Page 12 of Grand Slam

“So she does what she can to avoid anything involving me, and you thought it was a great idea to bring her here and force her to face me.”

“No.” Liz repositions her body so she is facing me completely. “I brought her because whenever she doesn’t think I’m looking I catch her watching the screen, your name is announced and the rustling of the dishes stops and I can feel her there. I brought her because she has an alert on google so that every single time your name is mentioned in the media she gets a notification. I brought her because she’s tried to date other guys and every single time she finds the weirdest excuses for why it felt wrong. He has a crooked nose, his hair is too long, his second toe is longer than his big toe.”

I chuckle.

“She may as well just say they don’t feel right because they aren’t Kelton.”

“I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

“No, I’m the only person in this damn ugly ass apartment that is seeing clearly.” Throwing the blanket off her legs she slides forward. “You didn’t see her when she came out of the house earlier. She was on the verge of tears, and not because you kissed her. It was because she was trapped in her own head realizingthat this could be the second time she has to walk away carrying her battered heart.”

“So I’m the asshole that broke her heart?”

“No.” Liz places her hand on my knee, giving it a squeeze. “But you are the asshole that could mend it.” She smirks when I shake my head. “Okay so you’re not an asshole, but you will be if you let her get away again.”

“I tried to talk to her at the concert,” I confess.

“Try harder,” she pushes. “She can be stubborn, but I promise you I’m not making this up in my head.”

Liz stands, leaning over and giving me a one-armed hug. “Be the great guy I know my big brother is. I know you’ve worried about what I’d think. You both have. But truth is, there isn’t anyone I trust to take care of you more than her. And the same goes for her, you can love her like no one else can.”

She releases her hold on me and leaves me alone in the darkness once again with only my thoughts.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Emerson

“Isn’t this amazing!”Liz cheers, practically bouncing on her tiptoes as the roar of the crowd echoes all around us.

I’ve never gone to a major league game in person. Yes, I’ve seen them on television, and I’ve been to a hundred high school and college games. But this is an entirely different experience.

Liz laughs and I look over, seeing her focused on the field. “He’s so weird,” she adds, pointing and that’s when I see him. Kelton, jogging around the field with another guy at his side. Both at a slow pace, talking to each other, completely ignoring the chaos around them. “He’s always jogged the field, I don’t know why, but it never fails.”

“Warming up his legs,” I say with a shrug all while watching him. Biting my lip I take him in fully. Baseball pants, and the way they hug should be illegal.

“Pick up your tongue.” I look over at her with my mouth gaping and she laughs.

A familiar sound starts to play over the stadium, the cheering amps up and people stand, clapping and dancing to the rhythm.

“Are you ready for your Tennessee Terrors?” the announcer roars, dragging out the words, firing the crowd up even more. He starts running through their line-up and I feel the anticipation of hearing his name. There is something about being here, seeing how many people have come out to see them play. A packed stadium, the cameras, the news crews, it’s surreal.

“And batting seventh, our right fielder, number 34 Kelton James.” He steps out, lifts his baseball hat off his head and waves it around. I swear my heart feels like it stops. He looks up to the area he knows we are sitting in, places his fingers to his lips and then lifts them again.

Instantly I notice a few people, women mostly, start looking around and my face heats.

“Well, isn’t that something,” Liz adds and I elbow her. “He was up late last night, mulling over the kiss, among other things.”

“Let it go,” I tell her.

“Letting go was a mistake that was made long ago that I think needs to be resurrected.”

“Listen little Miss Matchmaker.” I give her my best irritated look and the bitch literally laughs at me.

“You don’t look mad, you just look like you smell something bad.”

Ignoring her I continue on. “It was a kiss, nothing more.”

“And you are as delusional as him.”

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