Page 131 of The Plan

She kisses her two fingers and holds them out to me. I look down at her, clearly confused. “Can’t I just kiss you for real since we’re together?”

“You’ll have to wait until after our first date.” She’s holding back a smile, and now Ireallywant to kiss her.

“We already had our first date.” I place my hands on her hips, but as I pull her to me, she moves my hands.

“Fresh start means our first date never happened. Either way, we’re taking it slow, so stop touching me. I barely even know you.”

I break into a laugh, and as she walks off, I smack her ass.

“Iknewyou were going to do that!”

“And you let me.”

She turns around and squints her eyes at me.

“You wanted me to do it, just admit it.”

“Maybe, but that’s the last time.” She points her finger at me, and I bite back a smile.

“Fine.” She has the biggest smile on her face as she kisses her fingers again and holds them out to me. I shove them away and squint at her.

“If you want to kiss me, it’s going to have to be for real.”

She bites back a smile and then walks off.She totally wants to kiss me.

The team is already inthe dugout, but our coach still isn’t here yet. August walks over to me with the biggest smile on his face, likehe has important news. I don’t question him because, one, he’s always smiling like that, and two, he’s going to tell me anyway.

“Guess what?” Called it. He sounds more excited than usual, and I’m actually intrigued as to what it is.

“What?”

His shoulders slouch a bit, and he turns his head to the side. “You have to guess.”

I let out a sigh and entertain him like I always do. “Hazel is pregnant?” My tone is bored, and it was honestly a random thought, but his jaw literally drops.

“How’d you know!?”

My eyes widen, and I turn my entire body to him. “You’re fucking lying!” My voice sounds a bit too excited, and it surprises me.No way in hell.I mean, it’s obviously possible, considering they fuck like bunnies, but no fucking way. I always figured he’d have kids before me or Sage, but I thought he and Hazel would wait longer, and I also thought she didn’t want kids.

“Nah, I’m fucking with you.”

I suck my teeth and slouch in my seat, he’s so annoying for that.

“It’s the next best thing.”

I think for a second, then, just to fuck with him, I turn back with a smirk. “You and Hazel broke up?” His brows furrow, and he looks offended.

“How is that the next best thing?”

“Because your girlfriend is mean as fuck. She’s a menace, too. I don’t see what you see in her.” Hazel has always been a bit of a grump, but she’s extra mean to me because of what went down with me and Vid. Although that literally has nothing to do with her. Maybe now she’ll be nicer to me.

“She’s actually so sweet.” To him, he means. And that’s on a good day. “That actually brings me to what I was going to say.You know how she’s the manager down at that marine animal rescue center.”

“Mhm.”

“Okay, so get this. She’s letting me bottle-feed one of the seals today.” He waits for me to react, but I only give him a confused look. This is why he was so excited? “I’ve been begging her for weeks, and she finally caved. Isn’t she so sweet?” He says the last part like he’s in a dream-like state.

“Sure, August. She deserves a girlfriend of the year award.”

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