Page 21 of Embers in the Outfield

I scratch the back of my neck, unease creeping up my spine, and I can feel the heat in my cheeks as the discomfort doubles as I sit here.

“Oh really? Is that so, River?” Kennedy looks all too amused.

I simply shrug, not knowing how to proceed in this conversation. Little do I know, luck won’t be on my side as Ashton, unbeknownst to him, is going to continue to shove his foot in his mouth.

“I guess that girl is long forgotten, huh, buddy?” Ashton laughs, his tone completely at ease while I feel the hairs stand on my arms, knowing this isn’t going to end well for me.

“Oh, why’s that?” Kennedy asks. I can hear the ice in her tone. This is not how I saw this going.

“Apparently, Rivie here just got back from a date. Too bad it was the date from hell. His vet tricked him into being a pawn in a little scheme to win back her true love at a coffee shop.” Now Ashton is laughing, genuine tears forming in his eyes. Fucker. If he only knew the hole he’s digging for me with his words.

Without looking to my side, I can feel Kennedy’s gaze boring a hole in my skull. She’s probably trying to kill me with her glare. Luckily, she’s not that powerful.

When I sneak a peek toward Kennedy, I see what was a playful look just moments ago, now morphing into one of anger and disappointment.

“Looks like you’re going to need a new vet, River.” That’s from Sammie, but without expanding further on this torturous coffee date that I just left, I decide to veer the conversation in a different direction, asking about their honeymoon.

“How was the luau?” That was part of my gift to them for their wedding. Instead of buying something they likely won’t need, I gifted them something for them to do on their trip.

Samara’s features soften as she reminisces about their honeymoon and how romantic the entire experience was. Hawaii must have lived up to their expectations and beyond.

The entire time we are getting a rundown of the adventures the new Mr. and Mrs. took on the tropical island, I notice how quiet Kennedy is by my side.

She finishes her coffee quickly, looking at her phone, which never pinged, stating an emergency has come up at the office and she has to run.

I can see the disappointment cross Samara’s features, but she doesn’t push her best friend, and soon enough, Kennedy is walking out the door. It didn’t go unnoticed that she barely looked at me, nor did she say goodbye on her way out.

I look over to my friends, their gazes at their front door in bewilderment, wondering if something they said spurred her quick exit.

I can’t leave things hanging like this with Kennedy, so I head out the door, stating I have to take Lola on a walk before the sun sets. It’s nearing summer hours, and the sun stays out longer, something my friends reminded me of as I said my goodbyes, but I can’t get that look of defeat on Kennedy’s face out of my mind.

I need to fix this, even if it leads to nothing but a clear conscience for me. I realize that what she thinks of me matters now that we’ve crossed this imaginary line between us.

CHAPTER 8

Kennedy

He was on a date.

I’m paralyzed by the thought of River going out on dates while I’m still replaying that night in the hotel with him on repeat. I know River is not really boyfriend material, but something about this is just rubbing me wrong. Especially since he was rubbing something else on me not that long ago. Add to the fact I want a repeat of said rubbing yet again.

I don’t have dibs on the man, but this is really throwing me off. The last month has been hell with the chaos waiting for me at work, topped with my fucking brain rearing back to that night in the hotel room.

I get that I didn’t reach out after I sent that photo, but his silence was deafening. And the longer the silence stretched, the more I knew that what we did had to stay in the past. But knowing he brushed it off like it was nothing—like I was nothing—stings more the longer I sit here thinking about his mind moving onto someone new without even giving me a second thought.

I wanted to reach out to him, but each spare second on my end was filled with another fire that needed to be put out. Thebaseball season is in full swing, and this is my first year as president of the organization. I can’t just put that part of my life on hold so I can explore things with River. Now I’m thankful I haven’t because he obviously didn’t think about me any longer than beyond that night.

Once I realized River was not going to text or call me, I decided to let what happened at the hotel stay in the past. As much as I wanted to see where it would go, another part of me knew it was probably a bad idea.

Thoughts of that night are now bombarding my mind while I think of River on endless dates, probably doing that and much more to women, while I am just a forgotten piece of ass in his book. He probably thinks it’s not worth it in the end.

I continue to sit at the table, listening to stories about their honeymoon. Don’t get me wrong, seeing my friends loving their married life brings me endless joy. But I can’t shake what Sammie whispered to me when we were gathering our coffees and pastries.

“Apparently, River had a date right before coming here.”

She had mischief in her eyes when she whispered it, assuming I would love this tidbit of information to pester him about. Little does she know, I feel like it’s a punch to the gut having this knowledge.

I’m really trying to let it go, but I can’t help letting my mind wander. I’m this strong, independent woman, yet the thought that River could dismiss what happened in my hotel room, especially knowing me for so many years, just leaves me feeling dirty.

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