Chapter 50 Nate
FIFTY
nate
The pullout couch in the basement was comfortable enough. But it was the last place I wanted to sleep.
Me: Come visit me. I’m lonely.
Olivia: Same. But you know we can’t.
Me:
My mom had texted me earlier to let me know that she thought I had good taste. Of course, she noticed Livvie was drop-dead gorgeous, but she hadn’t been referring to her looks.
Olivia: I’m feeling needy tonight.
Me: Explain.
I expected Olivia to send back one of her trademark spicy texts. Perfect for when I was alone in my bed, but terrible when I was walking around naked in a locker room full of other men.
Olivia: Emotionally.
Me: Is everyone asleep?
Olivia: I think so.
Fuck it. I wasn’t leaving her alone after that admission. She’d built up so many barriers to protect herself; for Olivia to come out and say something like that, she needed more than a late-night sext session.
“Hey,” I said, slipping into her room and sliding into her bed next to her.
“You didn’t have to come.” She protested weakly, even while she scooted back, plastering her body against mine.
“I wanted to.”
“Set an alarm. We can’t afford for you to fall asleep in here again.”
“Already done.”
We lay there, not speaking for several minutes.
“Nate?”
“Hmm?”
“I want more with you.”
Did she feel my heart stutter?
“That’s good, Livvie. Because I want everything with you.”
She fell asleep in my arms, and I lay awake for hours, watching her, absorbing the way it felt to hold her, and knowing that at least for now—our time was limited. When I slipped out, I sneaked back downstairs and dropped into my temporary bed.
We hadn’t solved much, but at least I knew I wasn’t alone in my feelings.
* * *
My birthday game was the first one with my mother in the stands, but if we’d been fumbling before, we’d gone into a full-fledged tailspin.
I looked forward to my pre-game texts from Olivia and the ones that waited for me when I pulled the phone out of my locker.
If she didn’t get to watch the game, she had a play-by-play going on her phone. She watched me.
“Hey, are you going to introduce your mom and coach to the girl you’ve been talking to?” Austin’s question threw me off, but reminded me of what I had to lose here.
“No. It’s not there yet.”
“Never start a relationship in season,” Austin said.
Carlos Martino, one of our catchers, overheard.
“Nah. That’s bad advice. Don’t ever let the right one walk away.
” Carlos and his wife, Avery, seemed to have figured out a balance between the long season of road games and building a family back home.
“You’ve been exposed to some of the worst assholes the game employs—there’s still some good ones left. ”
With that, in walked Sam Drummond, followed by the pitching coach, Luc Lecompte. It was only my rookie year, and the direction this season took had pushed me to my limits, but they showed up every day, put in the work, and found a way to let shit go.
“Hey guys,” Austin shouted, and the team turned to listen. “Our boy here has a birthday, and his mom came to see him play. Can we get behind him with a win?”
“Wait, Babycakes,” a voice shouted out my nickname, and I winced. “Can we bring you out for shots tonight?”
“Nope—still not legal,” Austin answered.
We filed out onto the field for warm-ups, and I looked into the stands. I always found a kid with a sign and talked to them before the game.
“Hey, kid. What’s your name?”
“Cooper.”
“I have a friend named Cooper.” Friend—that was such a horrible description of what Cooper meant to me. I’d do anything for that kid.
“Do you play baseball?” I asked, and he nodded, watching me as I used the pen he brought and signed the ball. “Do you have anything else you’d like me to sign?”
He passed me a program and a baseball card, then turned so I could sign his jersey shoulder. That was another thing I loved about kids. He wanted that shit signed, so he asked for it. I finished and trotted back out to the field.
I’d never thought that in a crowd this big, I would notice one tiny woman, but I did.
When Olivia made her way to the seats, her mop of curly blond hair and million-watt smile made my stomach flip.
I had no idea what she and my mother were talking about, but they both laughed.
When she caught me staring, her smile turned shy, and she looked for her brother.
“Good luck, kid.” Austin ran past me, giving me a pat on the back.
Over text this morning, Olivia had negotiated the terms of our “base for base” reward system, and it seemed like I won no matter what. Even a strikeout let me taste her. Was it supposed to be this much fun? Or did sneaking around make us more creative?
“Oh, man. This is gonna be fun to watch,” Gonzo chuckled as he passed me. “Does she know you’re a kid?”
“Oh, come on. Have you looked at me?” I winked at him.
Gonzo was straight, but he’d joked he’d go for me if he were gay.
Jack LeCompte, the only openly gay player currently in the league, shook his head.
Jack had signed with the Minutemen for two years, hoping to finish out his career with a ring.
This season’s performance meant that next year would be his last chance.
“Come on, pretty boy, get to work.”