Page 39 of Pitcher Perfect
“If you thought this was going to be a bonding moment, I hate to break it to you, it’s not.” Elton turned in the stool to face Robbie, rearing back a little when he caught Robbie inserting an entire slider into his gob before he’d even finished the last one. “Jesus, man.”
“I’m ftarbing!”
Elton made a flippant gesture toward the fridge. “At least put some fucking ketchup on them. They’re completely dry. If you choke, I’m not Heimliching you.”
Robbie swallowed. “I’ve had to learn how to Heimlich myself. I’m a pro.”
“Wow. I had no idea my sister had lowered her standards quite this much.”
“Lucky me,” Robbie said, grinning.
Elton scrutinized Robbie in the dim kitchen light, brow puckered, his fingers drumming on the island. “I can’t believe I’m going to ask you this, but what are your intentions with my sister?”
Robbie took a huge bite, so he could buy himself enough time to formulate an answer. Because, yeah, that wasn’t an easy question. In a perfect world, one where he hadn’t presented himself to Skylar as a misogynist asshole from the jump, he’d be trying to date her. Only her. Yeah. Skylar was a once-in-a-lifetime girl. He’d probably be painting his body in BU colors to cheer her on at softball games by now. That was, if she hadn’t—correctly—pegged him as a player who took nothing and no one seriously.
The burgers sprouted thorns in his stomach.
There was very little chance he could convince her of the opposite now. She’d made up her mind. But Robbie couldn’t very well spill the truth to Elton. That he’d come here to atone for his behavior with Skylar.
And hedefinitelycouldn’t tell Elton they were fake dating to attract his best friend.
Robbie decided to stick as close to the truth as he could, under the circumstances. “I like your sister. A lot. I’m just trying to spend as much time around her as possible.”
Elton processed that with an air of skepticism. “Are you sure you’re not just here to incite me?”
“You think I’d go to all this effort just to piss off a baseball player?”
Skylar’s brother raised an eyebrow.
“Fine, I guess that suspicion is justified.” God, if he could just go back and rewind the last week of his life, he would do it in a heartbeat. Make a better impression on Skylar. Even on her brother. Now he was in the familiar position of trying to convince people he wasn’t a total shit show of a human being, which seemed to be his default situation. When would he learn his lesson?
Now.
You’re learning it right now.
You mouthed off one too many times and now you can’t have the girl.
“I’m not here with the sole intention of pissing you off, man. That’s just a bonus.” Robbie could no longer find his smile and the burgers had lost their appeal, so he commenced wrapping them back up in plastic. “I didn’t expect Skylar. She’s clever, funny, driven, cool, and... God, she’s fucking beautiful.” Had his stomach gotten stuck in his windpipe? “I’m here for her. No other reason. She’s reason enough.”
When he looked up at Elton, the other man appeared caught off guard. He recovered quickly, however. “That’s not what I asked. What are your intentions?”
Make her fall for me instead of Madden.
That’s what his heart begged him to say. To believe.
But that possibility was so far-fetched, giving it oxygen would be pathetic.
“Treat her right. Make her laugh. Help her win.” Robbie forced a chuckle. “Hope she doesn’t realize she’s way out of my league.”
A rumble emanated from Elton’s chest. “I punched you in the face last week for disrespecting my sister, but... shecantake careof herself. We all take care of ourselves. Individually. I’m not going to step on that.” Elton stood, moving forward to place himself toe-to-toe and eyeball-to-eyeball with Robbie, who—obviously—held his ground like a motherfucking hockey player should, fists bunched and ready to swing if necessary. “But I heard the same shit she heard at the baseball field. Bragging about your hookup from the night before.” Robbie tried not to openly flinch, but he didn’t quite keep the lid on his reaction. He’d been so sick about Skylar overhearing him, the fact that Elton heard, as well, hadn’t quite occurred to him. Until now. “If I ever find out you’re talking about my sister like that, I will put you in the emergency room.”
I’d die first.That’s what his gut urged him to say out loud. Why would this guy believe him, though? Those women he’d been speaking so openly and inappropriately about... they hadn’t knocked him on his ass and given him heart palpitations, the way Skylar did, but they’d deserved the same respect, hadn’t they?
“I’d never talk about her like that,” Robbie rasped, more truth slipping out than intended. “The thought of it makes me sick.”
Elton’s brows drew together at that, as if not sure how to read Robbie. Which was fair, since his reasons for being there were not straightforward to anyone but him and Skylar. “Good,” Elton said finally, jabbing a finger into Robbie’s shoulder. “Just consider yourself on notice, Corrigan.”
Robbie nodded curtly. “Copy that.”
