shoulder, completely ignoring him.
“You’re a jerk ,” Jesse said to Aaron, heading to his room.
“Screw you all ,” Aaron retorted as he went to his own room.
I finally unclenched my jaw, but I couldn’t help but shake my head. I had been so close to jumping off the couch to beat the crap out of him once and for all. But he had done the job; he embarrassed me in front of Jayden , even though his allegation s were completely off the mark . She was here with me now to prove a point to Aaron, but I got the sinking feeling that she was going to run the other way one of these days. I wondered if it was just better to not delay the inevitable.
She rubbed the back of my shoulder and said, “Hey, don’t let him get to you. If you want , I can sic my dad on him. He’d be slapped with all kinds of problems in the blink of an eye.”
I laughed and ran my fingers through her hair, looking into her eyes. She was amazing. Being with someone had never felt so complete .
But I thought about what I had done in my life to deserve her , and the answer was haunting: absolutely nothing.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t see Jayden until Tuesday night when she showed up at my game during the third inning. We ended up winning 3-1 and it put us into first place. I was a little sore at the end of the game due to a couple of really harsh tag-outs at home plate, b ut I came out as the victor, so a few bumps and bruises were a small sacrifice.
The guys had a good time replaying it later that night when we were sitting around the house. Jayden was leaning against me and I held her in my arms .
“I thought Grossman was gonna pummel you,” Jesse said. “He looked pissed.”
“ Did you see how high he flew in the air?” Aaron laughed. “That was awesome. Yeah he looked pretty pissed , but it was his own fault. You just don’t come into home like that. H e sure did some damage to your arm, though, ” he nodded at me.
“No, I got this from Mickey Johnson , when he plowed into me .” I had a nasty bruise that covered half of my forearm.
“Why would he do that?” Jayden asked.
“Hopin g Ty will drop the ball,” Jesse informed her. “It’s not a tag-out if the ball comes loose.”
“That’s kind of brutal. It’s almost like football,” she said.
“Only for Ty,” Jesse laughed. “ All six-foot-two of him, taking it for the team, game after game.”
Aaron got up with a yawn, and announced he was going to bed. Then he added, “Oh, by the way , Ty. C oach asked if you’ve been br eaking curfew and I told him no. ” Then he left down the hall so he couldn’t see my reaction .
Great. Now Jayden will feel bad…
“You have a curfew you’re supposed to follow?” she asked, turning to face me. She looked at her watch. “What time was I suppose to be out of here?”
When I didn’t answer right away she looked at Jesse.
“An hour ago,” he told her. Looking at me he said , “Sorry, Ty. Coach asked me, too . I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”
He got up and said goodnight and Jayden stood to grab her purse.
“Don’t go,” I begged her as I stood .
“Ty, your coach could easily dri ve by here and see my car. He probably already knows they’ve been covering for you. Why else would he ask them both? ”
I took her in my arms and kissed her.
“That’s not going to change the subject,” she mumbled. “But…maybe for a…few seconds.” I t made me smile until she pushed away from me and said, “Tell me what your curfew is, so I can make sure you don’t break it again.”
I sighed, knowing I’d better give in. “Ten on school nights and game nights, midnight on the weekends.”
“And that includes people out of your house, right?”
I paused before answering, “Yes.”
She sighed and reached for her jacket. I couldn’t tell if she was upset with me for being dishonest and breaking curfew, or just not telling her about it. I asked her and she said, “Both.”
“I’m sorry,
“You’re a jerk ,” Jesse said to Aaron, heading to his room.
“Screw you all ,” Aaron retorted as he went to his own room.
I finally unclenched my jaw, but I couldn’t help but shake my head. I had been so close to jumping off the couch to beat the crap out of him once and for all. But he had done the job; he embarrassed me in front of Jayden , even though his allegation s were completely off the mark . She was here with me now to prove a point to Aaron, but I got the sinking feeling that she was going to run the other way one of these days. I wondered if it was just better to not delay the inevitable.
She rubbed the back of my shoulder and said, “Hey, don’t let him get to you. If you want , I can sic my dad on him. He’d be slapped with all kinds of problems in the blink of an eye.”
I laughed and ran my fingers through her hair, looking into her eyes. She was amazing. Being with someone had never felt so complete .
But I thought about what I had done in my life to deserve her , and the answer was haunting: absolutely nothing.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t see Jayden until Tuesday night when she showed up at my game during the third inning. We ended up winning 3-1 and it put us into first place. I was a little sore at the end of the game due to a couple of really harsh tag-outs at home plate, b ut I came out as the victor, so a few bumps and bruises were a small sacrifice.
The guys had a good time replaying it later that night when we were sitting around the house. Jayden was leaning against me and I held her in my arms .
“I thought Grossman was gonna pummel you,” Jesse said. “He looked pissed.”
“ Did you see how high he flew in the air?” Aaron laughed. “That was awesome. Yeah he looked pretty pissed , but it was his own fault. You just don’t come into home like that. H e sure did some damage to your arm, though, ” he nodded at me.
“No, I got this from Mickey Johnson , when he plowed into me .” I had a nasty bruise that covered half of my forearm.
“Why would he do that?” Jayden asked.
“Hopin g Ty will drop the ball,” Jesse informed her. “It’s not a tag-out if the ball comes loose.”
“That’s kind of brutal. It’s almost like football,” she said.
“Only for Ty,” Jesse laughed. “ All six-foot-two of him, taking it for the team, game after game.”
Aaron got up with a yawn, and announced he was going to bed. Then he added, “Oh, by the way , Ty. C oach asked if you’ve been br eaking curfew and I told him no. ” Then he left down the hall so he couldn’t see my reaction .
Great. Now Jayden will feel bad…
“You have a curfew you’re supposed to follow?” she asked, turning to face me. She looked at her watch. “What time was I suppose to be out of here?”
When I didn’t answer right away she looked at Jesse.
“An hour ago,” he told her. Looking at me he said , “Sorry, Ty. Coach asked me, too . I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”
He got up and said goodnight and Jayden stood to grab her purse.
“Don’t go,” I begged her as I stood .
“Ty, your coach could easily dri ve by here and see my car. He probably already knows they’ve been covering for you. Why else would he ask them both? ”
I took her in my arms and kissed her.
“That’s not going to change the subject,” she mumbled. “But…maybe for a…few seconds.” I t made me smile until she pushed away from me and said, “Tell me what your curfew is, so I can make sure you don’t break it again.”
I sighed, knowing I’d better give in. “Ten on school nights and game nights, midnight on the weekends.”
“And that includes people out of your house, right?”
I paused before answering, “Yes.”
She sighed and reached for her jacket. I couldn’t tell if she was upset with me for being dishonest and breaking curfew, or just not telling her about it. I asked her and she said, “Both.”
“I’m sorry,
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