Page 31 of Stealing Home

Adriana: Thank you for today. It was nice to hang out with you guys.

Cole: I hope you know that you’re always welcome to hang out.

Cole: And don’t think that we can’t hang out without the lovebirds.

Adriana: I appreciate it.

Cole: I mean it. I don’t do much. You can always come here and hang out if I’m home.

Adriana: Thank you. It’s very sweet of you. Don’t think I can’t make my own friends?

Well shit, I hope that didn’t come across that way. Does she think I’m an asshole now?

Cole: It’s not that. I just like hanging out with you.

Adriana: That’s really sweet.

Adriana: You’re not so bad. Get to bed! You have a game tomorrow and I will not be to blame if you play crappy sir.

Cole: Yes ma’am. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Checking the time, I guess the woman isn’t wrong. I turn the volume on the tv down and lay down as my eyes close. A smile is still on my face while drifting off to sleep.

We lost. It’s the first loss of the season and while we know that we won’t always win, the first one is tough. The mood in the locker room is somber as we all are just ready to go home, lick our wounds and come back and get that W tomorrow.

Sean comes back to his locker next to mine while I’m getting dressed.

“Well, that sucked.” Sean says as he gets dressed.

“Yup. I hate the first loss of the season.” I agree.

“Same. We will turn it around tomorrow.” he says.

“We better.” I state bluntly.

“You all set in the house yet?” Sean questions.

We haven’t really talked much outside of the clubhouse and I feel bad about that now.We used to go out all the time prior to my fallout with Layla.

“Yeah. It’s all set. Now I get to enjoy it.” I tell him.

“I still can’t believe you live next door to your brother. Don’t you get sick of him?” He responds.

“He doesn’t have a choice of getting sick of me.” Ty says dryly with annoyance..

I hate that Ty isn’t the biggest fan of Sean’s. Sean and I came up together in the farm system once we were both drafted out of college. Ty says there is something that is just off about him and he tries too hard to fit in, but I think it just comes from being the only child that was put in the middle of a nasty divorce. His parents still go at it when they’re in the same room.

“It’s just us. And he knows how to leave me alone. His wife, on the other hand.” I say, laughing and looking at my brother.

“What has she got you doing now?” Sean asks.

“Nothing, I just like giving Ty a hard time.” I say while laughing and giving Ty a nudge.

Ty looks at me with the yeah right look while Sean is cackling.

“You ready to head home?” I ask Ty so I can get away from being in between these two.

“Yeah, Heather said they were going to wait for us.” Ty replies.

---