Page 63 of Praising the Pitcher

“Then there was one,” he utters, looking around. “Gigi talking to Benny boy?”

“Don’t know. Not really my business.” I glower at the TV screen as it shines in my face.

It isn’t my business and I know that, yet the longer I sit here thinking about how she’s probably talking to Benny on the phone and he’s probably feeding her lines to make her fall for him, the more pissed off I get. Today, for a few minutes, she was my fake girlfriend.

Now, she’s chatting it up with that douchebag.

“Could always make it be your business, you know.” He throws out the suggestion like it’s that simple before he heads toward the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Try not to kill Benny through the phone or anything. We need him next week.”

With that, he’s gone, and I’m glad because I know he’s trying to prove a point. The point being, I like Gigi more than as a friend.

His parents, along with our other guests, left an hour or so ago. Dallas stayed to finish Haven’s favorite movie, Elf, with her, but now it’s time for him to get headed down the road to stay with his parents for the night.

My parents went to bed half an hour ago, but I know my mom and she’ll wake up at five in the morning to start getting everything ready for Christmas Eve.

Gigi disappeared into the guest room ten minutes ago, taking her phone with her, and I hate that Dallas is right. She’s probably talking to that loser Benny on the phone.

What kind of name is Benny? Surely he could have gone with Ben, Benjamin. Hell, even Benji is better than Benny.

It’s just me in the living room now, and the house is silent. I thought Haven would stay up later, watching my favorite Christmas movie, Christmas Vacation, but she didn’t even make it through Elf before she started snoring. Maybe Gigi will come back out, but with every passing minute, I know that’s unlikely. So I head to the bathroom and brush my teeth before I walk toward my room.

It’s dangerous, having Gigi and me alone in this wing of the house while my parents and Haven are on the other. They must trust us—or her, at least. Because they could have had her stay in Haven’s room and Haven stay here, but they probably know I have no shot.

As I walk further down the hall, almost to my room, I’m hit with the sound of Gigi giggling softly before she talks to someone, and right away, I’m fucking annoyed.

Guess that’s what I get for buying her a phone. Now she can talk to other guys.

I know I should open my door and go into my room, yet here I stand, my feet stuck to the hardwood floor like concrete is keeping them there. This is an invasion of privacy—downright disrespectful—but I find myself needing to listen, desperate to find out just how much she likes him.

The same question runs through my head over and over. What did I expect? That a guy wouldn’t come in and swoop her up? Of course, someone was going to. She’s Gigi. She’s a fucking catch.

She giggles again, and as much as I love the sound of her laughter, I hate that she’s laughing for someone who has a dick between his legs.

My sister can make her laugh all day if she wants—after all, Haven is pretty funny. I mean, not as funny as me, but still, funny. But Benny? I hate that. He isn’t funny at all. I may not know him well, but in the few times I’ve heard him talk, I sure as fuck wasn’t laughing.

“I’m not really sure yet when I’ll be back to campus,” she says, her voice sickly sweet, and I ball my fist, wishing it was me she was talking to. “Maybe tomorrow … or it could be the day after.”

Dallas and I either have to head back to campus Christmas night or at the ass crack of dawn the day after. But the softball team has the week off, so I’m not sure why she’d be going back so soon. Or how she’d get there because I’m sure Haven isn’t going back for a few days.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s way out of your way,” she says again, and I imagine he’s telling her he’ll come pick her up.

I step closer to the door, like I’m going to barge in or some shit and stop her from making plans with this motherfucker. It’s Christmas, and they barely know each other. Why in the hell would he be trying to see her?

“I’ll let you know.” She speaks low, like she knows someone could hear her. “That does sound fun, I’ll admit.” She listens again, and I wait for her reply. “I think Haven said we are going to eat around six.”

That’s it. I can’t take it. If he thinks she’ll be free in the morning, he’s surely going to come and get her—taking her away from me. I push the door open, and her eyes grow huge as she stares at me.

Her white tank top is so thin I can see her tits through it, and my cock instantly twitches in my sweatpants, but soon after, she looks down at her chest and lifts one arm over herself as her eyes narrow.

She’s pissed.

“I have to get going. Merry Christmas if I don’t see you before,” she says in that same shy tone she used to use with me.

Because she’s more comfortable now. Unlike with fucking Benny boy.

“I will,” she utters. “Bye.”

Tossing the phone onto the bed, she folds both arms across her chest now. “Why are you in here?”