Page 37 of Crew
I kissed him back hard, trying to pour everything I felt into the moment, knowing it was the last time I’d have the opportunity to.
When we finally broke apart, he gave me a sad smile. “I should get out there before someone comes looking for me.”
“Kick some ass tonight,” I said, forcing a grin. “Maybe we’ll meet up on the field later this season.”
“Maybe.” He turned and opened the door.
I watched him walk away and disappear around the corner.
Even though what we had was over before it really had a chance to begin, I wouldn’t forget what we had shared.
It wasn’t just a random hook up or something convenient. It had been real.
15
CREW
The momentI walked out the door, I felt as though I was leaving a part of myself behind. Knox Singleton wasn’tjusta teammate, and his trade didn’t feel likejustanother hazard of our profession to me. It felt like I’d lost someone who could have been more than a teammate if we’d only had the time.
I didn’t have time to think about it now, though. So, I shoved everything down and tried to focus on the game. But as I crouched behind the plate, calling pitches, framing fastballs, and keeping runners in check, my mind betrayed me. Every time I glanced toward first base, I expected to see Singleton standing there, adjusting his glove or giving me a quick nod like he always did. It was nothing anyone else would notice, just a small thing meant for only me. And now, when I looked and he wasn’t there, it hit harder than I wanted to admit.
I hated it.
By the third inning, I could feel the frustration creeping into my at-bats. My timing felt off, and my patience at the plate was thinner than usual. I swung at a pitch I never should have chased, grounding outwhen I knew I should have worked the count. I jogged back to the dugout, jaw clenched, gripping my bat tighter than necessary.
Neal eyed me as I dropped onto the bench. “You look like you want to punch something.”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
He leaned in, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Let me guess, you’re missing your favorite first baseman, huh?”
I shot him a quick glare, already feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. “It’s not like that.”
He raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Uh-huh. Sure. You guys were pretty close, even if you tried to hide it. You’re gonna miss that smartass mouth of his, aren’t you?”
You have no idea.
I snorted, unable to keep the smile from my face. “I swear, Neal, you’re out of your mind. It’s all part of the game.”
He shrugged, still grinning. “Hey, I know you two had your thing going on, even if it wasn’tthatkind of thing. Still sucks, though. I liked the guy.”
Me too.
And it did suck. I didn’t know when I’d see Singleton again.IfI’d see him again. Baseball was like that; one day, a guy would be standing there in the dugout, and the next day he was halfway across the country wearing another team’s colors.
This one wasn’t supposed to matter.
But it did.
I thought about the way he looked at me before he left. The way his arms felt around me, like he didn’t want to let go. The way his lips pressed against mine, like the kiss was a final goodbye. I hadn’t felt that kind of pain in my chest since my ex-girlfriend, Mallory, had told me she no longer wanted to chase my baseball dreams with me and ended things after I signed with the Rockies.
I knew what that feeling meant, but I wasn’t going to tell Singleton now.
He was gone.
Maybe we’d meet up during the season at somepoint.
But I didn’t know if fate would be that kind.
