The wrong man, p.9
The Wrong Man, page 9
I wasn’t sure if she hadn’t said anything because she regretted our kiss or because she still saw it as a way to make Drew jealous. And I knew I hadn’t said anything because I was holding onto her for the rest of the summer and I couldn’t face the rejection if she didn’t want anything more with me.
“Morning, Valerie,” I murmured against her head, pulling her tight against my chest. And I think I audibly sighed in relief when she leaned forward, resting her chin against my sternum.
“I guess I know which beautiful face that smile was for now,” Noah teased, his eyes glinting with joy as he watched us embrace.
“Did you think it was yours?” Elena joked, Noah turning toward her with a biting smile.
And for the rest of the morning, I felt content, Valerie in my arms, as we listened to our two best friends' banter all throughout breakfast.
* * *
“You seem happier,” Noah said as we set up the volleyball net for a game.
“I am. A lot happier,” I told him honestly, sticking the pole into the soft sand until I felt it was secure.
“Is it because of the sexy woman you couldn’t stop touching all morning?”
I knew he was teasing, but I wondered if Valerie could tell I couldn’t stop touching her. If she could, she sure didn’t seem to mind, not moving away from me all morning until we all got ready to hit the beach.
“Partly,” I admitted before continuing. “But meeting her, I also realized, there’s a whole world outside of baseball. Helped me accept that it came to an end.”
Nodding, Noah started stringing up the net before responding, “I’m glad you got there. I don’t think I’ll be there for a while, though.”
“You will eventually,” I promised, Valerie’s laugh drawing my attention her way.
And I knew my words were true because all it took was the small moments with Valerie for me to realize that there was beauty in simplicity. Training and playing every day was a rush, but there was never any downtime. Never any time to just sit and eat ice cream with the pretty girl you were crushing on.
“Alright.” Noah clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this game going.”
His words echoed around the beach and our group gathered at the net, Thomas holding the ball in his hands.
“Who wants to be captain?” Noah asked, taking on the leadership role in a group of strangers.
“How about you two so the pro athletes can’t be on the same team?” Drew added, stepping up to the group and flinging an arm around Valerie and Elena.
I didn’t miss the way his eyes flickered down Valerie’s body, his arm pulling her in tighter. And although I tried to live a life with few regrets, I immediately regretted the day I vowed to make Drew jealous because now that it was working, I wanted him to see Valerie the same way he always had. As a friend.
“Sounds good to me. Henderson, you got first choice,” Noah gestured toward our group and I surveyed the crowd, presented with a dilemma.
On the one hand, I wanted Valerie on my team, solely to spend time with her. On the other hand, I was too competitive to lose to Noah. And after the epic disaster of bags, I couldn’t imagine that she was much better at volleyball.
“Elena,” I said, pointing at the petite blonde. I had seen her play a few games and wakeboard behind the boat, enough to know that she was athletic.
“Drew,” Noah pointed.
The two of us went back and forth until there were just two left. Jameson, another one of Drew’s friends from college, and Valerie. It was my pick and I was back with the same dilemma. But when Valerie squinted one eye, her entire face scrunching in what looked like pain, I knew she was giving me the wink to choose Jameson.
“Jameson,” I finally stated, and Noah looked at me curiously, probably wondering why I hadn’t chosen the woman I was drooling over.
“Valerie, you can join the winning side,” Noah told her, and she grimaced at his words.
Their team walked to the other side of the net, so I couldn’t hear what Valerie was saying to Noah, but when he sent a glare my way, I figured she was letting him in on the minor detail that she sucked at sports.
We set up in teams of five, Noah’s team starting with the serve since I picked first. All of us volleyed back and forth for a while, each only scoring a few points. Noah’s team had successfully hidden Valerie from getting a single ball, but she was now up to serve. I bit my tongue as she stood at the line, quizzically looking at the ball as if it was alien.
Looking to my side, I saw Elena holding in her own laughter, both of us trying to be supportive even though it was more than likely she would miserably fail. The two of us shared a smile and then Elena cupped her hands over her mouth, shouting to Valerie.
“You got this, Val! Just don’t follow through too much.”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laughing, Valerie holding the ball against her hip, her free hand flipping us the middle finger, which only made us both laugh harder.
But when Drew stepped up to her, wrapping his arm around hers to try to show her the correct form, my laughter died off. And now I was adding another regret to my list because I should have just picked her for my team.
Drew whispered in Valerie’s ear, the blush I loved dotting her cheeks, and I wanted to rush under the net and grab her in my arms. Of course, I didn’t do that, knowing that if Valerie was ever going to have a chance to see a future with anyone but Drew, she needed to experience these feelings with him.
Finally, Drew dropped his arms, heading back to his spot, allowing Valerie to serve. Holding the ball in her left hand, she swung her right arm back, connecting with the ball, and I watched with bated breath as it arced through the air. And when it miraculously went over the net, I couldn’t contain my pride, a large grin splitting my face, twin to Elena’s smile.
Technically, the ball went out of bounds, but that didn’t matter when it came to Valerie. And I could see her own excitement across the court, her smile radiant as the sun. Elena started whooping loudly, Noah adding in his own whistle.
Drew ran over to her, scooping her up in his arms, whispering in her ear once again, her smile growing wider. And even though it seemed like everything she had hoped for this summer was falling into place, I couldn’t find any happiness. Because all I wished was for my arms to be the ones she smiled like that in.
Chapter Twenty
Valerie
A knock on the door woke me up. The sun hadn’t risen yet, the room still awash in darkness. Glancing to my side, I saw Elena curled up in a ball, still sleeping. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I climbed out of bed, wondering who was at the door. Part of me wondered if it was Miller ready to suggest another adventure, but instead, Drew’s face met me on the other side.
“What time is it?” I asked him around a yawn.
“Almost five in the morning,” he answered, and I briefly wondered if he was insane. No person in their right mind wanted to wake up this early on summer vacation.
But then Drew held up two flashlights and I knew what his plan was. Every winter break as kids, our parents would take us south to the beach. And they would look up the low tide schedule, keeping us up as late as necessary or waking up as early, just so we could search for shells while the tide was at its lowest.
It was an experience we hadn’t down since freshmen year of college and I realized it was as fond of a memory to Drew as it was to me. Holding up a finger for him to give me one minute, I shut the door quietly, quickly changing and making sure I didn’t wake Elena.
Drew and I made our way silently through the house, both of us running down the beach like little kids once again. The wet sand dug into my toes as we reached the water, the tide far back. But we knew from experience that the water would flood back again in a few hours, which was why we were up so early.
With flashlights in hand, we dug through the sand, walking further away from the house every few minutes, grabbing different shells. After about an hour, the sun was dyeing the sky pink, just popping over the horizon.
Drew and I had handfuls of shells, holding them tight against our chests as we made our way back to the house. Sitting on the porch, we dropped the shells onto the wooden planks, separating them into piles.
Some were exquisite pieces of nature’s work and those went in a pile to keep. Others that were cracked or covered in debris were sorted into another pile to bring back to the beach, giving back to the ocean what was once there.
“I think I won,” Drew whispered with a grin, holding up a large conch shell.
Another pastime our parents had introduced us to was who could find the largest shell during our search. And even though Drew hadn’t mentioned it, I knew he would plan to participate. Which was why I had hidden a shell behind my back that he couldn’t see.
Reaching behind me, I grabbed the enormous trumpet shell I had found in our last moments, holding it up triumphantly. Drew’s face fell, a pout forming on his lips, my giggles echoing on the silent beach.
“How do you find the biggest shell every single time?” Drew lamented, making me giggle louder.
“I had to make up for the fact I could never win any of the beach games.”
Drew agreed with my statement, looking through my pile of keep shells and telling me which was his favorite. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, just soaking in each other’s company, but eventually some of the others began walking out of the house, coffee in their hands.
“Brings back a lot of memories, doesn’t it?” Drew asked as he gathered our shells, making a makeshift bag out of his t-shirt.
His words were true, these moments together did bring back a lot of memories. A lot of good memories. And those memories were partially why I was still infatuated with him. But when I found my eyes looking up to the second floor where I knew Miller was staying, I wondered if memories were the only thing I was holding on to.
Reaching a hand out for me, Drew helped me up, not letting go once I was standing. I stared at where our hands connected, feeling a spark that I had longed to feel for so many years.
“Want to go get breakfast? I’m thinking pancakes,” Drew said, leading me into the house and setting our shells on the kitchen counter.
Agreeing with him, the two of us headed out the front door, Drew mentioning a nearby diner that he swore served the best pancakes in the world. And I couldn’t help that I glanced at the house once again as we backed out, wondering if Miller would have had a plan for us if I had stayed behind.
Chapter Twenty-One
Miller
“Come on, man, we’re heading out,” Noah tapped the back of my head, taking my attention away from where Valerie and Elena were lounging on the sand.
Valerie had disappeared somewhere with Drew this morning and I was planning on trying to get her to spend some time with me the rest of the day. Clearly, Noah had other plans, nearly dragging me from my chair.
“Where are we going?” I asked, but Noah said nothing.
Knowing he wouldn’t budge, I followed him begrudgingly to his Jeep, hopping into the passenger seat. Noah turned on the music when we took off, refusing to let me ask any questions about our destination. And when we pulled up to an outdoor adventure place with mini golf and go-karts, I was even more confused.
“Are we going to mini golf?” I asked. “You could have just said you wanted to spend time with me.”
“Even better,” Noah grinned, heading toward the counter to pay.
When we bypassed the mini golf and go-karts, I felt the weight on my chest at our destination. The batting cages sat before us, little kids swinging and missing as the balls were shot at them. Shaking my head, I immediately turned around, but Noah grabbed the collar of my shirt, stopping me.
“When’s the last time you touched a baseball?” Noah asked, brows raised, and I knew he already knew the answer.
“Not since I was injured,” I admitted under my breath, but Noah heard anyway.
“Exactly. You seem better, but I know you. And you can’t just put baseball behind you. Guys like you and me? We breathe baseball. So you’re going to get in that cage and remember how it felt to play.”
Wanting to say no and run away, Noah stared me down, his arms crossed. There was no way he was letting me walk out of this place without at least hitting one ball.
“Fine.” I kicked the ground like a child throwing a fit, going to the attendant and grabbing a bat and helmet.
As a starting pitcher, I hadn’t hit in the majors. But the feel of the bat in my hands felt familiar, years of practice and games hitting me at once. Pain mingled with the fond memories and I knew that I needed this. It was one thing to say that I accepted my career ending and another to acknowledge it.
“Batter up,” Noah clapped my shoulder, pushing me into the cage.
Setting the controls, I readied for the balls, gripping the bat as I relaxed my elbows, holding my hands at my ear. The first ball came flying out and I felt the phantom ache in my elbow, even though it had been months since the pain had disappeared. Taking a deep breath, I connected square with the ball, sending it flying.
I heard Noah’s resounding whoop behind me, my chest easing as a wide grin spread across my cheeks. This was what I loved to do, the game I loved to play. And just because I could no longer be one of the bests, didn’t mean I needed to give it up entirely.
Hitting around fifty more balls, Noah eventually joined me. His hits were stronger than mine, although they always had been, so I didn’t feel that familiar twinge of regret when I watched him. After an hour of hitting, we decided to stop, heading to the food counter to grab some hot dogs and drinks.
“How did it feel?” Noah asked around a bite of food.
“Felt like something I can’t walk away from.”
Pointing at me with an I knew it look, Noah said, “Which is exactly why we’re here. I can’t let my best friend walk away from the one thing he loves.”
Shoving the rest of his hot dog in his mouth, he ate quickly, washing it down with a drink. I followed suit, forgetting how hungry I got after playing.
“Now,” Noah swallowed one more time, “how about I kick your ass in some go-karts?”
“You wish,” I responded, jumping from the table and racing Noah to the line, more akin to the kids running around than the adults we were.
Waiting in line, Noah kept jabbing me in the stomach, making snide remarks about how he would kick my ass. Shaking my head but enjoying the normalcy of being around my friend, I pushed in front of him when we got to the front of the line, making sure I had first choice of karts.
“Doesn’t matter, reds my favorite color,” he remarked as he took the kart behind me.
The countdown began and I shouted for Noah to eat my dust, slamming on the gas as I did. The kart sped up, Noah yelling behind me as we cruised the track. He kept trying to pass me on the curves, but I maneuvered so that he couldn’t pass.
Our final lap approached, Noah inches from the back of my kart and my eyes were on the finish line, already ready to rub it in his face. However, seconds before we crossed, I felt the connection of our karts, both of us spinning out in opposite directions.
The other dozen of riders passed both of us, a worker with a gnarly frown walking our way. Noah struggled to hold back his lip, my own stupid grin pressing against my lips, knowing we were about to get chewed out by this teenager.
“You aren’t allowed to bump each other. I’m going to have to ask you both to leave the go-kart area,” the teen boy said, his hands on his hips, probably to make him look more authoritative.
“Yes sir,” Noah said, saluting the employee, which finally had a laugh spilling from my mouth.
The ride attendant continued to glare at us as we scampered off the track, both of us bent over laughing as we made our way back to the parking lot. When we reached the Jeep, my laugh had faded to chuckles and I laid a hand on Noah’s shoulder.
“Thank you for today. I really needed it.”
“No need to thank me for getting your head out of your ass. I’ll do that anytime you need it.” He hopped into the car before continuing, “Now let’s head back to your girl.”
Not needing to be told twice, I climbed into my seat, ready to get back. Because even though she wasn’t my girl yet, I fully planned for her to be soon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Valerie
Two days later and I was still giddy over the volleyball game. For one, I never thought I would get the ball over the net. Sure, it was the only one I had gotten over. And the few balls the others couldn’t get to first had mostly hit me in the chest, but I had gotten it over.
And when Drew had drawn me into his arms, the heat in his gaze impossible to miss, it had felt like everything I had ever wished for was falling into place. And after our morning together on the beach, I remembered all the reasons I had fallen in love with him. But those feelings felt like a spark compared to the flame when I was in Miller’s orbit and it had me doubting everything. Had me thinking that maybe I was in the wrong man’s arms.
Deciding to take Elena’s advice, I figured it wasn’t fair to Miller, Drew, or me to not give the future a chance, instead of holding onto the past. Which was why I had called the Southern California Marine Institute and asked if I could visit for the day. They had been more than willing to accommodate, reminding me that they were so excited for me to start in five weeks.
And that deadline, five weeks, had my brain scrambling. At the start of the summer, it had seemed like we had so much time. But now five weeks had passed and there were only five weeks left. Five weeks before real life started.
“What are you doing?” I whispered into Miller’s ear, his body jolting in shock.
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He asked, grabbing my waist and setting me on his lap.
“Are you sixty?” I teased, his eyes rolling as he gently nudged my cheek with his knuckles.
“As you can see, I was resting my eyes. Noah’s still sleeping, probably enjoying not having to wake up for training or a game day.”
