Page 67 of Knox
My first at-batcame in the bottom of the second. I stepped into the batter’s box and tapped my bat against the plate. Two fastballs came in quick, but they were just outside, and I was able to lay off them. Then came a changeup that had me swinging too early.
“Fuck,” I muttered as I adjusted my grip on the bat.
The next pitch was a curveball that dropped in perfectly, and I chased it like a damn rookie. Strike two.
The pitcher threw another fastball, and I didn’t even catch a piece of it. The ump rang me up, and I jogged back to the dugout.
Crew was waiting near the water cooler. “You’re dropping your back shoulder,” he said, low enough so only I could hear him.
“I didn’t feel off-balance,” I argued, madder at myself for striking out.
He cocked a brow. “That’s why you’re standing on base right now, huh?”
“Fine,Coach,” I huffed. “I’ll work on that next time.”
My opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth. That time, I focused on my stance, and when the first pitch caught a little too much of the plate, I didn’t hesitate. The crack of the bat echoed throughout the stadium, and I watched the ball clear the centerfield wall.
Glancing toward the dugout, I saw Crew leaning forward against the railing with a smile on his face. And when I ran past him, he winked and mouthed, “Told you.”
I tried to hide my smile, but I was already planning on showing my appreciation for his impromptu coaching once we were back home.
The morningof my next road trip, I sat cross-legged on the floor of Crew’s living room, working on a puzzle with my boyfriend and his son.
Our week together had been relatively low-key. Each day, we’d wake up and eat breakfast together before picking up Grady to spend some time with him. We’d go to the park, watch movies, and swim, then drop Grady off with Mallory and head to the field. Crew still hadn’t been cleared to play, but he’d been in the dugout every game, offering advice and cheering me on. And every night, we’d go home and spend hours tangled together in bed, only to repeat everything the next day.
Now with my suitcase packed by the door and the clock ticking down until first pitch, I thought back to the last time I left. All of my doubts and insecurities had followed me and fucked with my head again.
I didn’t want that.
This time, I wasn’t leaving with uncertainty. I was leaving with the knowledge I’d be coming back to a place I belonged and was wanted.
27
Knox
It was justafter midnight when I got to my hotel room in Cincinnati. We had a four-game series against the Reds, followed by three with the Chicago Cubs, before we’d return to Portland for a homestand prior to the All-Star Break.
If everything went according to plan, Crew would be cleared to return after the break, making this the second and last road trip I’d have to take without him. Since our conversation where I was finally honest about my worries and concerns, he’d made an effort to show me that I wasn’t just fitting into his life, but that I was an important part of it.
Obviously, it was easier to do that when we were under the same roof, but while I was away from home, I was doing my best to hold onto his words and finally stop letting the doubt make me miserable.
I sat in the chair next to the window and hit the video call button on Crew’s contact. It was a few minutes past nine back home.
“Hey,” he answered, already smiling.
“Hi, Knox!” Grady’s voice called out before he wrapped a small arm around his dad’s neck and leaned in until his face took up most of the screen.
“Hey, you two,” I replied. “What are you doing up so late, G?”
“Dad let me stay up late so I could say goodnight to you,” he said around a yawn.
“Oh really?” I grinned. “That makes me feel pretty special.”
“You are special. You’re my best friend,” Grady explained.
My chest tightened, and for a split second, I wondered if it would scare him if he saw me cry. “I am?”
“Yeah.” He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “Archer is my other best friend, but you’re the first one.”
