muscle in my body is calcifying at once, and the earth is shaking under my feet. I didn’t hear that right. No way I heard that right.
Jayden blows out what appears to be an entire week’s worth of tension, then stands up so we’re toe-to-toe.
“There was an opportunity,” he begins.
I shake him off, though, because I’m not buying it right out of the gate.
“Please say you aren’t leaving to make this easier on me.”
He squints and licks his lips as his gaze dips for a minute, and I know from years of staring at this exact expression that he’s bluffing. I push his chest, and he catches my wrists as our eyes lock.
“Jayden, I can handle whatever happens. If I get booted back to college softball, fine,” I grit.
Jayden glances around us, then nods toward the exit. “We should take this outside.”
I let my head fall to the side and my lip snarls. “I thought people didn’t give a shit about us.”
He blinks repeatedly and shakes his head with a faint grin.
“They don’t. Buteveryoneloves a good fight. And I feel like you’re about to kick my ass.”
I stare at him for a solid handful of seconds, ignoring the playful smirk he put on, then spin around, snagging my phone and wallet from the bar top before storming out to the busy parking lot and humid night air. Jayden is right on my tail, though.
“Are you seriously asking for a trade? Now? Right now? When we just . . .”
Tears prick the corners of my eyes, and every stress needle that’s been chipping away at my outer shell breaks through at once.
Jayden cups my face, steadying me, and holds his forehead to mine. His hair is still damp from his post-game shower, damn it! If he goes to Chicago, how will I ever feel the cool touch of his wet hair? Smell the soap on his body? Feel the pounding of his heart under my palms?
I push my hands against him, but he holds me in. I give in quickly, my hands moving up the back of his team hoodie. I tug at the fabric.
“Can I keep this?” I say.
He chuckles and nods, dusting my lips with a soft kiss.
“Yeah, you can keep it. But I have to say, Colby . . . I don’t think you’re going to need Mavericks gear for long.”
I roll my eyes at him and flop my head into his chest.
“Why, because I’m still getting fired?”
He laughs and kisses the top of my head, then coaxes my face out of his chest and lifts my chin so I’m staring into his perfect brown eyes.
“Because what Adriel said was real. And because you deserve every shot they’re going to give to you. It’s a good thing you never got an apartment, Colby. I think you’ll be heading to Texas soon.”
TWENTY-SIX
JAYDEN
My agent told me it would be a grind, that there would be some bitterness about coming in and getting priority over some of the other guys with the Bearcats, but I didn’t expect to getthislevel of shit.
Literal shit. From some sort of animal,I hope. On my rental car hood every day for the last two weeks.
The trade happened fast. Texas was desperate for bullpen arms, and I’m a hot prospect. So hot that Texas got two of their prospects out of the deal. Scott says this all bodes well for his negotiations when I hit free agency, but I can’t think about that stuff yet. The money and glitz have always been Adriel’s thing. Me? I just want my shot.
Until that time comes, though, I’ll endure the disgusting pranks that seem to be the thing here in the Midwest.
