Page 92 of The Fake Out

“She’s worried it’ll be an empty house, so she wants us to come fill the seats. Are you available on Sunday night?” Avery asked. “Kyle is coming too, and so are Asher and Zara.”

I shrugged. Sounded like fun.

Beside me, Emerson cracked his knuckles. “I told Wren I would go.”

“Yay!” Avery tapped the tips of her fingers in front of her chin, smiling wide. “We’ll all go.”

Her reaction was a bit overzealous, but my brother just smiled at her like she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Whatever. At least the tension had faded.

After dinner, Avery even convinced Chris to watch one episode of Foyle’s War before he was ready to go.

“Hey, Bambi,” Chris called as they were putting their shoes on in the entryway. “Did you decide what you want to do about signing a new lease?”

Emerson’s shoulders sagged, the movement so small, I was positive my brother had missed it. “I’m not going to lock into another year.”

He couldn’t while his contract was still up in the air. Didn’t Chris know that?

“Okay, cool.” Chris held out a fist. “I’ll let them know we’re done after October.”

“Sounds good.” Emerson forced a smile and pounded my brother’s knuckles.

Seriously? My teeth ground with so much force my jaw throbbed. Did Chris not realize how insensitive he was being?

The second Chris pulled the door shut behind him and Avery, I turned to Emerson.

“Have you made any more decisions about what you’re doing after October?” I asked.

Emerson shook his head. “I’ll probably spend some time in Jersey while I wait for another team to pick me up.”

“Does Chris know you might not play for the Revs next season?”

“I’m not sure.” He gave a half-hearted shrug. “It’s common knowledge that my contract is up. The baseball world has been talking about it. A lot of people are speculating that I’ll end up in Vancouver.” He swallowed audibly, his throat working, and averted his gaze.

That was far. My heart hurt for him. The unknown, as well as the thought of starting over, seemed awful and scary.

I shuffled up to him, and without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me. With my head on his chest, I listened to the steady pounding of his heart.

“But it doesn’t seem like I’m any team’s first choice.” The words were soft and laced with hurt.

I pulled back and studied him, but he looked past me out at the skyline, his eyes flooding with emotion. “That’s not true.”

He pulled back, looking me straight in the eye. “Gi. It’s okay. It’s part of the game.” He released me and stepped away. “Besides, I’m used to it.”

The statement was gutting. Because he meant it, and he was okay with it. He’d learned to expect it. But he deserved to be put first once in a while.

“After my dad died, my mom had to focus on my siblings. They were so young and needed her more. Then we moved when I was in high school. Worst time to lose all your friends.” He cracked his knuckles. “And I was the gawky weirdo. Trust me, no one liked me.” The chuckle that escaped him was dark and so unfamiliar. “And then I moved to triple-A and was the baby of the group.”

He sighed and scanned the horizon, so lost and in so much pain. I’d seen hints of the hurt he kept buried, but this was the first time he was purposely showing me all of it.

“Literally, my first real friend since I was fourteen was your brother. And now he has Avery.”

“But—”

He held up a hand, cutting me off. “I’m so damn happy for him. Because she is everything he needs.”

“But you quickly became less.”

“I’m not sure I ever ranked above you or Pop.” He swallowed. “And I shouldn’t have. But you weren’t around.”

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