Page 34 of Praising the Pitcher

I lie down on the bed and pat the spot beside me, knowing damn well if this were any other girl, this isn’t how the night would have gone.

But that’s the thing … Gigi Jacobs isn’t any other girl.

THIRTEEN

NOAH

The sensation of no feeling in my right arm has me stirring before my alarm even goes off. I scrub a hand over my face and crack an eye open. My vision may still be blurred from sleep, but the mess of blonde hair splayed over my arm and chest reminds me Gigi fell asleep here last night for the fourth night in a row.

The first night, we left Dallas and my sister at the restaurant because she could hardly keep her eyes open. The second night, I picked her up from the diner with her dad outside, and we watched reality TV until she dozed off. The third night, she attempted to sleep back at The Nest, but when I stopped in to check on her, making it seem like I was dropping something off to my sister, Gigi was sitting in her car, all alone, and even though she said no at first, after I asked her a second time if she wanted to come home with me, she nodded.

Last night, I found her in the gym working out a little after nine. I was on my way back from a team dinner and noticed her car by the building. When I went inside, she was on the treadmill—luckily facing the door so I didn’t startle her. She’d already had practice that morning followed by a strength training session; she had no reason to be in the gym. But she can’t sleep at her house anymore because Tabor took that from her, and she can’t get it back. So now, I find myself wanting to make sure she gets rest. Between Tabor making her feel unsafe in her own place and her father fucking with her head, she’s been through a lot lately. The least I can do—as a friend—is be there for her. I know it can’t last, this friendship we have. Eventually, things will get weird. But for now, I can do what it takes to make it work.

So, while I’m glad she’s here and she got a good night’s rest, it doesn’t change the fact that today is game day, and I just broke another rule I’ve always had.

Never have a sleepover the night before a game. I set this rule back in high school when I was in a serious relationship because on the day of a game, I know I need to be locked in, which means no distractions. My parents were in no way like Gigi’s dad, but they also always told me and my sister that if we were part of a team, we needed to be good teammates and give one hundred percent, and that’s what I’ve always tried to do.

But since we aren’t having sex, maybe it doesn’t count? I mean, after all, I sleep better with her in my bed, so what could it hurt?

Before my alarm has the chance to go off, I stretch my left arm and pat my hand on my nightstand until I get ahold of my phone. Pulling it toward me, I yank it from the charger and disable the alarm. In the process of trying to be as smooth and quiet as I can because Gigi’s alarm hasn’t gone off yet either, she begins to stir. Wiping her fists to her eyes, she yawns before glancing over at me.

“Good morning,” she whispers sleepily.

“Morning, beautiful,” I say with a grin, even though my arm is now starting to tingle from her head resting on it, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings by asking her to move it.

Fuck no. It could be on the verge of falling off and I don’t think I’d ask her to move. She looks too cute when she wakes up for that.

“You probably have so much to do today with it being game day and all.” She yawns. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can get up and get going.”

I do have a bunch of shit to do today, and the team is meeting for lunch at some point because, apparently, bonding over dinner wasn’t enough. It’s all good though. I always have a good laugh at the team meals.

“No rush,” I drawl. “Speaking of my game, you going to roll up to it?”

“Roll up?” she utters, turning toward me and lifting a brow. “You’re asking if I’m coming to your game?”

“Yeah.” I grin. “My sister will be there, I’m sure.”

Her eyes widen slightly, and she bites down on her bottom lip. “That might be more reason for me not to show up. She may think it’s weird.”

“Nah, you’re overthinking it,” I say nonchalantly. “You’ve been to my games before.”

“Yeah, but that was before I left that restaurant with you the other night.” She sighs. “Since then, I can just feel it. She’s onto us hanging out.” She looks away from me. “I feel awful not telling her I’ve been staying here every night. She’s one of my closest friends.”

I feel bad we haven’t told Haven we’re hanging out too, especially since it’s my fault because I’m the one who said I wanted to keep it from her for now. I just know my sister will get the wrong idea, and then when Gigi and I stop hanging out because she gets a boyfriend or I do something to piss her off, Haven will feel awkward. But keeping it from her is way more of a shithead thing to do than putting her in a weird position.

“Maybe we should hard launch our friendship to her tonight at the game,” I say, shrugging. “Watcha think?”

Her eyes grow wide with panic. “Will she be mad?”

“No way,” I say, but it doesn’t come out quite as reassuring as I hoped. “She’ll be glad you have such an awesome friend since she’s all caught up with Dallas boy right now.” I nudge her, nodding my head up and down, wearing a cheesy grin. “She’ll be like, Thank God my bestie has a handsome, sweet motherfucker like Noah to be her friend.” I shrug. “It’s almost like I’m replacing her. Except, I’m less bitchy.”

Her mouth hangs open and she swats at me. “Don’t call my girl bitchy!” She pauses, pulling in a deep breath. “Okay, as long as you’re sure she won’t be mad.”

“I’m sure, Smoke. I’m sure.” I wink, and even though I did what I always do in reassuring her, my stomach turns slightly because I know Haven won’t be mad we’re hanging out but will worry I’m going to hurt her friend because Gigi is such a sweetheart. I’m committed to this friends thing though.

Sex with no strings attached is easy. But sex with a friendship tied to it? That’s hard. Which is why I’ll vow to keep my dick in my pants.

Even when it’s hard and it’s begging to come out …