Good Catch, page 2
Before I can toss it to Ryan, the ump calls the start of the game, “It’s time to play ball.”
I toss my ball back to Eric who places it on our bench. Nerves start to creep back into my stomach, but I’m used to these ones. The moment before the game begins, I always get jitters, no matter how many years I’ve been playing.
It’s thrilling.
I’ve always loved sports due to being with Ryan and Miles 24/7, who were obsessed with them, and from generally always being outdoors. Growing up, we always had scars on our knees and dirt on our hands. I miss it, but I push the thought away with a breath and focus on the batter that just walked up to home plate.
Brandon throws the first pitch and the batter swings but misses. The blonde shakes his head at his miss and shifts his feet to prepare for the next pitch. Brandon throws another and this time the bat connects, sending the ball rolling through the dirt toward Eric. Eric runs forward and scoops the ball.
I’m quickly adjusting my stance to have one foot on the base, ready to catch the ball and get the out. Eric’s throw is short, unlike our practice throw, so I have to extend my front leg and lunge forward to catch the ball. It might seem complex to some, but to me, it’s a split-second decision.
I catch the ball mere seconds before blondie touches the bag. I swing my glove up into the air to show the ump I got it while remaining in an overstretched-out lunge. My teammates always laugh at this, but it’s my way of showing them I got it, because there have been some bullshit calls in the past.
“Out,” the ump calls out.
Our team cheers and slaps their gloves, not just because it’s the game’s first play but because we do it after every play. We like to keep the game fun and upbeat, which some teams tend not to appreciate, as they often tell us to turn our music down.
“Nice catch,” the blond guy says with a genuine smile on his face as he walks past me and back to his team’s dugout.
I smile to myself like an idiot, not knowing how to take a compliment well.
The next batter who steps up to the plate is left-handed. We all shift our positions slightly, knowing the ball is more likely to be hit into the right side of the field. I slightly back up because I really don’t want a ball to the face.
The first pitch is thrown, and she makes contact on the first swing, sending a whooshing ball right at me. I barely even have to move since the ball is heading straight for my chest, right where my glove rests, so I simply open it and catch it.
The intensity of the ball takes me by surprise as it slams into my glove and knocks me back a few steps.
Damn, that girl can hit.
Being the overprotective brother that he is, Ryan shouts, “Ry, are you good?”
I shake my head, “Yeah, I’m good.”
I swear Miles put something in the air when he said not to drop anything because now, the universe is testing me with two tough plays in the first three minutes of the game. That, or he’s my bad luck charm.
The third batter comes up to the plate, and he’s ready. His team has two outs, and you can tell he’s coming out swinging. Brandon lobs the ball, and the batter makes contact, but pops it up too high. The ball is popped up between Katie and I at second, and the competitive part of me wants to catch this ball and get all three outs to show Miles that I can do my damn job.
“Mine,” I shout and run to put myself in position to catch the ball.
The ball hits my glove and I close my hand around it. I hear the ump call the out, and sweet victory fills my body.
Take that Miles.
Chapter
Two
Miles
“Man, that out you got today was crazy. I didn’t think you had it,” Ryan exclaims before taking a sip from his beer at our post-game tailgate in the parking lot. The sun is about to set, casting orange and pink hazes across the sky. I take a moment to admire it before answering because sunsets are a guilty pleasure of mine.
“Thanks for inviting me out. I had fun,” I admit, taking a sip from my water because I offered to drive us both. It feels strange to be here, drinking and chatting with Ryan like no time has passed. The rush of being back on the field with my best friend in the town I grew up in is like no other. Sure, I played on my university’s baseball team in Arizona, but it never felt as good as it did today. I might not have the right words to explain the feelings blooming in my chest, but I know who a large portion of this feeling belongs to.
She’s about six feet tall with wavy chocolate hair, deep blue eyes that have hues of grey on the inner part, and a smile that leaves me breathless whenever I’m granted the privilege of seeing it. Which was seldom to none today.
Rylee has given me hints that she’s pissed. I pretty much dropped her from my life eight years ago. It’s understandable, but I’d rather her hate me than forget about our past. At least with anger, feelings are involved. I think her not being affected by my presence at all would hurt a hell of a lot more.
Do you know what hurt more though? Realizing you were into your best friend’s little sister, and you couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Rule number one in the best friend code is the strictly prohibited act of dating one’s sibling. I was 16 when I started looking at Rylee differently before I fucked it up shortly after that. No matter how much it pained me to walk away from her, I felt like I had to do it for Ryan. But Rylee was just as much my best friend as Ryan was which made the whole situation a cluster fuck.
I started ignoring her messages, asked Ryan to go out and do things without her, and kept any interaction we had to blunt, short conversations. It felt fucking awful and ate me up inside, but I had to do it because you can’t break the ‘bro code.’ Now, I’m wondering what the point even was because here I am eight years later, after living away for six of them, and she’s still all I think about. Day in and day out.
And seeing her for the first time today? Holy fuck, I nearly had to ask Ryan to make sure I wasn’t having a heart attack because my entire body felt like it was bursting at the seams with the joy her presence brought me.
Everything around me faded when our eyes connected. Her blue-gray eyes were still as pretty in person as they were in my dreams. She was so goddamn beautiful, and those legs? I was a goner.
Ryan interrupts my train of thought, and thankfully so because the image of Rylee’s long, tan, and defined legs in her knee-high socks and near booty shorts are about to give me a semi-hard on. “Nothing against Jaxon, but I kind of want you to come back every week.”
“Me too, but I think that idea might only have two supporters,” I say. The corners of my lip turn up slightly as I imagine the scowl on Rylee’s face if that were to happen. She confuses me. One minute she’s shooting me the finger and the next, she’s eyeing me up like she wants to memorize every inch of me before going back to hating me all over again. Maybe she had or has feelings for me too…
No, not going to entertain that dream.
Ryan ruffles a hand through his hair before he says, “Yeah, sorry about my sister. I knew she was pissed about the whole high school thing, but I didn’t think she’d drag it out like this.”
I chuckle to ease the tightness in my chest. “Don’t worry man, I deserve it. I was a complete dick to her.” I adjust my hat to avoid looking him in the eye, in case he detects anything.
It’s so goddamn hard to lie to him because of how much I respect and love him and his family. Which brings me back to why I chose to attend a university out of the state in the first place.
To put as much space between Rylee and I as possible, and to stop myself from doing something stupid.
Ryan swipes a hand in the air, dismissing my comment. “If I really thought you were a dick to her, my fist would’ve become well acquainted with your face.”
I can’t help but laugh, and Ryan joins in too. He may be controlling and sometimes too serious, but he is the furthest thing from a fighter. That’s why he became a nurse because deep down, underneath it all, he’s a giant, caring, teddy bear.
I, on the other hand, have wanted to punch out every guy I’ve seen her post pictures with on social media for the last few years. According to Ryan, none of them were her boyfriend. I only know this because I’d always find ways to bring it up in our conversations over the years.
“It was probably a good thing we did that. You know how girls are at that age. She probably would’ve fallen in love with you or something. Could you imagine all that drama?”
Ryan huffs and rolls his eyes before taking another swig of his beer.
I’ve always let Ryan think it was a mutual decision, that we both wanted some space from Rylee to experience high school as “guys.” It was a bullshit excuse, but it helped ease the guilt I felt for the real reason why. The same guilt is easing its way into my system because I’m imagining his words coming to life.
Her being in love with me, running into my arms with that smile and wrapping her legs around my waist–
“I love Ry, but let’s talk about something else,” he suggests, chugging the remainder of his drink. “I literally see her all the time because we live together.”
I knew they lived together in the same house they grew up in because I kept in contact with him over the years. Their parents moved two hours away to Northern Michigan into a spacious cottage overlooking a lake while my parents moved out into a bigger house here just twenty minutes away. I’m aware of the exact distance because I looked up how much space would be between Rylee and I once I came home.
“Although I was excited to get your text yesterday, why the hell did you randomly come back in the first place?” Ryan asks, perplexed. His eyebrow raises in curiosity.
“I came back for Syd. She’s almost due and I want to be there for her,” I answer truthfully, a small smile forming on my face. “I got back yesterday since school ended last week, and I had to tie up some things before I left.”
“Oh right, I should’ve known. You wouldn’t miss that for the world,” he remarks sincerely. “I wish you would’ve visited sooner though, I’ve missed you man.”
I scratch my beard and chuckle. “I’ve missed you too. Coming back made me realize how much I have missed all these years, you know?”
“Makes sense, so what’s your next move?” he asks, getting up and off the tailgate.
I take a closer look at Ryan and thank whatever is above that they don’t look alike. Ryan is the complete opposite of Rylee, with blonde hair, green eyes, and an angular face. The only thing they have in common is their height. Basically, you wouldn’t even know they were related unless they told you.
His question is one I don’t know the answer to. I planned to come home for two months to help Sydney and go back to Arizona before the new school year began. But that plan got shot to hell the moment my eyes landed on Rylee. I don’t think I can do it again - leaving her behind. I need her in my life even if it’s just as friends because the last eight years of my life have been filled with a void that only she can fill. No matter what I did or how happy it made me, I always wanted to share it with someone.
Her.
Sure, I slept around a few times to relieve stress, but I could never bring myself to commit to anyone because they weren’t Rylee. I wonder if Rylee has…fuck. I don’t even want to imagine her with someone else. Jealousy is a bitch. One that’s causing me to curl my fist in an attempt to control the anger threatening to spread throughout my entire body.
“Uhhh, Miles?” Ryan asks awkwardly.
I shake my head. “Sorry, I just truly don’t know my next move. I was thinking, and I…” I pause, because I know if I say what I want to, it’ll be a permanent decision I can’t go back on.
Fuck it.
“I think I’m going to stay here. I already looked into some schools in the area, and there’s an opening for a grade 8 teacher position at Westchester Public School.”
Ryan’s face lights up. “Are you serious?! That is awesome man, I hope you get it. In the meantime, we could seriously use another player. What do you say?”
“Hell yeah, count me in.” I grin and hold my hand out for our signature handshake.
Ryan smirks and follows through with the motions of our ritual.
“This is so great, I can’t wait to tell Ava. Speaking of her, mind if you drive me home now? She’s at the house with Ry, and I miss her,” he says, his cheeks reddening at his admission.
“Wow, I didn’t know you were 25 and married already,” I tease.
“Shut up. You’ll understand it once you find your person,” he remarks as he heads to the passenger side of my truck.
Little does he know, I already found mine. It just happens to be his little sister. I’ve done my best to push it away and ignore it, but I’m done fighting it. I knew it the second I saw her tonight. I can’t stay away anymore. I don’t even know if she feels the same way, and that possibility sends a shiver down my spine despite the eighty-five-degree summer night. But I’m going to give it all I got, starting with getting her to talk to me without her sending me daggers with her eyes.
That should be interesting.
I slide into my truck, close the door, and buckle in. Ryan turns on a country playlist, and I roll the windows down. It’s a beautiful summer night, and we plan to enjoy it the right way. With the windows down, country music playing in the background, and the sun slowly fading in the horizon.
I pull out of the parking lot, and we don’t say a word for the entire ride home, except for our singing. Ryan and I should never quit our day jobs, let’s just say that.
Twenty-five minutes later, I’m turning onto Felix Avenue, the street where I grew up. Suddenly, flashes of memories hit me, and it’s bittersweet. We pass the park wedged between two houses, and I’m reminded of the day we tried teaching Rylee how to rollerblade.
Back then we only had rollerblades and helmets, but not the necessary protection for our knees and elbows. Rylee ended up taking a hard hit on the cement, and her left elbow took most of the blow. Ryan ran back to the house to get their parents while I stayed with her.
I remember her eyes were so wide and scared, and I was scared too. I had no idea what to do. I was only 11, and she was 9. The only thing I could think of doing was to hold her hand like I’d seen my dad do with my mom and squeeze it tightly.
I remember how she smiled down at our joined hands and how it made my heart smile. I started reciting SpongeBob lines I knew she always laughed at, and it did make her laugh, even though I could tell she wanted to cry from the pain. Ryan came running back shortly after with their parents and they took her to the ER.
It turned out to be a simple fracture and only required a sling. I think that’s also what urged Ryan to be a nurse because he hated seeing his sister in pain with no idea of what to do to help.
I felt a similar fear today as I did then when that wickedly fastball was aimed right at her. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it released seconds after hearing she was okay. I knew she could catch it since we taught her how to. But it still didn’t ease the tension I felt coursing through my body whenever the ball was hit or thrown at her. Any mistake could lead to an injury.
How she makes me feel scares the shit out of me. She’s not even mine. Yet.
I pull into their driveway, and nostalgia hits in full force as I take in their house. It still looks exactly the same on the outside while my old home has been completely renovated. It seems like no one ever lived there replaced by some new shiny house. I knew my parents had to fix it up to sell it, but I liked the charm of our old place.
“Thanks for the lift. Do you want to come in for a bit?” Ryan asks, his hand on the door, as eagerness sets in to see his girl.
On the one hand, I want a chance to see Rylee again, but on the other hand, I know today was a lot for me, and her. So, I don’t want to push it any more than I have.
“Let’s catch up tomorrow? I’m a teacher, which means I’ll be free for the next eight weeks.”
“Yeah, and I work at the hospital, which means I’m never free,” he jokes, then continues, “Tomorrow actually works though. I have an early shift, so come over anytime after four.”
“Sounds good. See you then man,” I say, waving him off as he hops out of the truck.
“Drive safe,” he yells over his shoulder as he runs up the porch steps to get into the house. The blinds are drawn so I can’t see anything inside the house. God, I sound like a stalker, but you’d be the same way if you hadn’t seen the girl you like in years.
Girl I like?
Who am I kidding? I love her, and I’ve known it since I was 16 years old.
Chapter
Three
Rylee
My alarm goes off at six. I groan and roll over to hit the stop button. Tuesdays are the worst, did you know that? I like Mondays because they’re a fresh start to the week and because of baseball, but Tuesdays are just a reminder that you still have four more days to go.
I get out of bed and change before heading to my yoga mat. My daily routine throughout the summer consists of: wake up at six, do yoga for 45 mins, shower, eat and be ready to leave for work by eight. Ava and I work at Bob’s Marina, which has the best view of Lake Michigan you can find. We run an eight-week volleyball camp through the week, where we teach kids how to play with some fun social skills-building games.
Ava slept over last night, so I don’t have to pick her up like usual, which will give us extra time to get Starbucks this morning. Thank goodness, because I need it. I tossed and turned all night as sleep evaded me at every turn. If you think Miles was the reason behind my lack of sleep, then you’d be right.
