Page 46 of The Battery
“Figure things out.”
He released me from his grip and I leaned back. “What does that mean?” I didn’t hold back my contempt. The two of us were no strangers to verbal fighting. It so often led to near physicalitywhen I was younger. Impetuous and full of sorrowful, misplaced rage.
“You know damn well what it means, Leonidas,” he said. Like me, he knew how to put venom in his tone. “What was your first promise to me?” I didn’t answer. “Leo.”
“I’m gonna win you a pennant.”
“And the second?”
I couldn’t answer that one. Speaking it would make it come true. He didn’t demand an answer. Instead, he waited in silence. “No more pain,” was all I could say.
“The third?”
I shook my head.
“So help me,” my uncle warned, “when I arrive upstairs and I see your dad, I’m telling him to send—”
“I’m gonna smother you,” I said through an incredulous laugh. “With a pillow. Right now.”
Uncle Andy cracked a smile. “Don’t forget that third promise, kiddo. It’s the most important one.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I repeated with the same affectation.
I found Cody sitting at one of the stools at my kitchen island, sipping from a glass of ice water. I had run out of ideas to keep him here. We already threw the ball. The game wasn’t on yet. We could go for a dip, but I didn’t trust myself around him half naked.
I sensed a hesitant distance emanating from Cody as I entered the kitchen. My overstep last night undoubtedly gave way to a number of concerns. I didn’t blame him. I acquired several of my own.
I was torn between my default of ignorance and plowing ahead; actually sitting him down and talking through it.
What would friends do?I wondered.
“Not sure what you had planned for the afternoon,” I said as I filled up my own glass of ice water. “My uncle would love for youto stay for dinner, but I don’t want to… I dunno…shackleyou to my house.”
Cody snorted out a bit of laughter. “Happy to stay, Leo. I mean, but, like… if you want me to go, though? I don’t want to keep intruding like this.”
A decision point hit me. My natural inclination leaned toward the usual—shrug or tell him I didn’t care or ignore the question or this or that…
I drained my glass of water. Set it down with more force than necessary. Looked right at him. “Stay.” I blinked. “Please.”
Cody nodded and slapped the countertop. “Done. What should we do until dinner, then?”
Make you moan like that day in the stadium tunnels.My index finger twitched at the thought.
“Chill in the living room?” I asked.
The room overlooked the side yard of the house. A horseshoe sectional made of light beige fabric surrounded a large gas fireplace with a gilded mirror leaning on the mantel. An oversized coffee table consumed the space between. I dropped into one corner of the couch and extended out my legs for comfort. To my surprise, and horror, Cody picked up my feet and sat in their spot.
His thumb pushed into the sole of my bare foot, and I turned to goop.
“Back to the grind tomorrow,” he said. We were traveling first thing in the morning to Brooklyn to face the Brawlers for an evening game.
“Haven’t played in Brooklyn since June,” I responded. I had dropped my head back into the high cushion of the couch. Closed my eyes and let his magic fingers cast spells.
“Worried?”
I considered my answer. “I’m worried about Quinn.”
“TheAsshole of Assholes.”
