Play Nice (Make the Play Book 3) (12 page)

“Emmy,” I start, but she cuts me off by holding up her hand.

“I mean, if you know it and you’re okay with it, then far be it for me to judge. But if you think this is going to turn into something real, like if you really like her, then you need to walk away now with your pride still intact.”

I want to be irritated with her, but I’m not. She thinks she’s helping me. As mean as what she’s saying sounds, it’s actually sweet. And if this were last year, I’d agree with her. But it’s not last year, and things have changed. “Is my pride still intact?” I joke, glancing down at my clothes and back. “Where is it? I wanna see.”

Emmy chuckles. “Man, that was a cheesy one. Your jokes have gone downhill. Good thing my brother’s not around to see this.”

I smile. “Yeah. Cal was pretty brutal with me when my jokes sucked.”

Her face sobers up. The halls are starting to clear out. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. Ashley’s hurt a lot of guys, and I don’t want you to be one of them.”

I clutch my chest. “Aww, you’re making me all teary.”

She shoves me in the shoulder. “Shut up.”

Glancing around, I say, “We better get going or we’ll be late for class.”

“Yeah,” She says, as I back away from her. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

I shrug. “I know it’s early in the year, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got my schedule down.”

She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t mean right this minute. I meant with Ashley.”

“Yes, I know what I’m doing.” I wave. “Now get to class.”

Giggling, she whirls around and hurries down the hallway. When I head in the opposite direction, the bell peals.
Crap. I’m late.
As I race toward my class, I mull over Emmy’s words, and I pray that she’s wrong about Ashley.

This time I don’t have to stand at the edge of the field. Instead, I’m sitting in the front row of the bleachers, cheering Hayes on during his scrimmage. I was a little hesitant to come out today. Hayes talked me into it. It’s not that I didn’t want to watch him play, but people are slow to accept our relationship. Pretty sure everyone thinks I’m using Hayes. Which makes sense, and it’s what I deserve, but it still hurts. Plus, I’m worried that the more people talk about it, the more Hayes will think it’s true. I can already tell that deep down he has trouble trusting me. Not that I blame him at all. However, I worry that one day it will be the reason he breaks it off with me.

We’ve only been seeing each other a short time, but I already really like him.

When Hayes is up to bat, I scoot forward and watch intently. There aren’t many people here, only a few parents. Hayes’ mom had to work and Henry’s at home recovering. It’s how Hayes swayed me. He made me feel sorry for him. It still stuns me that he has the ability to do that. Sympathy isn’t something that comes easily to me. Before Hayes I often wondered if that part of me was missing.

Prior to dating Hayes I always liked watching him hit. He doesn’t have nice form or anything, but the force in which he smacks the ball is amazing. Also, I like how intent he appears. Hayes is such a jokester that it’s rare to see him so serious. At least that’s what I used to think, but lately I’ve been seeing his serious side more and more. Talia used to complain that Hayes was never real with her. That he was always sarcastic and teasing, but I haven’t noticed that with me.

That little revelation lifts my spirits. Sometimes I worry that Hayes isn’t over Talia. He liked her so much, and it wasn’t that long ago that they broke up. I could be his rebound girl, and that makes my stomach hurt.

When Hayes hits the ball it shoots into the outfield, soaring over everyone’s heads. I clap and scream. His gaze finds mine as he runs the bases, and he throws me a wink. My entire body warms from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. When I was dating Josh he warned me to keep it down when I watched his games. In fact, if I yelled his name or hollered for him during a game he would get angry with me.

Cal and Chris both relished when their girlfriends cheered them on, and it made me wonder why Josh didn’t feel the same way about me.

I’d gone out with most of the guys on this team and none of them had ever looked at me while out in the field like Hayes did. It makes me feel special. Worthy. Maybe for the first time in my life.

“I see your plan worked,” Talia’s voice cuts into my thoughts. She slides on the bench next to me. I scoot away from her without saying a word. I’ll give her a taste of her own medicine. Show her what it’s like to be ignored. “You couldn’t stand not being a part of the Panthers little fan club, could you?”

I bite my tongue to keep from responding and keep my eyes trained on the field. Hayes rounds into home, and his gaze flickers over to me. When he sees Talia, his eyebrows knit together. But I smile at him, hoping to appear brave and strong. He doesn’t need to be worrying about me. He needs to focus on the game.

“You must be really desperate, though, if you’re slummin’ it with Hayes.”

It’s the last straw. “I’m not slumming’ it. Hayes is a great guy.”

She stands and claps. My face flames as I glance around, wondering what the hell she’s doing. “Bravo. Man, you are good.”

I shush. “Sit down. What the hell is wrong with you?”

She does as she’s told, but she’s still wearing an amused grin. “Since when are you embarrassed to be the center of attention? I thought you craved that.”

“You don’t know me anymore, Talia,” I speak through gritted teeth.

A breeze whisks over us, carrying the scent of freshly mowed grass. Annoyance bubbles inside of me over the fact that Talia is tainting this experience. I wish she’d leave me the hell alone. The Panthers take the field, and my gaze focuses on Hayes.

“Oh, I know you, Ash. I know you better than anyone. And that’s why I know exactly what you’re doing.” She smiles wickedly. “You’re so transparent. I can’t believe he’s falling for it. I mean, you’ve hooked up with like every guy out there. How could he not know he’s just another notch on your belt?”

“It’s not like that.”

“You may have Hayes fooled, but you’ll never fool me.”

I’m tired of this conversation. Sighing, I run my fingers through my silky hair. It smells like vanilla. “What are you even doing here, Talia?”

“Josh invited me.”

My pulse sings beneath my flesh. “What? Why? Are you two together?”

The triumphant smile that spreads across her face betrays that I walked right into her trap. “For being so into Hayes, you seem to care a lot about who Josh is seeing.”

Blowing out a breath, I stare out at the field. “I honestly don’t care who Josh is seeing. I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“Well, we’re not together. I’m not interested in your leftovers, Ashley.”

I snort. “Then why’d you kiss Josh?”

“He wasn’t your leftover at the time. He was still your main course.” She stands. “Have fun with my leftovers though.”

Anger pulsates through my body as she stalks off. It takes all my willpower not to stand up and grab Talia by the hair. But getting in a catfight during the Panthers first fall scrimmage would be about the worst thing I could do right now. It would confirm what everyone thinks of me. And I won’t do that.

I especially won’t do that to Hayes. He’s gone out on a limb for me, and I don’t want to let him down. For once in my life, I’ll be someone to count on.

Luckily, Talia doesn’t return for the remainder of the scrimmage, so I’m assuming she showed up simply to mess with me. Rattle my cage a bit. I wish it hadn’t worked so well. The remainder of the game her words knock around in my head like a never-ending game of pinball.

I always hated pinball. I had a boyfriend in junior high that loved to go to the arcade and play it. Most annoying game ever, in my opinion.

And so are Talia’s words. As hard as I try to act happy and nonchalant, I can’t shake this sense of dread.

After the game, I sit and wait for Hayes. The few parents I don’t recognize climb down from the bleachers and head to the parking lot. It’s weird now that Cal and Chris have graduated. Usually Emmy and her dad would be here, and Christian’s mom would sit at the top smelling of incense, her bracelets tinkling. Speaking of which, it’s odd that Josh’s dad missed the scrimmage. He rarely misses these things. Perhaps he’s on a date with Mrs. Alcott. I’ve heard things have gotten pretty hot and heavy with them lately. When Josh and I were together, I learned to keep my mouth shut about it because the subject used to set him off. But now I’m curious.

Hayes finds me on the bleachers. He drops his bat bag on the bench.

“How did we do?” he asks.

“You played great as always,” I say honestly. “But some of the other guys could use some work. I mean, I hate to say it, but Chase is no Cal.”

Hayes’ face is grim. “Yeah, I know. I’m hoping he improves. At least it’s only the fall season. We have time to get it together by spring.” Once I stand up, Hayes wraps his arms around my waist and grins. “But you thought I was great, huh?”

I nod. “Like always.”

“I’m surprised you noticed how I played before tonight.”

“Of course I did. A person would have to be blind to not see how good you are.”

He kisses me on the nose. It’s cute and corny, and one of the sweetest gestures ever. His gaze travels over my shoulder to the empty bleachers, and darkness flashes in his eyes.

“You miss him, huh?” I ask.

“It’s weird not having him here.” He pulls me closer. “You know, he was the one who taught me to play ball.”

“Really?” My brows lift. “Your dad didn’t teach you?”

His expression hardens. “No. My dad didn’t teach me much of anything, other than how to be a jerk.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Not your fault.”

Josh and Chase emerge from the dugout and walk past us. Josh glances over with a smirk. “Man, you just can’t help yourself, huh, Ashley? Can’t stay away from us baseball players.”

Hayes stiffens, his grip on me loosening. Josh and Chase walk off laughing. When I feel Hayes pulling away, I grab onto him and yank him back.

“What an ass,” I mutter under my breath.

“He is an ass,” Hayes agrees. “But is there any truth to what he said?”

It’s a valid question. One I wish he didn’t need to ask. “It’s true that I’ve gone out with a lot of the guys on the team. And you know why I love baseball. You’re the only guy on the team that knows the real reason, actually. So I’d be lying if I said that I don’t want an excuse to come out to games. It was really hard for me when I wasn’t welcome here.” I swallow hard, every word difficult. As much as I love being with Hayes, there’s a part of me that struggles. I’m not used to being exposed like this. It’s like every time we’re together I’m peeling back layers of myself and spreading them out for him to see. On the one hand, it’s nice not to have to pretend. That was exhausting. But in some ways this is exhausting too, just in a different way. “If you’re asking if I’m dating you just to be a part of the Panthers again, the answer is no. But do I see it as a perk? Yeah. Sure, I do.”

“Well, I can definitely live with being a perk,” Hayes says.

“Better than being a prick, huh?” I joke.

Hayes’ eyes widen, and he bursts into laughter. “Oh, man, with a mouth like that you could totally hang out with the guys.”

It’s meant as a joke, but it hits me the wrong way. My entire body goes numb, my heart hammering in my ears. Hayes senses my shifting mood, and he stops laughing.

Staring at my face, I can see understanding wash over him. “Oh, no, Ash, I didn’t mean it like that. Your joke was really funny. That’s what I was trying to say.”

He’s so innocent. So pure. Maybe this is a mistake.

“How many girls have you been with Hayes?” I ask abruptly. His face immediately turns red, and I have my answer. I know he and Talia never had sex, and I kind of suspected that he was a virgin. Shaking my head, I slip out from under his grip and back away from him. “This probably isn’t a good idea.”

“What? Just because I haven’t been with anyone else? Is it really that important to you that I have experience?” Coldness seeps into his tone.

“That’s not what this is about,” I say.

“Then what is it about?”

“Hayes, do you have any idea how many guys I’ve been with? So many that I don’t wanna say. And most of them are your friends.” Not wishing to see the disgust written on his face, my gaze darts to the grass. I study each forest green blade as if it’s going to do something interesting. “I could turn into a totally different person. Hell, I could become sweet and kind like Emmy Fisher. But I can’t take back the things that I’ve done. I can’t erase all the guys I’ve been with. And one day you’re gonna realize that you can’t do this. That you’re not okay with being with someone like me. So it’s probably best if we just end it now.”

“Yeah, that might be best,” Hayes says, surprising me. “But it’s not what I want.” He bridges the gap between us and tugs me toward him. “Ash, I’ve known you for years. Your past isn’t a shock to me. Yet, for some crazy reason, I still wanna go out with you.” He chuckles. “I know you’re used to calling the shots, but I am the guy, and I’d like to take the lead on this one.”

His words send shivers down my spine. I’m used to going out with control freaks. Hayes isn’t one. In fact, he’s known as kind of a pushover. So seeing him take control is a total turn on. “Okay,” I say with a grin.

His arms slide around my waist, his face coming closer. “You may have kissed a lot of guys, Ash, but I guarantee you haven’t had a kiss like this one.” Reaching out, I slide my palms up his chest as his lips gently brush over mine. Lightly. Once. Twice. Then his lips press down more firmly, first his top one, then his bottom. His tongue darts out, softly licking along every ridge and nuance of my mouth. I think he’ll part my lips, but he doesn’t. His tongue retreats, his lips drawing back from mine. I clutch his shirt in my fingers and wait. Every fiber in my being wants to tug his lips back onto mine, but I told him I’d let him take the lead, so I will. Besides, I like it.

His lips near mine again, hot breath fanning my face. But this time instead of his mouth covering mine, he nips at my bottom lip with the edges of his teeth in a playful way. In my experience, kisses aren’t fun or playful. Don’t get me wrong. I like kissing. Hell, I’ve done it enough times. But my kisses are usually calculated, planned. They’re for a purpose. Kissing Hayes isn’t like that. When I kiss Hayes, it’s simply because I want to. And from the looks of things, I’d say that’s his only agenda as well.

He releases my bottom lip, and his mouth firmly plants over mine. This time his tongue teases open the seam of my lips and darts into my mouth. It swirls over my tongue and teeth, sweeps the roof of my mouth. His hands travel up my spine and neck until his fingers tangle in my hair. My hands roam his chest, feeling his muscles through his shirt. I’m surprised at how muscular and taut his chest is. He’s a bigger guy, but there isn’t much fat on his body. Shame washes over me as I once again remember the mean things I’ve said about him. But I shove the thoughts aside, focusing only on this moment.