Page 41 of Rain Delay

I stop myself. The conversation with my sister is replaying in my head.

She’s waiting for you to man up and start the conversation yourself. Something is jabbing at me that I need to listen to what Willa told me. I need to man up.

Before I get there, I turn back and look at Eliana. “Hey, El?”

She looks up from her phone. “What’s up?”

“After the game, meet me at my hotel room; I wanna talk.”

She hesitated, blinking at me and then just nodded. “Room number?”

“3542.” I told her before I walked the opposite direction from her, making my way to take batting practice, surprised at how smooth my voice sounded even though on the inside I was freaking the fuck out.

It was now or never to get the conversation out in the open. Better now than later when I might regret ever bringing it up. But Eliana deserves that sense of closure, and if this is what brings it? Then it’s settled.

Chapter 14

Wyatt

Sixteen Years Old

“MISTER HOTSHOT IS GETTING LOOKS FROM COASTAL,” My teammate, Ryan says to me as he nudges my shoulder. “Think they’ll offer you a ride?”

I shrug, looking over at the scouts that were talking to the coach. I wanted them to offer me a full ride scholarship more than anything. I had been working my ass off these last couple of months for a scout to notice me.

Nothing else was important to me. Getting the scholarship to Coastal Carolina had always been at the forefront of my mind.

“I mean, I hope so. Wasn’t the U of Florida also here too? Isn’t that your dream school?”

“Hell yeah. Bryce said they were here for Jackson and me. This is the most they’ve had at games so far this season,” Ryan says. “And they’re just here for us.”

It hasn’t been the easiest journey. I would’ve thought with the experience I’ve had playing, that making varsity would be a piece of cake.

Coach Reynolds was determined to make sure I earned my spot with the team.

Being a sophomore on varsity came with a lot of judgment and a lot of pressure. I put extra time and focus into perfecting my craft, and I made sure to make it known that I wasn’t messing around.

I slung my bag over my shoulder as I made my way out to the parking lot. I saw a group of my friends huddled around, talking and shooting the shit, but my eyes were looking for one person in particular.

Our eyes finally met, and the biggest smile crept on her face as Eliana walked toward me, wearing one of my hoodies that looked massive on her.

This is how it’s always been. After every game or practice, there she was, waiting for me. She had missed a lot of her own things to come and watch me play baseball.

I always knew I’d have someone cheering me on — And I’m thankful that it was her.

She approaches me, and I wrap my arms around her shoulders, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Even without my cleats on, she fit right underneath my chin.

Her arms wrap around my middle as she looks up at me with that beautiful smile still on her face. “Hey you,”

I return the smile back at her, moving a strand of hair out of her face. “Hey, groupie,” One corner of my mouth twisted upward, and I gave her a squeeze as she rolled her eyes at me.

Eliana was a well-liked person in school. She was doing both softball and swimming — I don’t know how she did it, but she was a superstar at both. She somehow also managed to be working on media stuff for the school newspaper. Confidence radiated through her like a ray of sunshine, and sometimes, it made me a little jealous.

The attention she also would get from people got to me at times. But only the times when it was her getting attention from guys who knew she was mine and only mine. That’s how it had always been — Eliana and I. She’s mine, and I make sure I let the entire world know that.

My sister comes up behind Ellie with her boyfriend, walking hand-in-hand. I still don’t know how I feel about him. Hayden. Captain of the Lacrosse team. I rarely interacted with him, I didn’t feel the need to. Lacrosse guys weren’t really seen around the baseball players. We went about our own business.

“Are you two done sucking face so we can head home?” Willa asks, pulling Ellie’s attention from me and onto my sister. “Oh, good game by the way. I saw some scouts watching you.”