“Baseball games are long.”
He shrugs a bit and crosses to the sink. “Guess you’ll have to speed it up.”
Guess I will.
* * *
I pitch eight innings. Coach takes me out after the 72nd pitch when Tommy makes an error at shortstop which means I couldn’t have a perfect game. Logan closes out the ninth, and we end the game in just under two hours. Tommy falls all over himself apologizing for the mistake, and the other guys start hazing him mercilessly.
“Don’t care, man,” I tell him honestly.
“I do.” He’s miserable.
“There’ll be other chances for perfect games.”
“Let me buy you a beer at least.”
“Sorry. Gotta go.” I slip away before he can throw himself at my feet. GG and Tuck are waiting for me in the parking lot.
“That was so fast,” GG exclaims, her gorgeous face alight with excitement. “You struck everyone out. People in the stands were upset with Tommy but no one scored, so I didn’t understand why.”
“I explained it to her,” Tuck tells me as we climb into my car.
“It’s no big deal.” Maybe another day, if I didn’t have GG, I would’ve been raging at Tommy, but all I feel is relief that the game is over. “Where should we go?”
“Drop me off at home,” Tuck orders. “We’ve got a league game scheduled to start at ten.”
“League game?” GG cocks her head.
“My brother is a twitch streamer and plays games online with friends.”
“You make me sound like a nerd,” Tuck complains.
“I think it’s cool even though I don’t know what that all means.” GG gives Tuck a smile which melts him into a pool of mush. We drop Tuck off at the house. Mom’s at work as she should be and won’t be home until two, which gives me some time with GG. My car idles in the driveway.
I want to rip off all her clothes and pull her onto my dick, but before that, we need to clear the air. “You want to tell me about the FBI at your house from yesterday?”
“No.” A laugh busts out from me. She giggles into her hand and then peers at me through her white-blond hair. “I like that you like me and if you find out all these details, maybe you won’t like me anymore.”
“I’m not an expert in this sort of stuff, GG, and I’m not going to make you share info you don’t want to share. I’m not that kind of guy.” I mean, I’ve got my own drunk mother that I’m not proud of. “But if you’re in danger, then I want to know so I can protect you. I deserve that, right? As your boyfriend?” I slide my hand onto her lap and clasp her cold fingers in mine. I’ve laid it out for her, and now I wait with my heart thundering in my chest.
Chapter Eighteen
Georgia
I wrap my fingers around his warm ones knowing I’m going to have to come clean. I was still living a bit in the fantasy of last night. I thought maybe he wasn’t going to bring it up. He texted me about going to his game and hadn’t asked me any questions, but I guess that might not be something you ask over a text.
“It’s heavy.” I give his fingers a squeeze. “I can be naïve in a lot of ways, I know, but I’ve seen and lived through things that would break most people. Things that I had no control over but that most people couldn’t even fathom.” I turn my head to meet his eyes.
“I want you to tell me whatever you're willing to, no matter what it is. You want me to be your man?”
I nod my head. I really do. I’d been drawn to him from the moment I’d run right into him. My curiosity only grew from there with his strange reaction to me at first.
Whenever I think back on that night, I smile because it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who has strange reactions to things. He does too. Once I put together that he was into me I realized that his strange behavior was only him acting out of jealousy. It’s a bit adorable if I’m being totally honest. More so when I hear all the other girls at school talk about how Colt was never into any girls in the past.
He reaches for me, pushing his seat back and pulling me into his lap the same way he did yesterday. I go easily, wanting to be close to him.
“Nothing you say is going to change the fact that I want you more than my next breath. I don’t care if you’re smuggling drugs or robbed the 7-11 last night. None of that would change the way I feel about you.” I let out a giggle. Honestly, drug smuggling isn't that far off when it comes to my old life. So I’ve learned recently. I rest my hands on his broad chest, loving how big he is. It makes me feel safe and protected.