Chapter 15
Kenzie
The assholes had lied to me. They’d told me they didn’t do presents for birthdays, yet, when the card games wound down around midnight, they presented me with a college swag bag filled with T-shirts, a sweatshirt, fun socks, a notebook and a hat.
Callie pulled me in for a hug, squeezing me harder than Greta did, and held on.
“I’m glad you’re here, Kenzie. This campus is wonderful.
You’ll have ups and downs, but you’ll get to experience things you’ll never forget for the rest of your life. Happy birthday.”
“Thank you,” I said into her hair. It was an oddly emotional thing, coming from her, but I appreciated it and patted her back. “This was so nice, guys.”
“You haven’t even seen the shirts.” Zade picked up one and tossed it to me. “You got a different shirt for each of us. We expect you to rotate what you wear between games. It’s only fair. You shouldn’t have to wear your brother’s dumb jersey all the time.”
“Actually, there is something better in there she might want to wear,” Callie said without hiding her amusement. “I got you an official shirt from the Zwillows Pillows group.”
“Fuck off,” Zade groaned, jumping from his chair into a fighting stance.
I laughed real hard at that and immediately put the shirt on. Zade’s face flamed red and I twirled around, everyone else laughing. “This is incredible.”
“Glad you like it. It was TJ’s idea,” Aaron said, clapping him on the back. “He makes a lot of stupid decisions, but this was a good one.”
“The coolest part for me, coming here for school, was getting all the gear and feeling a part of something.” Tanner shrugged but his eyes never left my face. “This campus is my home and I know you’re looking for one too.”
“Ugh, I just love our little family,” Greta said, throwing her arms around me and Aaron in one gesture. Poor Felix and Carter looked on, half-smiling and half-drinking their beer with awkward expressions. We probably looked real weird.
“Thank you all. This was the best birthday in a long time. Maybe ever.” I smiled at all of them, even the two newcomers, and yawned for the finale. “It’s been great, but I need to sleep.”
“Ha, yeah, we should head out. Thanks for letting us hang, guys. Callie, Greta, your place is awesome.” Carter high-fived the guys and Greta and Callie.
When he got to me, he gave me the biggest puppy-dog eyes I’d ever seen.
He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. “Happy birthday to my future queen.”
“Uh, thanks?”
“Ignore him. He’s an idiot,” Felix said, shoving him to the side. “It was nice meeting you, Kenzie. Hopefully I’ll see you around sometime soon.”
“For sure,” I agreed, and didn’t hate it when he went for a hug. He smelled nice and clean. “Thanks.”
They took off, a prolonged silence filling the room until they closed the door, and all five of them stared at me with crazy expressions. “What?”
“Oh my god, he can be your fling!” Callie said, jumping up and down. “He’s super cute and—”
“Right? He’d be perfect for a little fun,” Greta added. “He checks all the boxes—nice to look at, polite, strong arms. What’s the issue?”
Aaron and Zade stood straighter and I found my excuse to leave.
“I’ll let the four of you deal with this fun situation.
I’m heading back. Tanner, are you going back to the house too?
” I hoped I didn’t sound desperate when I asked, because I wasn’t.
I was more curious…that was all. “I don’t want to walk back alone, so if you’re going out, I’ll get an Uber or something. ”
He took a while to answer, those gorgeous eyes a little hooded. His gaze moved from my shirt to my face and he nodded. “I’m heading back. No need to call a service.”
“Cool.” I picked up the gift basket and gave my brother and his crazy crew the biggest smile I could. “All this, the food and presents…it’s everything. You’re…thank you.” My throat felt full, my voice mirroring the emotion. “Take care.”
Tanner took the basket from my hands and led the way out through the door and down the stairs.
The summer night had the perfect smell, like a storm was coming.
The air was cooler than normal and the sounds of the cicadas seemed to match the lightning bugs floating in the air.
Peaceful. Pleasant. Comforting. I swore the knot it my chest loosened. Is this what it’s like, being normal?
And happy?
Yeah, I think it is.
“Tanner, you don’t have to carry that all the way back.” I skipped up to him after I’d let myself enjoy the summer night for a full minute. “I can do it.”
“It’s either I keep my hands busy with this, or touching you. Your choice,” he said, flashing his white teeth at me in a menacing smile. “Unless you have something else arranged, I still plan on keeping my word.”
“Oh, the orgasms thing? Right. Forgot about that,” I probed, enjoying how easy it was to rile him. He huffed, quickening his pace to the point I had to jog. “It’s past midnight, so you actually didn’t keep your word. My birthday is over.”
“You’re such a shit.”
“Romancing me with such sweet words.” I caught up to him and laughed when he gave me the poutiest look I had ever seen. “You’re en route for a solo homerun, ya feel?”
He scoffed, but it caused me to laugh harder. I poked his ribs. “Like, you get yank your own chain with your hand?”
“Yeah, I get it, smartass.”
“You seem a bit cranky. Did you not enjoy the card games? You won the most points and the first ever card champion, king of numbers award. You should be proud of yourself. I mean, sure, some guys get drafted into the Majors, but not everyone wins the pocket change, lip balm and hair ties from their friends.”
That snapped him out of his mood and his tight expression relaxed. “You’re not wrong.”
“I know. I rarely am.” I blew him a kiss, the adrenaline from having such a good birthday leaking over into a weird sense of confidence and joy.
This was what I wanted—instead of living in a bubble of despair at home.
I wanted laughter and silliness and to feel joy.
He smiled at me and I swore, for one second, that smile meant something more.
I didn’t have time to reciprocate the gesture before we walked by a group of ladies hitting the town. Cool, I’m in a Zwillows Pillows shirt.
“Hey, Tanner!”
“My man, Tan!”
“Looking hot as fuck, TJ!”
They catcalled the centerfielder, running their fingernails through his hair and over his arms, as if he was a ride at a carnival. Isn’t he though, to them?
Cleat chasers.
“Can’t believe you turned down the draft, baby.
” One of the gorgeous girls stopped, letting her gal-pals continue walking so it was just us three standing there with my large basket in Tanner’s hands.
This chick wore black lipstick like it was her damn job.
She’d paired it with an equally black outfit that caught Tanner’s attention, but when she grabbed his chin in her hands, he pulled away.
“Felicia, we agreed. One time, that was it. I don’t do more than once and I made that very clear. No time for relationships, ever.”
“It was so good though.” She said it with so much emotion I had no doubt it really had been that good.
My chest felt tight, as if I’d suddenly come down with a cold, and I coughed a couple of times, hoping to relieve the tension.
No luck, but it did draw their attention to me.
The vixen grinned, her white teeth clashing with the black makeup, and I gave her an awkward wave that told her without a doubt I was a freshman.
“Your lipstick is fantastic,” I blurted out. Her smile widened and she let out a little squeal. Okay, that was weird.
“Thank you! You’re so sweet. Is she one of yours, Tanner?” Felicia gave me a curious glance, scanning my outfit before looking back at him. “She’s not your usual type.”
“Enough. She’s Hilly’s sister.”
“Oh my god! Baby Hilly!” Her pitch went an octave too high and she opened her mouth to say more, but one of her friends hollered for her to join them and she gave us a sad smile.
“I need to go. It’s my best friend’s birthday.
It was nice meeting you, Baby Hilly, and, Tanner, we will enjoy a night together again. ”
His jaw tightened and he avoided my gaze until Felicia joined her friends. The pressure in my chest went away and I laughed. “Well, that was fun.”
“We slept together once, a couple of months ago.”
“Yeah, I gathered the evidence and reached the same conclusion. Did she wear the black lipstick then? I wanna know.”
He rolled his eyes, a shadow of something crossing them, before they crinkled at the sides. “She did.”
I burst out laughing and let go of the negative feeling that had rooted itself in my mind. “Did you mean what you said to her? You sleep with your ladies once and bam? Never again?”
He adjusted the basket in his grasp, switching it from his left side to the right, and ran his teeth over his top lip. “Typically. Maybe a handful of times. I think I did five hook-ups with a couple of girls.”
Cool. Cool. Cool.
The pressure returned and I tried clearing my throat. “Does it get old?”
He exhaled loudly and made a face that did not look happy. “We don’t need to talk about all this.”
“Okay.”
“Look, it’s just—yeah. It does get old. But I don’t have time for anything more with baseball. I’ve seen Aaron and Zade, the way their lives shifted to make room for another person. It works for them. They’re stupid-happy. I think we both agree they’re all a little annoying.”
I snorted, agreeing. “Yup. Maybe even a lot annoying.”
“I don’t have room for more.” He slid his knowing gaze to me, a hint of something deeper lacing his words, but we approached the street where the house stood and he lowered his voice to a dangerous tone. “I do have room for spending another night making you feel good.”
Le sigh. “Homerun handy, remember?”