Page 50 of Single Glance

Ice burned through my sternum. Out of all the conversations I imagined walking into, this was the last one I expected. One of the unwritten rules of baseball? Never get too comfortable, especially early in your career, when you could get traded without notice. Burton’s dry, no-nonsense tone burned, and it took everything in me not to rub my chest. Fuck. This was not how I thought this conversation would go. I cleared my throat, glancing over at Benny. “Am I leaving?”

“No,” Benny insisted, his voice firm until he exchanged a look with Burton. “At least, not right now. There’s been some good offers, but I told Russ we can’t lose you. You’re keeping our outfield strong, and you’ve earned your place on this team.”

“But—” Russ interrupted. “The trade deadline is not fora couple of weeks. If another team comes back with a competitive offer, I can’t say for sure you’re going to be a Hawk for the rest of the season. We love having you, Cam, but you know this game. Things always change.”

I nodded, trying to resist the urge to vomit. This was bullshit. Sure, the game always changed, but that didn’t mean I wanted it to. I had high hopes for sticking around for a few years, especially with Emilia now in school. She couldn’t drop everything to come visit me during the season, and I barely got a break, much less time to travel around the country to visit my daughter. I’d just gotten used to seeing her every day, getting to know her world in a way I’d missed out on for the past year. And fuck, it was everything. The idea of leaving now, just when I’d gotten a taste of it, was the worst kind of torture.

And then, there was Hadley.

My heart stuttered in my chest as I thought about her. We were good, so fucking good together, it almost knocked me on my ass. Even though she’d talked about wanting to travel and see the world, it had always been on her terms, not tied to a guy she’d barely see for months at a time. She wanted an adventure, and all I was offering her were lonely nights and baseball-filled days. A lot of wives and girlfriends said they’d be there for their partner at the beginning of their careers, only to leave when the reality came to light. It was a lonely life, one I didn’t want to pressure Hadley into. It’d be cruel to tie her down in that way, especially right now, when her life was just getting started, akin to trying to catch the wind.

Benny stood. “I want to make this clear, Cam. This isn’t something I want. You earned a fucking place on this team, and you’ve made me proud with what you’ve accomplished in a short time. But this game is a bastard, andwe don’t always get a say about who walks out onto the field every night.” He shot a glare over to Burton, who almost cowered for a moment. “If my opinion matters, you’re not going anywhere. But I’m only one cog in this machine, and you deserve a heads up.”

“Appreciate it, Benny.” I dropped my head, unsure how the fuck I’d go out onto the field tonight, knowing my future was up in the air. If they wanted to trade me, I needed to prove I was worth keeping, that I’d bring it all to every game.

Without another word, I walked out into the clubhouse and stared at my name on the wall. I hadn’t even noticed it earlier. The crew must have put it up while we played in LA. That sign was supposed to be the first goal, the first in a long line I wanted to achieve with the Hawks. Now, it felt mocking, like a future I almost had in my grasp but lost at the last second.

THIRTY-EIGHT

“Answer the phone,” I growled as my mother’s voicemail clicked on again. The same familiar message filled my ears, reiterating that her voicemail box hadn’t been set up despite my dozens of reminders. With an annoyed huff, I chucked my phone back in my bag, too frustrated to keep playing her games. No doubt, she was punishing me for ignoring her calls over the past week, or she was deep into self-destruction mode. Either way, I’d done my part, tried to call despite her hostile voicemails. I couldn’t worry about her right now, not when I was running so late.

I’d gotten stuck at work a little longer than I’d planned, pulled into an impromptu parent meeting about grades in the pickup line. By the time I checked my phone, I saw more messages waiting from Cam, but he would already be on the field, so I didn’t bother to reply.

My legs burned as I rushed through the stadium, hating that my rideshare had dropped me off at the furthest corner. I must have accidentally crossed under a ladder, or Laila must have traipsed in front of my path, because the universe was determined to keep me from the game.

My heartbeat slowed as I got to our section, rushing down the concrete steps to find Ollie waiting for me. As soon as I slouched down in my seat, she handed me a hard seltzer. “You look like you could use this.”

“You are an angel.” I took a long sip, letting the cold bubbles soothe my anxieties. Running late was nothing new for me, but I hated I’d missed so much of the pre-game, especially talking to Cam. Just as I settled in my seat, the music amped up, and the announcer called out the starting lineup.

I reached into my bag and grabbed my Seda jersey, throwing it over my tank top, ready to cheer on Cam and his team. I waited for him to show up with his signature smile, but when he walked out onto the field, it was missing. In fact, his mouth formed a tight line and his hands clenched at his sides. It was so different from his usual persona, it took me a minute to realize it was Cam.

The team stood in the dug-out, waiting for the game to begin. It was hard to see Cam from over here, but once he went out onto the field, I had the best view in the stadium. Thank goodness, Ollie and I changed our seats to the edge of the right field, where we could watch Parker and Cam in action. The box might be a nice luxury, but it seemed a little out of touch, too distant from the rest of the crowd. I preferred being out here, in the middle of a crowd of Hawks fans as they excitedly chanted their favorite players’ names.

A lot more Seda jerseys filled the crowd now, almost equal to the other big name players. It filled my chest with pride, knowing how long Cam had wanted this and that he was playing so well. I never thought dedication to a sport would be such a turn-on, but here we were.

While the team prepared to start the game, Ollie and I whooped and cheered for our boys. Yes, our boys. It wasuseless to deny it. Ollie might still firmly be in the just friends’ camp, but I was too far gone for that. After my conversation with Brianna, the words “you’re falling for Cam” repeated in my mind like an oath.

The announcer called out Cam’s name and number, and I jumped up from my seat, screaming as loud as my lungs would let me. He turned over to our section and gave me a wave, but it lacked his usual excitement. Dread pooled in my core—had something changed for Cam too?

He must have seen the distress on my face, because he turned back toward me, mouthing the words “I missed you.” They soothed my churning insides a little, but not enough to ignore all the warning bells going off in my mind.

After the announcer finished, he darted to the outfield, warming up before the visiting team started batting. Normally, Cam looked confident on the field—not in a cocky way, more like confidence in his skills. But tonight, his movements felt different, as if he’d lost that trust in himself. As he threw the ball with the other outfielders, his throws seemed a little off, as if he was too in his head.

“Hey, Sarge!” I called out, not caring who heard me.

Ollie tugged at the edge of my jersey. “Hads, he’s not supposed to talk to us. If he does, he’ll get fined.”

“It’s okay,” I said as his face perked up and he met my eye. He gave me a tentative smile, but it was there—the first one he’d cracked since he walked out on the field. “Remember our bet!”

He shook his head, unable to hide his wide grin. “Thought that was just for LA?”

“Yup,” I shouted back. “But I’m always down to raise the stakes.”

“You’ve got a deal, menace.” Cam winked up at me, and warmth spread through my chest. “See you after the game.”

“Give ‘em hell, baby!”

The other outfielders turned to watch our conversation, probably confused about what was happening. One guy must have said something, because Cam shot him a warning look. His eyes narrowed and his forehead creased, but it wasn’t enough to break the smile on his lips when he turned back to me. His umber eyes searched mine, and for a moment, my heart beat a little faster. It was the expression usually reserved for rom-coms and epic, sweeping romances, when the guy realized he never wanted to live without his love interest again.

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