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And that was when I started to run.
SEVEN
ROXIE
Something was wrong.
The inning had ended, but instead of running off to the bleachers to keep his arm warm, Dave stood on the mound, now talking to Adam.
“What’s that about?” Callie asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said, unable to hide the tremble in my hand as it reached for my best friend.
“Rox?” When I looked at her, Callie’s eyes widened. It wasn’t like me to worry about much, especially someone she thought was a stranger or just an acquaintance since he was technically Adam’s roommate.
“You think he hurt his arm?” That wouldn’t be good. They were in the finals, and I’d heard there were scouts literally in the stands watching.
“It didn’t seem like it. I mean… It felt like he kept staring right over at us, but I’ve hardly ever talked to him. He’s usually never at the dorm when I’m visiting Adam. Just seemed like he was in a rush? No? Was that just me?”
“That’s because he’s at the bakery,” I whispered, looking away from my friend and at the guy who had bullied me who was still there, on the mound, the other team’s pitcher standing off to the side to give them privacy.
Damn it, Dave, I thought to myself. Worry churned in my belly. The big ole bullying pitcher! He’d somehow managed to rear-end me so I could be under his thumb. I couldn’t prove it, but I knew he’d done it.
Though I hadn’t really been under his thumb those first two months before things changed between us. He’d been watching over me. Making sure I took care of shit that had been overwhelming me. The hours had been weird and stupid, and I’d had to lie to my best friend, but it’d worked.
And when he’d helped get Adam and Callie together? Everything had changed. Dave had turned into Daddy, and now we were on the second-to-last day of this stupid arrangement. I should have been glad. Thankful even. But I wasn’t. Not even close. And I hated it.
“Bakery?” Callie asked, completely confused. “He doesn’t need to work. The guy’s, like… loaded!”
“Remember the frat guy?” I asked, my tongue too loose. This wasn’t the time to share this. Not here. “The one from the fender bender,” I whispered and felt her head snap towards me, her warm gaze focused on me even though I was looking out at the field.
“Yeah…” she sounded slowly. I turned, and if I didn’t have a hurricane of emotions swirling inside of me, I would have thought the shocked look on her face was almost funny.
“Him?!” she asked in a shout-whisper. I nodded. “What the hell!?” She leaned closer. “Wait, you two worked together at the bakery?”
“No, the second floor is his. Like a crash pad, sorta.” It felt wrong calling it that.
“Crash pad? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Just…” I squeezed her hand. “He kinda bullied me into hanging out with him.”
“Bullied you…” She leaned closer and in a quiet voice, just for our ears, said “Was this a sex thing?”
“No. Yes. I mean, not at the beginning. Not until you and Adam got together.”
“Me and Adam?”
“I love him,” I blurted out. Her brows almost reached her hairline.
“You love—“
“Yeah,” I sighed and swallowed. I rested my hand on my abdomen.
“Does he know how you feel?” I shook my head because I’d been playing it all very close to the vest. Especially this last week when I’d woken up nauseous and had taken a test.
“He’s going to leave.”
“You don’t know that.”
