Play Nice (Make the Play Book 3) (14 page)

I’m dumbfounded. “Your biggest fear about jumping out of a plane is that it would mess up your hair?”

“I just meant that the whole thing is unflattering.”

“Gotcha.” I chuckle. “How come you haven’t done this online channel thing? You’d be great at it. All the girls at our school have been copying your style for years. Why not have all of the girls in cyberspace doing it?”

“That’s just it.” She wrinkles her nose. “You said yourself that you thought I was bad ass. The reason the girls copy me is because they’re scared of me.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s true. I mean, yeah, they probably were scared of you.” I smile. “But even now most of them dress like you.”

She ponders this, her face lighting up. “You’re right. They totally do.”

“You are the prettiest girl at our school.”

“Do you really think so?”

I nod.

“Even prettier than Talia?”

“Yeah.”

“Liar.” She swats me in the arm.

“I’m not lying, Ash.” I tilt my head and look deeply into her eyes. “I need you to trust me. I won’t lie to you.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

I was wrong to think that Hayes wasn’t as good-looking as Cal or Josh. The more time I spend with him, the more attractive he becomes. When he picked me up this morning wearing his baseball cap low on his forehead, dark jeans and a tight grey t-shirt that molded to his muscles, he stole my breath. I always thought of Hayes as a hefty guy, and I saw it as a negative thing. Underneath his shirts, I assumed there was nothing but flab. I stand corrected. Now that I’ve touched his chest, I know that it is rock solid. He’s not the fattest guy on the team. He’s the strongest. The most muscular.

And he’s mine.

As he drives me to school, I study his profile - his strong jaw and long lashes.

“What?” He whips his head toward me.

“You have really long eyelashes for a guy,” I say. “If I were to put mascara on them, they’d be to die for.”

“Don’t even think about it,” he warns.

I laugh. “Well, then don’t ever fall asleep around me.”

“Is that a threat, McIntosh?”

“Oh, no. It’s a promise, Parker.”

He chuckles, shaking his head.

“What?” I goad him. “No comeback?”

“Trust me. I’ve got plenty of them,” he says. “I’m just trying to keep it PG.”

Hayes is the first guy I’ve dated who doesn’t constantly cross the line with me. He’s never even broached the subject of sex. Not only that but he doesn’t make sex jokes all the time. And I appreciate it. I’m known as the school slut, so most guys date me because of that. And once we go out they think they have every right to talk to me in disgusting ways. But Hayes isn’t like that. He respects me. He honors me. Even in his jokes.

Hayes pulls into the school parking lot and finds an empty space. When we get out of the car, Brady and Chase spot us and walk in our direction. After they greet Hayes, they say hi to me as well. It’s still a little awkward around the baseball players, but it’s getting easier every day. It does help that I’ve never gone out with Brady or Chase.

“So you coming to the party on Friday night or you gonna skip out again?” Brady asks Hayes.

“Dude, you’ve gotta go. It’s gonna be off the hook,” Chase adds.

Hayes threads his fingers through mine. “I don’t think so, guys.”

“C’mon, man,” Brady begs. “It’s more fun when you’re there.”

He’s saying no for me, and it causes my stomach to churn. “Go ahead and go if you want to,” I encourage him.

“See, even your girl is telling you to go,” Brady says.

“Only if you come too,” Hayes says.

This is new. Josh would forbid me from going with him when we were dating. In my experience, guys want their girlfriends to steer clear of “guy time.”

“I don’t know,” I answer. It’s not that I don’t think it’ll be fun with Hayes, but he’ll want to go off with his friends at some point, and then what will I do? I don’t want to be some clingy, needy girlfriend hanging on his arm the entire time. He’ll feel smothered.

Emmy parks near us and her and Taylor walk past. The nervous feeling I always get around her descends into the pit of my stomach.

“Emmy!” Brady calls out. “You’re coming to the party on Friday, right?”

She walks toward us, Taylor trailing her like a shadow. Her eyebrows knit together. “Why would I go to the party? Chris is gone, remember?”

“So? That doesn’t mean you can’t get out and have fun,” Brady says. Then he glances at Taylor. “You should come too.”

Hayes nudges him in the side with his elbow. “Dude,” he whispers harshly.

What the hell is that about?

“Oh, yeah.” Taylor rubs her swollen belly. “I’m totally gonna go to a party like this.” Emmy giggles.

“Emmy,” Hayes speaks up, surprising me. “Brady’s right. You should come. You can go with Ashley.”

My entire body goes hot, and I literally can’t feel my legs. My heartbeat is so loud I fear everyone can hear it. I throw Hayes a shocked look, but he smiles and nods like what he’s doing is cool.

“Um…no, I think I’m good,” Emmy speaks slowly, and her words pierce my heart.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” Hayes presses. “Ashley’s been saying that she wants to reconnect with you. It’ll be the perfect opportunity.”

Seriously? He did not just say that. Doesn’t he realize how embarrassing this is? He’s giving her the green light to reject me in front of all these people. I don’t get it. Yanking my hand out from his, I stalk off. He hollers after me, but I keep walking.

“Ashley!” It’s Emmy’s voice that ultimately stops me.

I slowly spin on my heels, ready for her to gloat. Put me in my place. Crossing my arms over my chest, I wait for it.

“What Hayes said back there? Was that true?” She asks.

I want to lie, but I know that won’t help my case. Besides, there is something in her eyes I can’t quite place, but it looks like hope. Could it be that she’s wanting to reconnect too? “Yes, it’s true.” The words cut my throat as I force them out.

She stares at me as if trying to decipher whether or not I’m telling the truth. “Hayes seems to think you’ve changed.”

“And what do you think?”

“I want to believe him, but after what you did to me, I’m not sure. I’ve seen you in action. I know you’re a good actress.”

Biting my lip, I nod. “I told Hayes it was a long shot.”

She narrows her eyes. “You share a lot with Hayes, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“The Ashley I knew was pretty closed off,” Emmy points out.

“Hard to be open when you’re pretending to be someone you’re not,” I say. “Look, Em. I know what I did to you sucked. I was a bitch, okay? And I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. But it would be really cool if we could, maybe…I don’t know…start over?”

Students barrel past us, voices bouncing around like a volleyball over our heads. But it’s like Emmy doesn’t even notice with the intensity in which she stares at me. I half-expect her head to explode from how hard she’s wrestling with this. Holding my breath, I wait for her response.

“I’m probably really going to regret this, but fine. We can give it a try.” I squeal and throw my arms around her neck. She doesn’t return the hug. In fact, she stiffens in my arms. Feeling stupid, I draw back. “Don’t let me down again. I don’t give third chances.”

I nod eagerly. “So what are you gonna wear on Friday night?”

“Oh, no. I’m not going to that party.”

“Pretty please,” I plead.

“I see your annoying begging skills haven’t changed,” she says dryly.

“Hayes really wants me to go, but I don’t want to go without a girlfriend. Then I’ll be hanging on his arm the whole time.” I lean in close to her. “Could be fun. You always liked the baseball parties.”

“No.
You
always liked the baseball parties. I liked staying home.”

“Unless Chris was there.” I smile.

“Yeah, that’s another thing. Chris’ll never say yes to me going to a party without him.”

“Just ask. He may surprise you,” I say.

“I doubt it. You know how jealous Chris is.”

“I also know how much you love him. You’d never cheat on him. I’m sure he knows that.”

She eyes me funny. “The old Ashley never would’ve said something like that.”

“Hayes will be there to protect you if anything happens,” I press on. “And I promise I won’t leave you or anything. It’ll be fun.”

Emmy sighs. “One minute into us being friends again and you’re already talking me into stuff.”

My heart leaps. “So you’ll go?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Same diff.” Winking, I step around Emmy and make my way into the school hallway. “Talk to you later, Em.” I pass Taylor and she gives me a funny look, but I smile at her. I’m still not sure what I think about Taylor, but she’s Emmy’s friend, so I need to make nice with her.

“Ash.” Hayes hurries in my direction. “Hey.” When he reaches me, he slides his hands up my arms. “I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have gotten involved. I was just trying to help.”

“And you did,” I say brightly. “Emmy’s gonna think about going to the party on Friday night with me.”

“So I didn’t screw up?”

“Oh, no. You screwed up.” I’m not letting him off the hook that easily. “But I fixed it, so we’re good.”

He shrugs, leaning in for a kiss. “As long as we’re good.”

I’m off my game today. Brady shouts words of encouragement from the dugout as another pitch comes at me. I swing hard, but I miss. Cursing under my breath, I shake my head. What the hell is wrong with me? Glancing into the bleachers, I find Ashley sitting in the front row. She offers a sweet nod, and I’m grateful for it. But I can’t help wishing for someone else. My grandpa’s absence is wearing on me. However, I don’t think it’s only his absence. I think it’s what it represents. He’s getting older, and he won’t be around forever. His fall drove that home, and it scares me.

When I strike out, I drop the bat and jog back to the dugout feeling like a failure. My shoulders slump as I head down to the bench.

I sit next to Brady, and he nudges me in the side. “You okay, buddy?”

“Yeah,” I lie, rolling my shoulders. “Just tired.”

“Ashley’s wearing you out, huh?” Josh waggles his eyebrows at me, and it turns my stomach. “She’s a firecracker in the bedroom, that one. I think it’s all that pent up aggression.”

My chest tightens. “Stop talkin’ about her that way.”

“C’mon, it’s no secret. I mean, most of the guys in this dugout have firsthand knowledge of what that girl can do.” He smiles, looking around. “Am I right? I mean, we’ve shared her, so now we can share about her.”

I leap up, red hot anger coursing through my veins. “This is your last warning. Not. Another. Word.”

“Why ya getting so mad? I’m saying your girl is good in the sack. It’s a compliment,” Josh says.

“I told you to shut the hell up about her,” I growl.

He peers up at me smugly. “Ah, I see. You haven’t been with her yet, have you?”

I shove my finger into his chest. “You have no idea when to shut your damn mouth, do you?”

“Hayes.” Brady’s hand is on my arm. “C’mon, man. You don’t wanna do this.”

“Yeah, don’t be mad at me just because your girl isn’t giving it up,” Josh says with a sick smile.

At his words, the fire inside me withers. He has no idea what Ashley gives me. Our relationship is so much deeper than sex. It’s why I’ve been able to overlook the fact that she’s been with so many guys on the team. Does it suck? Yes, it does. I am a guy, and it hurts my pride a little. But I know that all Ashley gave them was her body. Nothing more. In so many ways, I’m her first. The first guy who’s seen who she really is underneath all her pretending and scheming.

Stepping back, I say, “What Ashley and I do in private, stays private. She’s a girl, not my property. And I’m certainly not going to share with the whole damn baseball team what we do. Because unlike you, I respect her. She means something to me.” I glare at him in disgust. “I feel sorry for you. You have no idea what it’s like to connect with someone. You only know how to use. It must be a pretty sucky life you have, huh, Joshy?”

“At least I get some.” Josh smiles.

His words only confirm what I know to be true about him. I shake off Brady’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hit him. He’s not worth it.”

Glancing up, my breath catches in my throat. Ashley stands on the other side of the dugout, her face visible through the fence. Her lips quiver, her eyes wide.
Shit
.

I whirl around, heading out of the dugout.

Brady grabs me by the arm. “Hayes, man, what are you doing? It’s the middle of the game.”

I yank my arm out of his grasp. “I’ll be back. Cover for me.”

“What?” He reels back, perplexed, as I tear out of the dugout. But I don’t have time to explain. I have to get to Ashley. I don’t know how much she heard, but I have to do damage control. Man, the way Josh was talking about her was disgusting. She must be sickened.

Commotion sounds behind me, but I ignore it. I’m sure when Coach Hopkins notices I left I’m going to get my ass chewed out, but I can’t think about that right now. All I care about is making sure Ashley’s all right. She’s more fragile than people realize, and she’s barely hanging on right now. I’m afraid this will push her over the edge.

Rounding the backside of the dugout, I find Ashley standing in the grass looking shell-shocked. Her expression cuts to my heart, and I rush forward.

“Ashley,” I start, ready to apologize, to offer words of comfort. Anything to make her feel better. But I don’t get the chance. Before I can say anything, her hands come up to frame my face and her mouth closes firmly over mine. Her hands are ice cold, her body trembling. But her kiss is steady, sure. She doesn’t skip a beat as she draws my face closer with her palms. Our tongues meld together in a sensual dance as our mouths move in sync. My arms circle her tiny waist, and she moves so close that our chests press together. I can feel her heartbeat mingling with mine. I want nothing more than to stand here all day kissing my girl. But I hear the team taking the field. Worse, I hear my name being called out by Coach. My stomach bottoms out, and I reluctantly tear my lips from Ashley’s.

“Thank you,” Ashley breathes.

Her words stun me. “For what?”

“For the things you said in there.” Her smile is pained.

“Ash, what Josh was saying, that was--”

“I don’t care what he said. I only care what you said, and that was beautiful. No one’s ever defended me like that before.” Her smile fades. “But I am sorry that I put you in that situation.”

“You didn’t. Josh did,” I say firmly.

“I don’t deserve you.” I open my mouth to protest, but she lifts a finger to my lips. “But don’t worry. I’m way too selfish to walk away now. I want to be with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Glad to hear it.” I release her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nods. “Get back out there and kick some ass.”

“Yes, maam.” I spin around as Coach hollers out my name again. As I hurry forward, I should feel dread, but I don’t. No matter how much trouble I get into, it will be worth it.

***

“Tough game, huh?” Ashley asks as I drive us home after the scrimmage.

“I’ve had better,” I reply.

“You miss having him there, huh?”

She doesn’t have to specify. We both know she’s talking about my grandpa. I ease on the brakes as I come up on a red light. Sweat gathers under my hat, soaks my shirt. I’m anxious to take a shower. “Yeah. It’s hard for both of us. I know he hates being stuck at home.”

“Maybe we could get him out there. With the nurse’s help and his wheelchair it might work,” Ashley suggests.

“Nah. He’s already recovering so slowly, I don’t wanna make him worse. I’d regret it the rest of my life.”

“Yeah, I know what that’s like.” Ashley stares out the passenger window. I glance over to see her picking at a thread on her jeans. It reminds me of the night I drove her home from the party. Lost and sad.
What did she mean by that cryptic statement?

The light turns green, and I press on the gas. We slowly move forward. With my free hand, I reach out and touch her thigh. She flinches, but then relaxes under my touch. “Hey. Is this about what the guys were saying in the dugout? Because I told you that was in the past. You don’t need to regret that.”

“Well, I do, but that’s not what I was talking about.” She traces my hand with her fingertips, and chills skate up my arm. “I was actually thinking about my own grandpa.”

My heart stops. I’ve always known there was more to this story. I hold my breath, hoping this is when she’ll finally share it. Ashley has been slowly piecing out information about her life, the same way Hansel and Gretel left that trail of breadcrumbs. And I’ve been savoring every single one.

“I know that my relationship with Henry seems weird to everyone. I’m sure you’ve even wondered about it.”

“At first I did,” I admit, flicking on my blinker as we near a turn.

“That day in the coffee shop, I was feeling so lonely. And then I looked up and Henry was falling over. In that moment it was like I went back in time. He reminded me so much of my grandpa. It all happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to think. I just reacted. And after I helped him, he offered for me to sit and talk. No one else had talked to me all week.” She shrugs. “He was so kind, and he reminded me of the only other person in the world that I’ve ever truly been real with.”

“Your grandpa,” I state.

“Yeah.” She sighs. “We were so close. I used to go to his house almost every day. It got me away from…everything at home. But then he got sick. Ended up in the hospital.” Her bottom lip quivers, and she bites down on it. “I was too scared to visit him. I thought it would be hard to see him like that. So I never went. Figured I’d see him when he got out.” A tear escapes, and she brushes it away. It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to pull over the car and gather her in my arms. She appears so frail and vulnerable. But instead, I keep driving. I focus out the window, knowing that she needs to get this out. She needs to get it off her chest. Sometimes that’s the only way we can heal. “But he never made it out of the hospital. I never got to say goodbye. I never got to tell him what he meant to me. How much I loved him” Her words are shaky, the tears flowing now. “And I’ve lived with the guilt ever since.”

“Ash, you couldn’t have known.”

“Still, I should’ve been there for him. I was selfish. I was out with Talia that whole weekend, like my grandpa wasn’t dying in a hospital somewhere. I mean, how selfish was that? Afterward, I vowed never to let myself get close to anyone else, since clearly I’m poison. I’m no good to people.” She offers a trembling smile. “But then I met Henry, and it was like I was being given a second chance.”

“You were.”

Her head bobs up and down. “I feel like I got more than just a second chance with my grandpa. I feel like I got a second chance at life.”

“We’re offered second chances all the time, Ash, but only the bravest among us actually take them.”