Page 4 of Curve Balls and Second Chances
“I just…”Acenpaused, swirling the tea in his glass, leaned against the railing again.“Idon’t know.It’sbeen twenty years.”
“Yeah, and you ghosted her for all twenty.”Rileykicked long legs clad in faded jeans out in front of him, slouched to a more comfortable position.“Inever asked you about it becauseIdidn’t want to put you on the spot or strain our friendship.Ifigured whatever happened was between you andRose.Andit was up to the two of you to work it out.Butnow you’re back in town, it’s going to be hard.”
Acen winced.“Ididn’t ghost her.”Butin his heart, he knew he had.Andthe reckoning was at hand.Couldhe ever make her understand?
Riley raised his index finger.“Youleft.”Raisedthe next finger.“Youdidn’t call.”Raisedthe next finger.“Youdidn’t write.”Raiseda fourth finger.“Younever came back, not even forChristmas.”Puttinghis hand down, he asked.“Isthere another name for thatIhaven’t heard?”
Acen frowned.Rileywas holding no punches on this conversation.“Okay.You’reright.YouthinkIdon’t know that?”
Riley shrugged, taking a swig of tea, ice rattling against the glass jar.“HowwouldIknow what you know?”Heshook his head.“LikeIsaid,I’vealways tried not to take sides.Butshe is my sister.Mytwin sister.You’remy best friend.I’vebeen in a tough spot all these years not talking to either of you about the other one.Justtrying to keep everything on the back burner.Andhere you come, riding back into town to stir up all those old memories.”Hepushed a hand through his hair.“She’snot the same girl you left.Shestayed.Shebuilt a life here.Doesn’tmean she’s not still hurt.”
Acen leaned back, the porch railing creaking beneath him.Beinghit with the truth was a bitch.“Pointtaken.Icame back for a lot of reasons.Mostlyfor my dad.Butlet’s be real.Withmy knee blown out,Ican’t play pro ball anymore andI’mnot sure whatI’mgoing to do going forward.Whowouldn’t come home under those circumstances?Andhonestly?WhatdoIhave to offer any woman at this point?I’vegot a lot to figure out.”
He sighed in frustration at the cards fate had dealt him, then cast a look at his friend.HatingthatRosewas so much on his mind when other things needed to be on the front burner at this point.Givingin to his feelings, he asked, “Howis she really?Nob.s.”
Riley tilted his head, sizing up his friend and the information, then relented.“Tougher.Stubborn.Quieterthan she used to be.Ithink she buried a lot more than people realize.”
“She looked good,”Acensaid before he could stop himself.Rememberingthe long auburn ponytail swirling over her shoulders at practice earlier made his gut cramp with memories.Toobad she’d been wearing sunglasses.Butmemory supplied the deep blue shade for him.
“Yep.Andshe knows it,”Rileysaid with a grin.“Sheruns the women’s softball team now.Gotthe best rec-league record in the region.”
“Yeah,”Acensaid quietly.“Isaw that today.Shealways did have a good arm,”Acensaid, a soft smile tugging at his mouth.
“Better now.Youshould see her pitch.Likewatching a storm gather.”Hegave his friend a hard look.“Keepthat in mind if you piss her off.Shecan throw a mean punch as well.”
Acen was quiet for a beat.“Ididn’t expect her to still… get to me like that.”
“Yeah,”Rileysaid, his voice going softer.“Shedoes that.”
The porch creaked again, andAcenlooked out over the yard, where a line of fireflies had started blinking between the hedges.Theair was heavy with that particularJunestillness, the kind that felt like it was holding its breath.Somewhere, a train horn carried faintly over the hills.
“Briana’s back too,”Rileysaid, almost as an afterthought.
Acen stiffened.“What?”
“She got in two weeks ago.Beenstaying at her sister’s place offCountyRoad6.Didn’tthink it was my news to tell.Ihaven’t toldRoseeither.”
He sighed.“Andthere will be hell to pay when she finds outIknew and kept it to myself.AndIthought she has enough to juggle with you being here.Brianasaid she wouldn’t be coming into town.She’sbeen going toCorinthwhen she needs to shop.ButIknow eventually she andRosewill come face-to-face.Imost likely should tellRosetonight.Butthe timing really sucks on all of this.”
Acen muttered something under his breath that wasn’t fit for polite company.“Butyou’re telling me.”Hetook a big drink of tea, giving himself a minute to process the news.“What’sshe doing back?”
Riley shrugged.“Somethingabout a remote job and needing a reset.Butdon’t worry.Shehasn’t come around looking for you.”
Yet.Theword didn’t need to be said.
Acen set his tea down and rubbed the back of his neck.“Whata welcome home.”
Riley leaned forward, placing his jar of sweet tea on the floor.“Whathappened graduation night?Wereyou sneaking around withBrianafor a while?”
Acen shook his head, pushed up off the railing and paced the length of the porch.“Itwas all so long ago.Andso stupid.Ididn’t have a thing forBriana.Ididn’t even know the kiss was going to happen.Shefollowed me outside and the next thingIknew she had a lip lock on me.And, hey,Iwas an eighteen-year-old guy.Whena woman throws herself at you like that you go with the flow, right?”
“Seems to me that you could have exercised a little restraint, my friend.”Rileyleaned forward, elbows on his knees.“Ithought you andRosehad an understanding back then.”
Acen sighed.“Yea.Wedid.Sortof.But,Iwas scared.Headingoff to college, big scholarship in the works, lots of pressure.So,IguessImessed up in a moment of weakness.”
Riley gaveAcena hard look.“Whydidn’t you explain toRose?Makeit right before you left?”
Acen winced.“LikeIsaid.Iwas scared.And, maybe,Iwanted to be free on some level.Youknow, sow some wild oats before making a lifetime commitment.”
