Pitching to Win (Over the Fence #1) (17 page)

He kneeled in front of me, the fireflies lighting up around us, making his blue eyes sparkle.

"You're not on the outside. You're right where you are supposed to be. You can be wherever you want. That's what I love about you. You don't need those people's validation. And as we both saw tonight, apparently I still do. I'm an idiot, Minka. I should have never left your side. I don't even need those people there. I would be fine living in a four-by-four room with you for the rest of my life. You're all I see. I'm so fucking sorry."

I sniffle, watching as he almost pulls his hair out by the roots. I want to believe him, to move past this stupid situation.

"Tell me what will make this better...I need you to believe me. I am a cocky, arrogant jock who needs people to worship him. I'm a self-obsessed asshole, I don't deserve you. Anything, I'll say anything."

His humor is what breaks me. Its what had gotten me from the beginning. "Well, you are probably right about that last one, you don't deserve me. But I guess I'm here anyway—“ I trail off, wiping the corners of my eyes.

He stares at me, a dead serious expression on his face. "You're right. I don't. I don't know how the hell its possible that I get you, but I thank my lucky stars everyday that you picked me."

Tentatively, he reaches out, checking to see if I'll allow him to touch me. When I don't bite his hand off, he rests it on my cheek. Just that skin to skin contact has us both sighing.

This, being with him, is going to destroy me someday. I know it. But I can’t fight it even if I try.

I see his hair flop over into one eye right before he presses his warm lips to mine. The kiss is aching and so sweetly-tender, it almost has me crying again at how heart-shattering it is.

"I don't know if I picked you as much as I couldn't avoid falling epically." I breath, still nose to nose with Owen.

"Come back with me. Share my bed. I want to show you all the ways I need to make it up to you."

He takes my hand, and I let him. Like a moth to the flame, I'm totally conscience of walking into the fire.

I
run
my hand through Minka's silky brown hair, fanning the locks across the pillow in the early morning light that cuts diagonal lines of orange into my sheets. And once again, I thank my fucking lucky ass stars that she chooses to be here with me.

I really fucked up with the party at my campus house. Like a total jocktard, I assumed my girl would be fine with letting me wander off to do asinine shit with my buddies until I decided to go to bed with her. I was high off the win, pumped about the season and being back with boys, and I forgot what it was like to be in a relationship.

Scratch that, I'd never been in a real relationship before, one that wasn't just for show.

I'd left her on her own, and I was so fucking stupid and sorry for that. When I'd realized my mistake, it felt like I'd been shot in the chest. I couldn't get control of my heartbeat or breathing, staring up at her hoping to God she wasn't about to end things.

I'd only known her two months, but in that time she'd imprinted herself on my heart. She'd become my rock in the storm that was my life at times. I needed her. Way more than she'd ever need me.

That's why I'd been making it up to her for the past two weeks.

Lucky for me, mom and dad decided on a last minute trip to our house in Sicily, leaving the house virtually empty for the month.

I'd had Minka naked and under me for about a week and a half, trying to atone for my sins.

I was proving myself the way I knew how. In orgasms, food and movie marathons. We'd spent the last 10 days locked in my house, only venturing out for takeout food and the odd change of clothes for Minka.

Since August hit, her pre-college courses were over, and she told the Chief she'd be with Chloe a lot the next few weeks. So far he hadn't asked where she was. And I was shaking in my boots, waiting for that man to come to my door with his gun.

I knew I had fucked up at Grover, and badly. I still saw the apprehension in her eyes, whether it was in between a Netflix episode or over dinner. Anytime that happened, I kissed her.

Not that I also hadn't verbally apologized. Many times. I'd said sorry more times than I could count. Because I truly was.

Minka stirs in my arms, he lashes fluttering at the side of my neck. I have her pulled into my chest, so close I can feel the heat coming off of her amazing breasts.

I can't help but skim my hand over the arch of her smooth back, cupping her perfect ass cheek when my hand makes it there.

I've spent the past two weeks worshiping her body. Studying her responses.

I’ve learned that when I press my lips to that certain spot on the inside of her thigh, she convulses, like her body can’t take the intense sensation.

And when I whisper dirty words into her ears as I stroke gently into her, her entire body blushes. My shy girl. But I also feel her soak my cock, my way of knowing just how much that turns her on.

Or that when I kiss her so thoroughly and completely, our lips molding into one and others, I can feel my heart escaping from my chest to go join hers. Because she owns it now.

I didn't want to wait any longer for her to wake up. Even though we'd been up until the early hours of the morning, and it was still only eight o'clock, I want her again.

Pulling her closer, I grind my dick against her bare stomach and light up her neck with warm, wet open-mouthed kisses.

"Ughhh," she groans.

"Good morning beautiful." I smile into her neck.

"Go back to bed. You're a sex fiend..."she sighs, not doing a thing to move away from my ministrations.

I’ve been meaning to ask her about an idea I'd been having. I know it will help clean up my mistake at Grover. Minka loves to pretend she’s a hard, ball-busting woman, but I knew better. She’s a romantic at heart. This would clear my name.

"So I've been thinking..." I get down to her eye level. "I want to take you to the fair next week."

Her closed eyes fly open suddenly, warmth and admiration flowing out of them. "You want to...take me...to the Freeboro Fair?"

"Yes." I smile, knowing this would be her reaction.

The Freeboro Fair was the end of summer festival held by the county. Growing up, it was the place to take your girlfriend or boyfriend, to show off your relationship. I knew it was probably a corny date idea, but it was romantic if nothing else.

"So, you'll be my date? To the carnival?" She tries to clarify.

"No, I'm going to be your fair slave, you can drag me around on a leash..." I break off when she flicks my abs. "Yes, I want to take you, Minka Braxton, my gorgeous girlfriend, to the fair."

"Ok." She breathes, smiling shyly and blushing. It was getting me harder.

"Good. Now let's talk about the date I want to have right now." I flip her over, slithering down her body while we smile at each other.

O
wen runs
around to my side of the car, exaggerating as he opens my door and sweeps his hand out to the side like a car model. I roll my eyes but take his outstretched hand, all the while little butterflies exploding onto the side of my stomach lining.

“Your wish is my command, my queen.” He bows before taking my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.

“This won’t be half as much fun if you’re embarrassing me. You’re supposed to be my carnival slave for the night.” I pout and swat at him, but can’t help the huge grin blooming across my face.

“Baby, I’ll be your slave any night of the week.” He winks good-naturedly, but I can see the obvious heat in his eyes. “Although, being a carni might be weirdly kinky...”

“I’m going to vomit.” From behind us, I hear Farris grumbling.

I’d suggested a double date of sorts and had asked Chloe to come. She hadn’t been able to break through Miles’ newly tough exterior yet, and Owen seemed genuinely worried about his friend.

Miles had been in a major slump after the breakup, and it seemed that slump would continue. The back seat had been completely silent almost the entire ride over, and it wasn’t for Chloe’s lack of trying. Miles wouldn’t even look at her, much less indulge her in any kind of conversation. I felt kind of bad for strapping Chlo with the grump all night, especially since I knew how she felt about him.

But I’d sacrificed much more for her in the past. Plus, this was my night to live out the original high school fantasy. Owen Axel, my boyfriend, was taking me to the Freeboro Fair.

Freeboro County housed Mitchum and four other towns, and every year in late August they got together to throw a big carnival smack dab in the middle of the town lines. The fair had gotten more popular in our minds as we’d grown up; starting in middle school, if you had a boyfriend, you’d come to the fair together to show off, ride the ferris wheel, and generally just be “in love.”

I knew it was a dumb tradition, but I’d never had someone take me to the fair. Much less someone I loved. Although I hadn’t told Owen I loved him yet. Even though I’d come so far from where I had been at the beginning of the summer, really where I had been for the past two years, I couldn’t take that last leap.

Saying I loved him scared the crap of out me. What if he didn’t say it back?

Sure, my head was getting away from me. Amped up, cliched expectations about my first boyfriend-girlfriend experience at the fair were making me turn into Chlo, my hopeless romantic best friend.

“Ok , so what should we do first?” Chlo was trying even harder than usual to be peppy, and I cringed inside at how awful this night was probably going to be for her.

“Who cares? This is lame, can we go now?” Miles grumbles, kicking dirt around with his shoe. Epic cringe.

“No way man, we are escorting these two beautiful ladies around the fair! Now kick your sorry ass into gear and ask your lady if she wants to take a whirl on the ferris wheel.” Owen massages Miles’ shoulders as if he was a boxer, getting ready to go into battle. Chlo shot me a death look.

“That sounds like a great idea!” I burst, way too enthusiastically, trying to cajole all of the party members involved. Chlo just rolls her eyes at me, but both she and Miles relent.

As we make our way over to the line at the bottom of the big turning wheel, Owen slings his arms around my shoulders. It was a move I’d seen a hundred times from a hundred couples, but I’d never truly known what it meant to be at home in another person’s arms until him.

And the fact that he and I were together, at the Freeboro Fair? My heart was nearly exploding. The past couple of months just didn’t feel like my life. I’d lost all confidence in myself sophomore year, and Owen had been the one to restore it. He’d shown me the way, and also showed me that not everything is as it seems.

While three years ago I would have laughed in your face and told you to fuck off if you told me I’d be dating Owen, I’d completely misjudged him.

We squished into the two-seater, which was not easy when you have a 200 pound demi-god next to you, and belted ourselves in, with Chloe and Miles taking to seat behind us. As the car begins to climb, Owen wraps me in his arms, whispering in my ear.

“You look so beautiful tonight, you know that?” I blush at his unexpected words. Of course Owen was a charmer, but I think he knew what tonight meant to me. Ever since our weekend at Grover, he was trying extra hard to bestow all kinds of confidence and compliments on me.

His whole support mission had really started when I’d confessed my sophomore year scandal at the beach though. Ok, so I hadn’t explicitly told him about Gregory, but I knew he understood. You couldn’t live in this town and not have heard about what had gone down my sophomore year.

“I could get used to this slave thing.” I rib him, not wanting to take the compliment.

“Hey, don’t do that.” He says seriously. How he knew me already, what I thought, how I felt, I’d never know. “You are amazing. Don’t shy away from me.” I lean into him and kiss him gently, a wordless thank you. “I am the luckiest guy alive right now. Its a great night, I’m on top of this rickety piece of shit ride with the most amazing girl on earth, and later, I get ice cream.”

I laugh at his assessment of what constituted lucky, he was seriously a child trapped in a grown man’s body. A seriously fine grown man. But I can’t deny that I feel insanely lucky in this moment too. “And maybe, if you’re even luckier, you’ll have another sweet treat when you take me home.”

I don’t know what had come over me. He made me crave his touch, his look. Yep, that look, the one he was pinning me with intensely right now.

Looking over, I can see his wide, mischievous smile under the moonlight. Suddenly, we stop moving, suspended in air three cars from the top. The car swings lightly, just enough to put me on edge. But my heart pounding in its cage for an entirely different reason puts me on edge even more.

Owen turns to me, puts a hand on my face and looks me in the eyes. He stays like this for a beat, and then another. In the distance, I can hear the tinkling music of the carousel. My hands are sweating in my lap, I’m trying to stay still, capture this moment and burn it onto my brain for eternity. This is it....

And then he angles his head, swoops down, and kisses me.

His mouth melds with mine, his tongue dancing past my teeth and tangling in an exotic rhythm with my own.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a great kiss. A fantastic kiss. A kiss that melted my heart and made my ears ring. But it wasn’t those three little words. I don’t know why I’d expected them tonight, we’d only been seeing each other for a little less than three months.

I guess I thought he could feel the same insane, soul-binding connection I did. That when he looked at me, we had the shared knowledge that we were put on this earth, in this god forsaken southern hellhole, to find each other.

Why was I twisting myself up over this? We had plenty of time to explore our relationship.

Except we didn’t. Owen went back to school in two days. We hadn’t discussed the specifics of what would happen between us. I was panicking. Ever since the party debacle, I needed a confirmation, whether it was those three little words or just a verbal commitment that he was mine for always, no matter how far apart we were.

Our ride comes to an end shortly after, and we fulfill all of the other cliche things on the “teenagers go to the fair” list.

Chloe wanted to do bumper cars, which was actually one of the only things Miles seemed to take pleasure in. I think it was because he got to ram into people at high speeds.

Owen insisted on showing off his “mad basketball skills” for us and ended up winning me a little stuffed bear. Before I could drag everyone over to the cotton candy booth, Farris disappeared to god knew where. Poor Chlo.

“Its a fair ritual and I will not leave here before my stomach is filled with pink sparkly fluff.” I whine as Owen protests my choice of dessert.

“Cotton candy is literally pretty air. There is no substance. Wouldn’t you rather have something good, like funnel cake?” He puts his best puppy dog face on, but I’m not budging.

“YO! Axel, what’s good man?!”

That voice.

I turn, knowing that when I do, the world will bottom out.

Keep it together, it can’t be him. You can’t remember his voice.

But then I see Owen hug him. Gregory. Right there, embracing my boyfriend in front of me.

It feels like I am simultaneously being punched in the stomach and stabbed in the heart. My fingers stop working. My senses go haywire, my vocal chords all but freeze up.

They were standing two feet in front of me, chumming it up like old buddies.

“...want to introduce you to my girlfriend. Hey, babe...come here, I want you to meet someone.” He motions towards me, waving with a giant grin on his face.

Chloe stands there, a somber, fearful expression on her face, waiting for my cue. Were we bolting, playing it cool? Did I need anything?

Only a time machine to take me away from this moment.

Gregory turns his head towards me, away from the conversation he’s having with Owen. The moment his eyes lock onto mine, he stares in disbelief for just a moment. Then, the jerk has the nerve to look over my head, as if Owen wasn’t talking about me.

I can’t move. Chloe is looking at me, Owen holding out his hand, and all I could do was stare into the venomous eyes of the boy who had shattered my world three years ago.

When Gregory finally realizes I must be the girlfriend Owen is referring to, he leers at me. Gregory openly assesses my body, his beady little eyes roaming over my curves. I involuntarily cringe at the memory of his hands on me, and cold sweat begins to trickle between my breasts and down my neck. I thought I might bend over and spill the contents of my stomach into over the dirt.

“Babe?” Owen’s voice breaks me out of my terror coma.

“I want to go home.” I declare, standing stoically in my place, not having moved any closer toward their conversation.

“What? Come meet my friend Greg,” he looks at me, annoyance marring his aqua eyes.

He
was annoyed with
me
? I’d told him my deepest, darkest, most personal secret. I had shared my shame with him, and he stood there, bro-pounding the asshole who’d stolen my virginity? Taken it from me under false pretenses only to throw it back in my face.

“I want to go home.” My brain isn’t working fast enough. It was the only coherent thought I could voice.

“Minka, what? Come here, and then I’ll take you home.” He moves closer to where I am rooted into the ground. “You’re being kind of rude, this isn’t like you…” he whispers for only my ears.

His words feel like a slap, so much that I flinch backwards. Owen catches my arm, yanking me back towards him before I have the chance to trip over myself and land in the mud. He looks at me like I’ve come down with the plague. “What is wrong, babe?”

He really isn’t comprehending why my senses are shutting down? Why I can’t stand to breathe the same air as this creep. Unable to bear the sight of what was transpiring anymore, I turn on my heel and begin to walk off, not stopping when I hear Owen start to call my name.

I feel an arm snake around my waist, and lean in as I feel Chloe start to support my weight while we increase our pace. She knows, without me even needing to say it, that I needed to be as far away from him as possible.

“Just breathe, I’m getting you out of here.” Chloe instructs, punching the keypad on her phone.

It feel like every breathe I take in is searing my lungs, flaying me open from the inside out. I was shaking so violently that I almost couldn’t walk.

Finally we hit the parking lot with Owen hot on our heels.

“Are you ok?! What the hell was that, Minka? Do you need to go to the hospital?” He looks bewildered, and mad.

After I’d disclosed everything about my past, after we’d had sex, I thought he would have understood. I thought he would have known about everything that went down. But apparently he was more trapped in his popular bubble than I had originally thought. He hadn’t been paying any attention to me when we were in school together. How had I ever expected him to understand the gravity of what went down?

Pulling him away from where Chlo would hear us, I knew I needed to tell him the whole truth. My voice shaking, and tears pooling in my eyes, I forged on.

“Remember how I told you about my past when we were at the beach? About the bet and how awful high school has been for me? I told you that it was a certain guy who had led me on.” I look down at my fingers, pulling at them to avoid spilling the truth. I didn’t want to say his name. The whole thing was just too painful for me to even talk about, let alone remember.

“Yeah, I remember. And I told you I didn’t care about any of that. That you’re beautiful and smart and you shouldn’t let what idiotic things other people choose to do or say affect you.”

It was so easy for him to take that mentality.

“I know that. But…..the guy.” I stall, twisting my fingers and biting down so hard on my lip that I thought I might draw blood. “It was Gregory.”

Owen looks honestly stunned. Questions fill his eyes, and I know he was thinking it over in his head, rolling the idea around like a marble, trying to place the events I’d described to him onto his friend.

“No, it couldn’t be, Greg is a great guy.”

My stomach drops to my feet. My throat goes dry and it feels like he’s slapped all of the air out of me. He thought I was lying?

“You don’t believe me?” I can hear the unshed tears clogging my whispered question.

“I just…Babe I’ve known Greg forever. I really think you’re mistaken. He’s an awesome dude, he wouldn’t do something like that. Maybe you didn’t get the entire story…”

My head is spinning and I can’t feel my limbs. I can only tell that I’m crying from the wetness spilling from my cheeks and chin onto my collar bone as I stand there motionless.

And there it was, clear as day. The blatant difference between us. He was in, and I was out. He would always put his cherished people, the popular crowd, over me. That’s how this always worked. Their word was stronger than mine. There was no use fighting the inevitable.