Page 31 of The Perfect Play

Ten minutes later, Jake emerged from the school, rubbing his wet hair as he walked out to his car.

I opened my door and stepped out, taking in the look of frustration on his face. “Hey,” I said, leaning on my car.

“Hey.” It was short and clipped, the tone bothering me a bit. How selfish was I? The guy had just been ripped to shreds by his father, and I was worrying about how he was reacting?

“I think you did pretty well out there. That one play you made, diving to get the guy out at—”

“Not now, Pen.” He put out his hand in a stopping motion and then raised it to rub at the sides of his forehead.

I hesitated, unsure of how to help him. I’d never seen this side of Jake, the broken spirit and looking so tired. Taking a step forward, I wrapped my arms around his waist from the back as he loaded his bag into the back of the Jeep.

“I’m here when you need me, okay?” I mumbled into his back.

He slammed the door shut and turned slowly in my embrace, his arms warm around my neck. “Thanks. I’m going to head out.”

“Go home? What about your dad? You told him you had to work.”

Jake released his grip on me and shook his head. “Dad called Lou and asked. Because I lied, I had to do more batting practice right then.” He looked like he was near tears then, and I pulled his face toward mine, resting my forehead on his.

“You’ve got me. Just know that I care about you, no matter how you play on the field. Come with me to the ice cream shop. At least that will help you avoid him for a little bit.” I searched his face, looking for any emotion that might help me know how to comfort him. But it was a smooth mask at the moment, and I wasn’t prepared with a Jake manual that addressed this kind of mood.

He finally nodded. “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”

Stepping away, he started the car and took off, leaving me in a cloud of black smoke.

I was torn. How was I supposed to help him when I didn’t completely understand what he was going through? Did I just make myself available to listen when he needed it?

Never had I longed more for the simpler days before our lives had been upturned. It was going to take longer than I thought to get back there, but I knew it would be worth it. At least, I hoped it was.

Chapter 25

Jake

Ihad no desire to socialize with anyone at that point, but anything was better than heading back home. Mental and physical exhaustion took over, and a measure of humiliation flooded through me as I wondered who else had seen the scene my dad had made.

Penny waiting for me in the parking lot was one of the last things I wanted, and I hoped she hadn’t heard any of what my dad said. After each ball I’d hit, he’d spout off some critique, usually ending it with a few colorful words and some insult to my skills. I’d started to love baseball again, but if this was how my life would be for the next year and a half until I graduated, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to stay on the team. But then again, what would I have to look forward to every day? At least my dad was gone during the week.

But when Penny hugged me, telling me that her being there was not based on my performance on the field, it felt more like home than my physical house did. And as much as I didn’t want to interact with anyone else at the moment, I needed more assurance that I could be just another teen out with friends. Besides, I had no intention of seeing my father in the next few hours, and staying away from him was the best way to accomplish that.

The group was big when I got to the ice cream shop. It was actually a good thing as I didn’t have all the attention on me like it usually was, to provide some kind of entertainment or commentary.

Penny sat next to me, her hand on mine under the table, and I was grateful for her presence. If anything, reconnecting with her had made a huge difference over the past month. If only I could shield her from the fury of my father.

“What’s wrong with you, man?” Colt asked, punching me in the right shoulder.

“Long day, man. Just need to chill for a bit. What brought you guys here?” I looked behind him and saw Dax, Ben, and Nate. Dax’s eyes dipped down to Penny’s hand on mine, and he grinned. I pulled it away and scratched the crown of my head, avoiding Penny’s gaze and hoping she would understand why I did it.

I slid out of the booth to greet them with our random handshakes, and several of the people at the tables around, all from the same group, were watching us with an intensity I wasn’t in the mood for.

“We heard a bunch of people were coming here. We didn’t expect to see you here, though, especially after the conversation with your dad.” Dax’s eyes narrowed.

My stomach sank, and I looked at my shoes like I was inspecting something. I wished he wasn’t able to read me so easily. He reminded me of Troy, and while I needed someone like that in my life, I wished they didn’t see everything when I didn’t want them to.

“You can all join us,” Kate said from behind Penny.

Dax’s eyes flicked to her and went wide. He turned and pretended to inspect the menu. I’d have to ask him what was going on there later.

I glanced back at Penny and Kate, seeing Penny’s hooded eyes.

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