BILLY
My eyes still pinned on Wes, I wiped the sweat from my brow while readjusting my hat. Aaron flipped up his face mask, headed toward me.
Shit.
I was in no mood. I knew what was coming my way. Another damn lecture from Aaron.
He stopped in front of me, holding the ball in his grip.
“You good, man?”
“Just fucking dandy. How ‘bout you?”
“Don’t get smart with me, asshole. What were you trying to pull with that last throw?”
I shrugged my shoulder with a smirk. “Figured Monroe just needed to be knocked down a peg.”
“Yeah…well, I think you knocked him down plenty. You almost took him out completely. In fact, you’ve been playing like a real prick this whole game. Why don’t you lay off a bit? This is supposed to be a friendly game between old friends. You’re playing like you got shit on the line.”
I scoffed a humorless laugh, my eyes drifting to the bleachers. I had what felt like my whole world on the line. And the cocky asshole waiting at home plate was standing in the middle, keeping me from it. I reached out my palm for the ball, not bothering to respond to the bullshit Aaron was spouting off, even if he was right.
I was playing like a prick.
I knew that. As did every other man on this field.
I hadn’t intended to, but seeing Hannah show up here with Wes only reminded me of what I’d walked in on the other day. Not that I needed the reminder. That image was burned into my mind permanently. Finding her that way and knowing he’d put his hands on her body drove me fucking mad. I wasn’t a man quick to use his fists, but in that moment, I was more than willing to let them do all the talking for me, followed by telling Monroe to take his job and shove it. Luckily for Wes, Aaron had talked me off that ledge.
Tonight’s game, though, was different. There was no holding me back this time. It’d been a better release for all that pent-up anger and tension I’d been carrying around all week. I didn’t have to bring the heat I was, but it felt damn good letting that ball fly with everything I had left in me.
Aaron gave another disapproving head shake before slamming the ball into my hand. “Ease up, asshole.”
“You expect me to let him get a hit?”
“Would it kill ya?”
Yeah. It would.
“Shit,” Aaron grumbled, glancing over his shoulder. “I get it man. It’s Monroe, so I won’t tell you not to strike him out. But at least try not to take his head off with the next few throws.”
“No promises.” I smirked as he retreated.
“Good game, brother.” Leighton grinned, walking up to Aaron and me, slipping under his arm and into his side. He dropped a kiss on her lips, and I peeked past them, hoping to see a certain sassy, blond-haired beauty following behind her.
Disappointed as hell, I looked back at my sister, half-attempting a smile. “Thanks.”
She frowned, her eyes homing in on my shoulder. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Is it your shoulder?”
Instinctively I rubbed at it. It was sore, but nothing a little icy hot couldn’t take care of later. “My shoulder’s fine.” I lowered my hand, stuffing the last of my gear into my bag, feeling both of their gazes on me.
“I’m gonna load up. Meet you at the truck,” Aaron spoke in a low voice to Leighton before walking off.
Lifting my bag over my head and across my body, I turned to go too. Leighton blocked my path, hands propped on her narrow waist, annoyance radiating off every inch of her. Tiny but mighty, that one was.
“You’re coming to Dudley’s tonight,” she demanded.
It was aggravating how well she knew me. I didn’t even have to tell her I planned to bail. “No. I’m not.” I tried stepping around her.
Blocking my path again, she glared up at me. “The hell you aren’t. I’m tired of this, Billy. I’ll respect that you don’t want to talk about what happened between you and Hannah, but I won’t allow you to skip out on a tradition because you’re determined to avoid her.”
“This has nothing to do with Hannah.”
“Sure, it doesn’t,” she scoffed. “I’m not an idiot, Billy. Don’t treat me like one.”
I scrubbed a palm down my face, letting out a heavy sigh. I was too exhausted to deal with Leighton. And there was no way in hell she was convincing me to sit back, sip beer, and watch Monroe with his hands all over Hannah. “I’ve gotta early morning tomorrow.”
“You always have an early morning. And don’t act like you have it harder than anyone else. I’m the one that’ll be dealing with screaming kindergartners and a hangover tomorrow morning.”
“You aren’t letting this go, are ya?”
“Nope.” She grinned annoyingly.
“Fine. I’ll see ya there.”
I stepped forward to leave once again but she didn’t budge. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me, lifting to her toes to kiss me on the cheek.
“You two are the biggest idiots if you don’t get your shit figured out,” she whispered, hugging me tight.
“I never claimed to be smart.” Most days, I was pretty sure Leighton had been the one to get all the brains in the family.
Her face fell as she backed away from me. I hadn’t meant for her to see my sad smile.
“Billy, you can’t give up.”
“She’s with Wes.”
“She’s not. And even if she was, I didn’t expect you to bow out so easily.”
I wasn’t bowing out. Just because I stepped aside with Lottie didn’t mean I’d be backing down to another Monroe. That was a different story. Lottie was never mine to begin with. She’d always belonged with Tucker. And if I was honest, my feelings for Lottie didn’t run nearly as deep. I didn’t have a chance to say that, though. My attention locked on what Leighton had just said. She wasn’t with Wes? Leighton had no idea.
“The fuck she isn’t. I saw her with my own two eyes, Leighton.” I shoved past her this time, taking long strides toward the parking lot, not allowing her to keep me there any longer.
“The same way she saw you and Lauren.” Her voice hit my back, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned, my chest heaving, teeth grating as I stared at my sister. “I’m not with Lauren.”
I never was. And I hadn’t touched Lauren since the moment I knew Hannah was coming back to town. I regretted having done it in the first place, especially after Lauren didn’t seem to take it well when I explained things would never go anywhere with us.
“Duh,” she sighed. “That’s my point, dummy. But to an outsider, say, I don’t know…Hannah, it might’ve looked like it.”
“Shit,” I muttered, creasing the bill of my hat, dropping my eyes to the ground.
Leighton strolled up to me, a smug smile on her face, patting me on the shoulder as she passed by. “Just call me cupid. See you at Dudley’s.”
Mind reeling, head hung, I walked to my truck alone. I’d messed up one too many times with Hannah. I just hoped she could forgive all the stupid things I’d said and done in the past.
“That was some game.” Her voice drifted across the space between us like a ghost in the wind.