Page 94 of Never Say Never
Mike: It’s our job.
Pierce: And it’s Rawley Battle’s job to answer them. I just don’t think he has yet.
Mike: You really have some of the Buzzers annoyed on this one, Pierce. @WavesFan69 asks “did Rawley Battle steal your lunch money or something? The kid can play, no need to be such a hater.”
Pierce: I can safely say I have plenty of lunch money.
Mike: And then @TexasIsMyTeam says “this Rawley hate is getting old. All the kid has ever done is catch a shit ton of balls.”
Pierce: Well, I’ll be happy to be proven wrong. It’s up to him.
24
RAWLEY
Avery comes home from her road trip on Monday, and we’re officially on for our date Tuesday night.
A bowling date. Connor laughed his ass off when I told him, but it was the best I could come up with under pressure.
Two things I haven’t mentioned to my little brother yet? The kiss, and the bet I won.
I’m a little nervous about what he would say, the warnings he would give. So I’m holding it in.
As far as he knows, this is another fake outing.
Of course, I know better and yet, my instinct was still “let’s go bowling” as our first AK date?
I’m an idiot.
Welp, we’re stuck with it now.
I get to Sarah’s right on time. I’m not usually punctual, but I seem to be with all these Avery dates.
It’s Florida-in-June hot, so I’m not wearing anything too fancy. My cargo shorts and at Taylor’s direction, a purple Surge T-shirt. But given we’re finally going to have a real conversationabout whatever that bet meant, I’m hoping I don’t look too much like a mess.
Or that Avery likes it, anyway.
I ring the doorbell and there she is.
Her hair’s all blown out and shiny, and her makeup is done a little more around her eyes. Probably because of the photos.
Her outfit is casual like mine though. She’s wearing a slinky black sleeveless shirt that falls loosely over denim shorts that go only a couple of inches down her thigh, leaving me lots of leg to take in.
They’re made to appear longer with the wrap-around effect of her strappy sandals. And I notice for the first time that her toenails are painted purple. That’s pretty.
“Hey,” I say, like a genius.
I haven’t seen her since we kissed last week, and that’s all I got?
“Hey.” In her hands are a pair of socks, and she raises them slightly to show me. “I’m bringing these with me. That way I don’t need to wear sneakers now.”
“Be good to my girl,” Sarah yells from somewhere in the house.
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply as Avery leads us outside and shuts the door.
My instinct is to touch her somehow, but with how conscious I am of the time since I saw her, I hold back. We stroll to the car, side by side.
Damn, this is a little awkward.
