12. Cat

12

CAT

I was still catching my breath when Cleo finally nodded. "What do you want?"

Not wanting to rub it in, I tried to keep my face from forming a goofy smile that I knew would piss them off. "I came here to apologize."

"Well, that's rich." Cleo rolled their eyes and slowly brushed past me, no longer trying to escape me. As they moved, a waft of old books and fresh-cut flowers filled my nose. I still wasn't sure how they managed to smell so intoxicating.

I followed them to the stack of books I'd set on the floor. "I'm serious. I'm sorry I ditched you."

Cleo scoffed as they turned to look at me. "That's the best you've got? Ditched me is an interesting way to describe it."

Shrugging, I raised my hands in surrender. "I know I was a dick, okay? But I'm here to own it."

"Then own it." Cleo's chest heaved as they tried to catch their breath.

Watching them, I could see how badly I'd hurt them. Even years later, they wanted me to explain the gory details; to spill my guts on the wood floors of this family bookstore.

I sighed. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good girlfriend in the end. I let my fame get the best of me." Even as the words left my mouth, I knew it wasn't enough. It wasn't the whole truth. But I wasn't sure we'd ever be able to talk about that, that it wasn't entirely my fault.

Before they could press harder, I got closer. "Look, I need your help. I'm basically begging you. My career is a mess and I can't get back in shape after this stupid fucking injury." Just saying the words, I felt the ache in my shoulder radiating out.

"But you trained me in high school, you practiced with me in college. You made me the player I was. And I need to get back there." My throat tightened as the words left my lips. A part of me feared that without them, I'd never step foot on a softball field again.

Cleo let out a sigh as they filed books onto the shelf. It was clear they had a meticulous system, each book fitting in the exactly correct spot. They pulled each book toward the front of the shelf, making sure all of the spines were lined up.

They didn't say anything for a minute.

In an attempt to fill the silence, I looked around the store. "It's weird to see you run the shop."

Cleo froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. But they kept moving toward the back of the store to put away another book.

Following behind them, I bit the inside of my cheek. "We used to hang out here all the time. Even before we started to date."

A light chuckle escaped Cleo's lips as they refused to look at me. "My poor parents. We were terrors."

"You were a terror, I was polite as hell." I couldn't stop the smirk from taking over my face.

When Cleo turned around to roll their eyes at me, a smile played at their cheeks.

So my charm does still work on them, even now? I tried to calm the part of me that was excited, not just to have a way to get their help. But the part that wanted them to look at me the same way they did when we were teenagers.

Even now, with their shoulder-grazing bob, they still had the same sarcastic look when they got annoyed with me.

They filed away the last book, rubbing their hands together as they looked around the store.

My eyes caught on the vintage chairs in the back corner of the store, creating a cozy reading nook. I still remembered how it felt, the old leather rubbing against my sweaty thighs, watching Cleo read in the chair opposite me over the edges of my selection.

"We had our first kiss over there." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Cleo swallowed hard, loud enough for me to hear from a few feet away. "I know."

Shaking my head, I rubbed the back of my neck. "Sorry."

Instead of answering, they just raised their eyebrows and headed back to the desk. A part of me wondered if the spot haunted them; if looking at those chairs every day stung. I'd been able to get away from every reminder of them. Anything I saw on their socials was a choice, something I decided to torture myself with.

But this store, this town, they couldn't walk away like I had.

"So what exactly are you asking me?" Cleo hopped up onto their stool at the counter, leaning on the palms of their hands with suspicious eyes.

I nodded. "Right." Sucking in more air, I bit my lip. "I need you to train me."