Chapter 22

Once the game ended and all the other fans had cleared out, the big field lights switched off, leaving Gina and me in complete darkness.

Gina looked around. "You sure he wanted you here and not by the car?"

I held up the baseball a little leaguer had delivered with the words Don't Move in black marker.

She switched on her phone's light. "Well, I'm not leaving you alone."

"Thanks, Mom, but I'll be okay," I assured her.

"I know you will," she said, and for some reason I knew she meant in all aspects of my life and not just in that moment.

The field house door swung open and a bunch of the players poured out, rowdy and loud. In the light of Gina's phone, Cody spotted us on the hill and made his way over. Gina stood and launched herself into his arms. "Good game!"

He laughed. "Thanks, babe."

She giggled as he placed her down.

Cody looked to me. "Crew should be out in a minute. He's talking to Coach."

I nodded.

"We'll wait," Gina offered again.

"Go," I urged. "He'll be out soon."

Gina contemplated it.

"Go," I repeated.

"Call me if you need me," she said.

"Okay."

Cody dropped his arm over her shoulder and walked them toward the exit.

I lay back on the grass and stared up at the sky. With the darkness all around and no nearby lights obstructing my view, stars speckled the sky like a beautiful work of art. I tried to make out the different constellations—at least the few I knew—and they popped amongst all the others.

"You make a wish?" Crew asked.

"Maybe." I didn't sit up. "How'd you see me?"

"You stand out no matter where you are."

"You and your lines."

He laughed as he sat down beside me. "What'd you wish for?"

"That I'd meet some hot baseball player this summer and he'd—" My words were cut off by his lips sealing over mine. At first the kiss was slow, but then he climbed on top of me and caged me in with his elbows on either side of my head and the kiss deepened.

He eventually pulled back, giving us both a minute to catch our breaths. Even in the darkness, I could see the flush to his cheeks. "That's what you were gonna say, right? You'd meet some hot baseball player, and he'd kiss you so good it would erase all others from your memory."

"You would think that."

"Tell me I'm wrong."

I shrugged, not about to feed his ego even if it was the truth.

"Well, finish your thought then," he said, rolling off of me and laying on his back beside me to stare at the stars.

"I was looking for constellations. Not making childish wishes."

"It's not childish to wish on a star. Don't you make a wish when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake?"

"They never came true. So, I stopped making them."

His head dropped to the side so he could see me. "Seriously?"

I met his gaze. "Seriously."

"Well, that's just sad."

I shrugged.

"Your birthday's in September, right?"

"The twenty-fifth. When's yours?"

"June eighth."

"Sorry I missed it," I said.

"You didn't know me then," he said. "And, you were out living your best life."

"You make it sound better than it actually was."

"I thought you had fun until your friend ditched you."

"I missed the beach. And American food. And familiar faces."

"But then you got home and had to deal with an annoying roommate."

I laughed.

His fingers found mine in the space between us. "I'm sorry it didn't turn out how you wanted. But for me, it's been the best summer ever."

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"I played baseball. Lived in a killer house on the ocean. Met a gorgeous girl. And kicked her ass at baseball."

"That never happened."

He sat up, pulling me up with him. "It's about to." He stood and tugged me to my feet. He wore slides but was still in his uniform, the knees of his pant stained with dirt—a testament to the gritty player he was. He picked up his baseball backpack, careful not to hit me with the two bats standing up on either side of it, and led me to the field.

"I never said I could play," I said.

He hooked his bag to the fence outside the dugout and pulled out a bat and ball. "I bet you can."

"Is this what you wanted to do with me?"

He turned to face me. "Sure is."

"I'll take the picnic."

He laughed as he handed me the bat. "You're hitting first." He grabbed his glove then walked halfway to the pitcher's mound and stopped.

"I can barely see you," I argued.

"Well, I can see you. And this ball's white, so you should have no trouble seeing it."

"Great," I grumbled under my breath as I walked to home plate.

"Do you know how to stand?" he called to me.

"If I say no, will you come stand behind me and help me?" I asked, my eyes slowly getting accustomed to the darkness.

I could see the faint trace of a smile on his face. "If you need me to."

"Such a guy." I got into my batting stance and readied up.

"You ready?" he asked.

"The question is are you ready?"

He laughed then tossed an underhand pitch right over the plate. I let it go by.

"You're supposed to swing," he called as the ball bounced to the backstop.

"I didn't like the pitch."

"It was a perfect pitch," he argued.

"Well, I didn't like it."

He laughed as I ran to the backstop and retrieved the ball, tossing it back to him. "You ready?" he asked again.

I stepped up to the plate and got back into my batting stance. "Yup."

He again tossed an underhand pitch right over the plate.

I swung the bat, connecting with the ball and hitting it over his head into the outfield. He twisted around and watched it land between centerfield and right field. I dropped the bat and ran toward first base.

"You're a fucking ringer?"

I laughed as I rounded first base. "You just gonna stand there?" I called as I continued running toward second base. "Because you should probably go get the ball if you don't want me to have an in-the-park-home-run."

He began jogging, but instead of running toward the ball, he ran toward me rounding second. I squealed as he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me right off my feet, tossing me over his shoulder. My laughter filled the air.

"I can't believe you can play."

"Did you bring me out here hoping I couldn't?"

"I thought I could teach you a thing or two."

"Such a show off."

He placed me back down on my feet. "I should've known."

"I played softball until college. Have I never mentioned that?" I asked innocently.

"Um, I think you neglected to mention that."

"Well, I can pretend I don't know how to play."

"Nah. I wanna see what else you can do."

"It's still a fair ball, right?"

"You clearly know it is," he said.

I turned away from him and took off for third base so I could finish my home run trot.

"What the hell!" he called as he finally took off after the ball.