The sun cast a soft glow around the batting cages. The metal reflected the light right into my eyes, so I squinted. The unmistakable sound of the ball alerted me that one was flying right at me. I swung wildly and missed. 

"Do you need some sunglasses?"

I looked to my left to see a guy standing off to the side. A small smile flew to his face. I was struck by how handsome he was. High cheekbones sat below eyes that followed my every move. A blue bandanna blended in with his dark hair. 

He must've noticed me checking him out because a real smile painted his face. My breath caught in my throat when he stepped closer to me. Something was in his hands, and he pressed them into mine.

"Here's some sunglasses," he said, his deep voice flowing right into my ears. 

"Thank you." I slipped them on but perched them on my head. The sun didn't bother me when I looked at him. "Do you play baseball?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No. My father owns this place, so I'm forced to work here. What about you?"

It took me a minute to realize that he was asking whether I played softball or not. "Yeah," I replied quickly. "I'm on the varsity softball team."

"Are you sure?" he teased. "That swing didn't even reach the ball."

My cheeks lifted up. "I couldn't see anything. The sun is blinding."

"It sure is." 

"Are you still in high school?"

He nodded. "I'm home schooled, though."

"That's why I didn't recognize you."

He stuck his hand out and said, "I'm Nick Stewart."

"Catherine Hudson." 

His calloused hand felt warm in mine. He held on tight for a second longer before dropping his arm. I didn't want him to let go. 

"Can I watch you?"

"Weren't you already?"

His eyes widened. He looked adorable. "I didn't mean to watch you. I just -"

I laughed and laid my hand on his arm. His eyes flicked down to that before settling back to mine. "It's fine. I don't mind when cute guys do it."

Before he could do anything else, I turned on my heel. A grin spread across my face. If I played my cards right, he would be wrapped around my little finger by the end of the night. 

"Do you come here often?" he asked.

"Yeah. Me and my best friend come almost every week."

"Where is she?"

I laughed. "He is running a little late tonight." I glanced at him. He looked a little sad, so I said, "He's just a friend."

I swung the bat and slammed into a ball. It flew into the net with a soft whoosh. My arms still hurt from yesterday, but they felt much better after I took a hot bath. I swung again and hit another ball. 

"Okay, you are good," he said, his eyes wide.

I grinned. "I know."

"You started without me?" 

I glanced behind me to find Harvey strolling toward me. He hadn't seen Nick yet, and I didn't want him to. For some reason, my heart slammed into my rib cage as he stepped into the light.

"Sorry," I said quickly. "You know I like to hit things."

"I think you mean hit on things," he joked.

I slapped his arm when he laughed to his own joke. He had his back to Nick, but Nick stood up and waved to me. "I'll see you later, Catherine," he said.

"Bye."

Harvey spun around and watched Nick walk away. His arms crossed over his chest, and a weird look was on his face. He didn't look away for the longest time, so I said, "You want to bat?"

"Yeah." He looked distracted as he picked up my bat from the ground. He looked ridiculous with my bat because it was literally so small compared to him. He swung the bat, and the ball slammed into the net. 

"You didn't bring your own bat?" I asked.

"I came here directly after work," he said, gesturing to his outfit. Khakis hung tight to his legs and a black t-shirt clung to his chest. "I forgot we were coming here until after work ended."

"That's why it took you so long," I said slowly. "You went home, didn't you?"

"Almost."

He swung again but missed. His shoulders looked tense so I wrapped my hand around his bicep. "Why don't you let me bat for a little bit," I said, pulling him back.

He allowed me to pull him, so I took the opportunity to rub his shoulders. He plopped down on the bench in this column. I stood behind him as my fingers dug into his shoulders. "I think you're more tense than I am," I muttered.

"Go ahead and bat," he said even as he leaned into my touch. 

I patted the back of his neck before grabbing my bat from off of the ground. A ball flew by, so I swung and hit it. 

"Have you always batted like that?" he asked.

I glanced at him before swinging again. "Yes? I have no idea."

"You're swinging weird."

"What do you mean?"

He stood up and mimicked me. He was right. I swung a little sideways if he mimicked me correctly. "I think it's because Coach Kidman made me hold my bat above my head for like fifteen minutes," I said with a sigh.

His eyes flashed. "What did she make you do?"

I held my bat above my head. "She threatened to have me sit the bench the whole season since I missed weights."

Harvey stepped closer to me. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, Harvey." I paused and hit another ball. "It's my senior year. I've been on the varsity team since I was a sophomore. I've had a good run."

I swung again. This time, I missed. Suddenly, his hands were around my waist, holding me steady. "Swing," he whispered in my ear.

My muscles tensed up. We had obviously stood this close to each other before, but something was wrong. My heart hammered against my chest, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up every time he let out a breath. 

"Swing, Cat."

I swung this time. He held me back from moving forward, and I hit the ball hard this time. It slammed into the net. 

"That was much better," he whispered.

My breath caught in my throat when he pressed his mouth to my ear. And just as quick as when he gripped my hips, he was gone. I glanced behind me to see him lounging on the bench, a smile on his face. 

"Try to swing without my help!" he called.

If only I could swing. My mind kept running in the direction of Harvey. Of his hands on my hips. Of his lips on my ear. 

"Are you okay?" Harvey asked. 

"Yeah."

My voice came out strained. I swung at a ball but horribly missed. The next time I swung, I hit a ball. 

"That was good!"

"I don't need help from you!" There, I was back to normal. Teasing was our love language. "You didn't get on the varsity team until our junior year!"

He chuckled. "Understood, Cat."

I swung again and hit another ball. "Do you want to bat now?" I asked.

"Sure."

I passed him the bat, and our hands brushed. I jumped away from him and sat down on the bench. "You left me a water bottle?" I asked and grabbed it. I chugged some of the water before he yelled at me.

"That's mine!" he yelled.

I sputtered as he raced toward me. Laughter bubbled out of my mouth after I swallowed the rest of the water. "Oh, was that yours?"

He growled. "Yes."

"I didn't know."

He stood in front of me and whispered, "I think you knew that was mine."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

He tipped my chin up higher, and my eyes locked with his. "You owe me."

"Got it."

He brushed a lock of my dark hair behind my ear. I sucked in a breath when he turned around and walked back to the cage. 

"You better watch out, Cat," he said, glancing at me. "You have no idea when you're going to owe me."

"I'm so scared," I said sarcastically. 

"Don't be afraid." He paused and hit a ball so hard that it slammed into the metal fence behind the net. Harvey looked at me with dark eyes. "Be terrified."

I burst out laughing and so did he. "That was funny, Harvey. Thank you. I needed that."

"Anything for you." He stared at me for a second longer before saying, "I would do literally anything for you. If you want me to beat up Coach Kidman, I will."

I smiled but shook my head. "No. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He swung one more time just as the sun sank lower than the row of trees in front of us. I realized I still had Nick's sunglasses on my face, so I took them off and slipped them into my bag. I'd give it back to him the next time I saw him. 

"I have to head home now," I said, standing up. "Mom said I couldn't stay out that late tonight."

"Okay." He wrapped his arm around me and pressed his head into mine. "Can I keep your bat for tonight?"

"Sure. Are you staying?"

"Yeah."

In the daytime, this place looked safe. However, there were many shadows when the sun disappeared behind the earth. The huge spotlight hadn't turned on yet, and my heart thumped fast against my chest. "Could you walk me to my car?" I asked hesitantly.

He chuckled. "Sure."

We walked side by side and stayed in the light of the moon. With him, I felt safe. Only he could make me feel that safe. 

"Thank you," I said softly. 

"You really were scared?"

"Yeah. You don't know how many creepy people are out there."

He nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow. Are you coming to my baseball game?"

I stared at him until he smiled. "Of course I am. I'll text you when I get home."

"Okay."

"Bye, Harvey."

"Bye, Cat."