Page 31 of Bad Run

“One month,” I confirm.

“Have you seen the hot prick lately?” Jenna asks, making me laugh. She’s such a shit-talker. Especially when someone hurts her people.

“Only every day.”

“Is he still being a dick?”

“Yes. And check this, today he refused to do another video. I don’t mind his not wanting to be on camera, but he’s such an ass about it. Nico and Cam had a front-row seat to his assholery today. So freaking embarrassing.”

“For him, G. You did nothing. You’re respecting his wishes by pretending your all-night sex-a-thon didn’t happen.”

“I really regret telling you about that.” I shove a wad of fries into my mouth.

“I bet you do, my sexy little slut. Truffle?” she asks, watching me stuff my face.

“Duh,” I mumble around a mouthful.

Jenna laughs. She knows they’re my favorite.

The first thing I did was search the internet for the best fry spots in Phoenix. As it turns out, the best spot for fries wasn’t a restaurant. Instead, it’s a tasty little food truck aptly named Mr. Perfectly Fry.

“I think you need to pay the bastard back,” Jenna says.

A flash of him in my office, all flustered and horny from me running fingers down his arm and hitting his cock over his cup, comes to mind. “Oh, I got him back alright.”

“Spill!” Jenna reacts to every detail with glee as I recount what happened in the office. “Girl, that was badass. I am so proud of you.”

“Same. It felt so good to turn the tables.”

“I bet. Also … now you know how he really feels.”

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, hello. He is still so into you.”

“No, he’s not.”

Jenna smirks at me. “Mark my words, that man is down bad for you.” Jenna glances behind the camera and groans. “Ugh. I had better go to bed. I have the breakfast shift tomorrow. Sorry for interrupting whatever murdery show you were watching.”

She knows me so well. “Thanks. I’ll chat with you tomorrow.”

“Until tomorrow.” She blows me a kiss and ends the call, leaving me wondering whether she’s right.

I shake the thought of Lance still being into me away. It doesn’t matter if he is; I’m not going back down that road with him. We spent one night together, and it crushed me when he couldn’t be bothered to call me afterwards.

If I invest more of myself in him and he walks away, the next time I won’t just be crushed.

I’ll be heartbroken.

eleven

Lance

Present

The batter swings and hits the ball with a crack toward our shortstop, Reed, who is ready and waiting between second and third base. He reaches across his body and catches the ball off a big bounce at the edge of the infield grass, and in a flawless move that happens in the blink of an eye, Reed grabs the ball from his glove and whips it toward first.

I’m there, glove extended, waiting to catch the ball.