Chapter 30 - Fletcher
Fletcher
“You and baby Clemmins were looking pretty adorable out there today,” Easten coos, sliding up beside me as we head toward the team clubhouse and locker room.
“No kidding. I could practically feel the heat all the way over on the pitcher’s mound,” Noah teases, looping an arm over my shoulder.
I shove him off with a laugh. “You guys are seeing things. Should I be scheduling some eye exams?” I ask, my eyes darting between them, before I focus them on Noah. “It could explain why your pitches were all over the place.”
“Whoa!” Noah lifts his hands. “My pitches were perfect. Hell, I was on fire. Not that you’d even know, because I’m pretty sure the only one who had your attention today was a certain social media manager.”
“Okay fine, maybe you weren’t that bad,” I give in. “But that’s all I’m going to admit to.”
“I think thou doth protesteth a little too much.” Easten nudges me in the shoulder.
“Protesteth?” I scoff. “What does that even mean?”
It doesn’t matter that I know exactly what he means. And fuck, he may be right, but I’m willing to do just about anything to protect Hollis and keep any and all heat off of her. If she wants this to stay a secret, I’ll do my damndest to make it happen.
“Yes. Protesteth,” he repeats, clearly enjoying the theatrics. “And come on, bro. We’ve got eyes. You don’t think we haven’t noticed how chummy the two of you are lately? What I don’t get is why you aren’t out here bragging about how you’ve finally managed to land your dream girl.”
I roll my eyes, attempting to play it cool despite the new wave of panic working its way through. “She’s not some prize I’m trying to win. She’s a person. And who’s to say I haven’t changed my mind, or that I’m fine with us just being friends?”
Easten and Noah exchange knowing glances before exploding into a fit of loud, obnoxious laughter.
“When has Mason Fletcher ever been okay with being told no? Did you suddenly forget how well we know you?” Easten asks, doubling over as he holds his stomach.
“Yeah,” Noah cuts in with a large grin. “You might be able to pull that line with everyone else, but trying to convince us that you’re not head over heels for her? Good luck with that, buddy.”
I roll my neck and attempt to loosen the building tension.
“Guys, come on. We’re just friends. I’m serious,” I say, and this time, it’s mostly the truth.
“Would I prefer something more? Hell yeah I would, but that’s not something Hollis wants, so for now, this is what I get, and I just have to be okay with that. ”
The guys look at each other again, before bobbing their heads in solemn nods. “Alright, If you say so,” Noah finally gives in before waving as he heads straight for the showers.
Easten stops us from walking. “Between us.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, leaning in close.
“I stand by what I said. I know there’s something going on between you two, but if you need to keep it quiet, which I’m guessing is what’s going on here, I’ve got your back.
No worries.” He gives my shoulder a couple of pats before also heading toward the showers.
I suppose if anyone was going to catch me in a lie, it would be Easten, not that I’m surprised.
It’s also no surprise that he’d have my back and keep things on the down low.
Like all of the guys on this team, they’re not just my teammates or guys I play baseball with.
They’re family. Hell, they’re my brothers.
I linger in the shower as the hot water works its way over my knots.
Which, honestly, is probably suspicious enough, given that I’m usually the first one out, ready to stuff my face, meet up with Hollis, or depending on how hard I went at practice, possibly just crash out for the evening. Tonight is different, though.
Tonight I’ve got a date, or well, whatever you call a dinner out with the girl you’re keeping a secret, despite everyone already knowing that something is definitely going on.
So yeah, maybe we haven’t exactly been as subtle as we thought.
But nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to stop me from showing up at Hollis’s office the second this place clears out.
The plan for now is dinner first, but I wouldn’t be opposed if we lingered in her office for a bit. It’s not like we haven’t already fooled around in there. Who knows? Maybe I could convince her to let me bend her over that desk of hers.
Thankfully, Mateo, the last one besides me, heads out. The second the door swings shut I’m rushing after him. It’s strange being here alone this late. Usually the clubhouse feels way too small, but right now? It feels uncharacteristically big and way too quiet. Can’t say I’m a fan.
I sling my bag over my shoulder and start down the eerily empty hallway.
Guess the plan worked and we really are the last ones here.
The only sound seems to be the gentle tap of my shoes against the floor.
That is, until my phone rings from inside my pocket, the sound slicing through the silence as I instinctively react, jumping a couple of feet into the air.
“Fuck,” I curse as I place a hand over my racing heart. I blow out a breath and pull out my still-ringing phone.
Mitchell Reed’s name flashes across the screen.
My brows furrow. Mitch is my agent, and the one who helped me land my spot on the Honky Tonks. I’ll forever be grateful for all he’s done for me, but I can’t exactly picture why he’s calling so late. He usually only reaches out when something’s up.
These days, whenever we need to chat or I’m being offered any sort of sponsorship deals he’ll email first, so this definitely feels a bit odd.
I swipe green and raise the phone to my ear.
“Mitch?”
“Fletcher. The man, the myth, the legend. What’s going on, my guy?” Mitch’s loud voice booms through the speaker as I’m hit with his usual excitable, trademark energy.
I stop and lean my back against the cool cinderblock wall. “I’m good,” I say, the words coming out like a question. “And given your tone, I’m assuming things must be going good for you, too.”
“Amazing actually, and that goes for both of us.”
“Yeah...” I drag out, still thrown and more than eager to find out what the hell is going on here. “I’d say so. Things with the Honky Tonks are really starting to take off.”
“Exactly!” He jumps in. “That’s actually why I’m calling. I’ve had quite a few inquiries about you recently, and get this, there’s some serious interest from a few Major League teams.”
My heart slams to a stop in my chest. This was not the news I was expecting.
Hell, a few years ago, this would’ve been the moment I’d dreamed about.
I’d practically killed myself in the gym and on the field as I waited for this exact call.
But now? The rush doesn’t seem to come, and instead I’m hit with a weird heaviness as it presses into my chest.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Wow,” is all I can manage. “I don’t know what to say.”
“If I was you I’d be saying ‘Hell fucking yeah.’ This is what you’ve always wanted, right?
I know you’re having fun playing with the Honky Tonks, and your contract stipulates that you’d have to finish up the current season, but after that, you'll be a free agent. This is it, Fletch. You’re officially going to be a Major League baseball player! ”
I know he’s right, I should be thrilled.
This is the dream I’ve been chasing since I was old enough to hold a bat.
Yet, for some reason, the excitement is missing.
Maybe it’s fear, or maybe it’s just doubt.
But a bigger part of me is starting to think it's the quiet truth I’ve never fully let myself admit out loud.
What if my dream has changed, and what If I’ve discovered a bigger and more important one here in Houston?
I shove my phone in my pocket, my body feeling as though it’s on autopilot as I resume walking toward Hollis’s office.
Thankfully, I’m not running too late, as the phone call only lasted a few minutes.
Mitch offered a few more encouraging words and congratulations before promising to send over the official offers as they come in, before we finally said our goodbyes.
Reaching her door, I stop and take a moment to pull myself together.
Gone is the excitement I’d been feeling earlier, which is frustrating as hell.
Spending time with Hollis and getting my dream offer?
I should be on cloud fucking nine. So why does it suddenly feel like everything I’ve built is all about to come tumbling down?
As a new realization takes over, my worries intensify.
The only person I want to see and talk to right now is Hollis.
Not my agent. Not my teammates. Not even my parents.
Sure, seeing her and getting to interact with her at practice are some of my favorite moments of the day, but nothing beats getting to hold her in my arms when I no longer have to pretend she isn’t the absolute best thing in my life right now.
It’s not me being scouted by Major League teams, the ever-growing spotlight, or even baseball that make life feel worth living. It’s her, and the way she makes me feel like I’m enough—like I’ve always been enough—offer or not.
It’s why I let out one final steadying breath before raising my hand to knock. I don’t wait for an answer as I turn the knob and let myself inside.
She glances up from behind her desk, and just like that, the sinking feeling in my gut dissipates. Not that it really stood much of a chance. I’m pretty sure Hollis and that smile of hers could solve all the world’s problems if they let them.
She stands, her ponytail swinging as she bounds across the room and jumps straight into my arms.
I barely manage to drop my bag and kick the door shut before her body collides into mine as I pull her in tight.
“Seems like someone missed me,” I smile, but instead of answering with her words, she does it with her lips.
Her kisses are hungry, as if she’s been starving for me for days.
Her fingers weave into hair at the nape of my neck, before giving my still slightly damp locks a light tug.
Then, in one fluid motion, she plucks my hat off and plops it onto her head.
Not that I mind. We both know it looks much better on her anyway.
“You smell so good,” she purrs into my lips.
“Not as good as you,” I murmur, pressing my lips back into hers, taking advantage of this much-needed distraction.
“No way,” she whispers, eyes closed as she tilts her head to the side. “Unlike you, I haven't even showered. If anything, you’re just smelling my sweat.”
I chuckle against her skin, tracing a line down her neck as she shivers beneath me. With a few steps forward, I guide her backward until her hips bump into the edge of her desk.
“Careful,” she teases breathlessly as I lift her onto the desk. Her hands slip off my shoulders before she leans back on her palms. I’m once again met with that irresistible smile before she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. Okay, she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
I place my hands on both sides of her and lean in close. “Even so, it’s still my favorite smell. Then again, anything involving you is my favorite,” I confess, burying my face back into her neck as my mouth seeks out that favorite spot of hers, the one just below her ear.
She giggles. “That can only mean you haven't spent enough time around me, because the truth is, I’m annoying as hell. You just haven’t realized it yet,” she says, before her body quivers and a soft whimper escapes past her lips.
Found it.
“I can’t wait to learn all your annoying little quirks.
Although, don’t go and get too excited,” I chuckle into her skin.
“I can assure you, they aren’t going to scare me off.
You’re stuck with me, babe,” I tell her, and though I mean every word of it, I’m forced to once again remember how much we’ve got going against us.
Not only is she planning on leaving, but soon I’ll likely have offers that could have me packing up as well.
With my ever-growing feelings, it’d likely be smart for me to take her advice and end things before it gets even harder, but I’ve never been one to give in when things get tough. Instead, I shove it all back and claim her mouth once more.
“Tell me that you’re mine,” I plead against her lips.
Her hands slide down to the front of my jeans as she fumbles with the button and zipper.
“I’m yours,” she pants, yanking them down.
I’m not stupid. I know she’s only saying this because she’s caught up in the moment. Still, I let myself believe it, because right now, that’s all I’ve got. I need this, and I need to believe that no matter what comes next, at least some part of her will always belong to me.
I’ve never needed anyone like this before, and maybe we won’t last forever, but tonight, and in this moment, Hollis is mine, and that’s all that fucking matters.