COLBY

I have never felt so shitty in my entire life. I haven't slept in two days. I couldn't fall asleep because I thought about her, wishing she was next to me every second. Sleeping alone after getting used to having someone next to you is hard. Especially when it's Olivia. She always wraps herself around me and doesn't let go until she wakes up the next morning.

I won't lie. I was devastated when she didn't want to talk last night. I am so ready to explain everything to her. I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops if it's the only way to get her to listen to me.

I never realized how badly I wanted her. I'm going to be sure she knows it.

I was preparing to throw for the season's first game versus Akron University. It was only a scrimmage; our actual season began the next semester.

It was getting real. I only had one semester until I graduated. Who the hell knows what will happen next? All I know is that it better involve signing with a major league team.

With the home team advantage, my team and I were pitching first. I wait for the queue of POWER by Kanye West to blast on the speakers before I begin to loosen up on the mound. It's been my walk-out song since freshman year. I think the song has done me a lot of good. I basically start to dance to the beat when I hear it.

Do it better than anybody you've ever seen do it. I begin throwing my warm-up pitches to the catcher. I almost feel self-conscious as the crowd grows in the stands, people pouring in in every direction.

I scan the stadium for any familiar faces but come up short. The only ones I notice are the softball girls who have claimed the front row of the stands for themselves.

I throw the last warm-up pitch, a breaking ball, harder than the ones before. Willy better get used to it for today. I have a lot of built-up emotions I need to release.

The first batter walks up to the plate. He was a huge guy, topping at least six foot seven. He had been the lead-off hitter for the past two years now.

I throw the first pitch, a breaking ball, as the batter swings and misses. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The first pitch is over. Keep it up. I throw the second one a little low, and it hits the dirt.

Willy calls for a fastball on the third. I huff, not wanting to throw one down the middle already. He demands it again, and I want to roll my eyes. Fastball it is. I knew I'd regret it the moment the ball left my hands and the batter hit it straight down the middle into the outfield. It lands in the grass, nowhere near where our outfielders stood. Shit.

I shake it off. It's fine. It's whatever.

The next batter comes up, and Willy calls for another fastball. This fucker. I swear. I throw it anyway, the hitter immediately making contact with his bat and sending it up in the air and down into the right fielder's glove.

First out.

The first guy is still on first, eager to move. Willy tells me to throw to first and try to catch him. I quickly turned, throwing to first, but the fucker, Jagger, wasn't paying attention and let the ball slip past him. I curse. He books it to second as Jagger quickly picks the ball up and throws it to Bryce on second.

Fuck.

I'm going to smack Jagger upside his head after this inning.

The guys in the Akron dugout were cheering. I wanted to wipe the smile off all their faces.

Focus, Jones.

I throw my next pitch hard into Willy's hand, giving him the fastball he wanted. I'd like to know the speed on that one.

The moment my eye catches two blondes taking a seat in the stands, I perk up. My girl is here. I look closer. She's wearing the Wake Forest Baseball shirt I gave her. Fuck she looks so good.

Focus.

Now that she's here, I have to impress her.

-

Coach pulled me after the sixth inning, letting Crawford close for me. We were up four runs from the four Akron scored. I allowed two runs in while he also let two runs in.

Crawford was throwing his last few pitches of the game, and I was getting antsy. She's here. She's here. She's here. Fuck, I wanted to see her.

I don't even give a shit that she still hates me because she's here. She came to support me, and that means everything to me.

Crawford strikes the last batter out, and I jump out of my seat to cheer with the team. We have a lot of shit to work on, and I do not doubt that coach is about to chew us out for the errors.

We huddle in the outfield, and I watch to ensure she doesn't leave. I will make her come back if she does. Sadie will wait for Crawford, so hopefully, she will stay with her.

The moment coach finishes his rant about how we "fucking suck," I look for Crawford, who is headed in the same direction I was headed. I walked up to him and threw my arm around his neck, "Great game," I told him.

"You too, bud. Slipped up a bit at the start. I was nervous."

I grin, "Same. It's weird being in front of a crowd again."

I swallow hard when we round the corner, and the girls stand there waiting for us. Sadie throws her arms around Crawford, and I walk to Olivia. "Hey. You came."

Im inches away from her, and I rest my hands on her hips, wanting to draw her in closer. It's taking every ounce of strength not to kiss her right now.

"Of course, I came. Why wouldn't I?"

Because you hate me. "Because you're miss anti-baseball," I tease.

She laughs, resting her hands on my forearms, "Well, you were right. It's a lot more interesting when you're on the mound. I will say I did lose interest when you left the mound."

"I heard that," Crawford mumbles next to us. "I think I'm very interesting to watch."

"They do hit a lot off of him. That was entertaining."

I snort, and Crawford gasps, "Olivia, you are bruising my ego right now. Holy fuck."

"You'll be fine, you big baby," Sadie tells him.

I finally look away from Olivia and look over at them. They stood there watching us intensely. I'm glad everyone's watching.

She looked over to Crawford and said, "You played great. We had no clue what was happening, but the man next to us was explaining a lot of it." She looked at me, "And you played amazing." She reaches on her tippy toes and kisses my cheek, and my dick twitches in my pants at her so close to me.

"Thanks. I like the shirt," I say, my fingers running over the hem of it.

She grins, and then she looks behind her at someone. "The guy behind you is the guy who was teaching us baseball."

I whip my head around, and my eyes widen. "That's-," Crawford begins to say, but I finish his words.

"That's my dad." I swallow hard as he and I make eye contact.

He grins and walks over to us, and I meet him halfway, hugging him. "Dad. What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming."

"Hey, kid. I got off work at the last minute, so I decided to come to see you play." He lived just outside Greensboro, which was only a thirty-minute drive away. He and my mom didn't want to leave Winston-Salem, which was how they compromised.

Olivia and Sadie eye us wide-eyed while Crawford laughs. "I should have known he was your dad. You two look so similar," Olivia says, taking a step forward to him.

My dad steps around me and looks at Olivia. "You must be Olivia." Oh, God. How fucking embarrassing is this? I didn't need a meet-the-parent night right yet. Of course, this happens when we are fighting, too.

"I am," She says, looking at me, grinning as she holds her hand out to him to shake.

"I've been wanting to meet the woman my son is head over heels for. He talks about you non-stop." Kill me.

Crawford snickers loudly, but Olivia looks unphased. "I hope it's good things," she teases.

"Always," my dad says. "Well, I better get home to let the dog out. Come see your old man soon, Cole. Played great, bud." He hugs me before walking to Crawford and hugging him, "Good to see you, Crawford. Can't believe you found a girlfriend."

"Me either," He jokes.

My dad then walks away, and I have the urge to hit myself with a baseball hat.

"Your dad is so hot," Sadie groans.

"Yeah, no kidding. DILF," Olivia says, still watching him walk away. "I feel bad for him. Sadie shared some graphic stories with me during the game, and I'm sure he heard it all."

"Just means your dad knows I'm an animal in bed, Jonesy," Crawford defends.

I sigh, defeated, "I'm going home." I know my face was probably tomato red. I am incredibly embarrassed.

"Yeah, I got a lot of beer to drink tonight since we couldn't last night. Better get started," Crawford says, moving to get his bag.

Olivia stands silently, biting her bottom lip. I wonder what's on that beautiful mind of hers. It's probably the fact she knows I talk to my father about her.

I casually mentioned to him that she was the girl from freshman year who threw a drink in my face at a party. That she was the girl who I was in a play with for class. That she was the girl I accidentally fell for because he knew I didn't want to be tied down. It was all casual talk.

We walked silently back to our apartments, and I felt so awkward. What do I say? Bye, see you later? Do I ask her to talk? Fuck.

"Bella cooked us dinner, so we will see you later," Sadie announces to Crawford and me, I assume.

"Boo. Where's my dinner?" Crawford whines.

"Don't care. Bye!" She pulled Olivia up the stairs to their apartment, and Crawford and I walked to mine. I glance at her as she's shutting the door as I get to mine.

Fuck.

-

I almost freak out when I walk into my bedroom after my shower to see a girl in my bed, but I know the blonde hair from anywhere.

Olivia.

She lays in my bed with her eyes closed, under the covers, asleep. Her lips slightly parted. I wonder if she was as tired as I was. I can't sleep without her, and I know that's terrible. I just like her cuddles.

How long was I in the shower? How long has she been here?

I quietly go to my dresser, pull out a pair of boxers, and slip them on. I pull a pair of shorts over them and sink into the bed beside her, curious why she was here.

I scoot close to her, and she immediately wraps her arms around me. I say nothing for a minute as I lay there, waiting to see if she speaks.

I slip my hand under her shirt and run my fingers up her back. Finally, I ask, "What are-"

She cuts me off with a simple "Shh." I know then that she simply just wants to sleep because she can't sleep without me, either.

I close my eyes and let sleep take over me with her in my arms.