Stealing Third (14 page)

I
take a step backwards and press my back against the door and let Tyler kiss me
slow and deep, the complete opposite of the wild and manic kisses we shared
against the door in his room the very first night we met.

“I’m
so sorry for yesterday,” he breathes, cupping my head in his palms after he
pulls away from our kiss. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation—and I just
jumped to conclusions without really talking to you about it—which is stupid.
So can I please start over?” he asks, brushing his thumbs across my cheek
bones, sincerity in every word he utters. “Emily, I’m really sorry, but I
accidently—”

“No,”
I cut him off. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Tyler. I should have told you the
truth.”

Tyler’s
hands fall away from my face and he looks worried as he takes a small step
back. “The truth?”

I
reach out and take a hold of his hands to stop him before he can move any
farther away. I have to tell him what I should have yesterday and avoided this
whole mess in the first place. “The truth is…this is more than just fun to me,
Tyler. Way more.”

“Really?”
he asks, creasing his forehead, uncertainty written all over his face.

“Yes,
really.” I nod before pressing my smiling lips to his. Way, way more.

When
we finally pull apart, Tyler gives me another long, searching look that I
return with a confident smile because it’s the truth—this is way more than just
some fun summer fling. I’ve completely fallen for him.

“But
what about using—” he starts as the wails of a crying kid coming from down the
hall, followed by Doc’s voice, interrupts him mid thought.

“I
better go and let you get back to work, but we can finish this tonight. At the
dugout, okay?” I whisper, before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and feeling
lighter than a wiffle ball, now that we are okay again.

Rubbing
the back of his neck, Tyler’s eyes dart across my face before he answers under
his breath, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

The
deep croak of a bullfrog in the distance echoes across the empty baseball
diamond and catches me off guard.

But
then again, every single noise for the last fifteen minutes since I’ve been
waiting for Emily to get here has. Even the warm night air rustling the trees
lining the outfield, and carrying with it the scent of summer has me on edge.

I
sit in the dugout and let her words—reassuring me this is more than just fun
for her—tumble around in my mind. Having to remind myself what I read was only
one small sentence in what looked like a five or six page letter.

A
letter I had no business reading in the first place. So, unless I want to admit
to Emily I read her private letter, and I don’t believe what she told me today
about how she feels, then I need to let it go.

“Hey
there, Slugger,” Emily says, swinging around the metal fence pole of the
dugout’s entrance, a soft pink blanket draped over her shoulders.

At
the very sight of her, I let my doubt go, her smile making it hard to
concentrate on anything else—let alone a stupid letter I probably misunderstood
anyway.

“Hey,
yourself.” I stand up and motion to the blanket with my chin. “What’cha got
there?”

Emily
walks into the dugout and drags her fingers across the chain link fence—passing
me without so much as a touch—until she’s standing at the opening into the
field. “Thought we could look at the stars like we did the night we met,
remember?” 

How
could I forget?

The
way Emily looked that night on my roof in that little black dress is seriously
burned into my memory. Actually—every moment I’ve spent with her is.

As
Emily walks backwards towards the outfield, her crutches nowhere in sight, her
smile pulls me along, despite my sudden uneasiness at how exposed we are.

“Hey,
maybe we should stay in the dugout so we’re a little more hidden?” I whisper,
glancing around the dark empty field.

“Don’t
worry.” Emily pulls the blanket off her shoulders and lays it on the soft
grass. “It’s almost two in the morning. There is no way Walter or Gale are up
doing sweeps this late. So relax, Slugger, we’re not gonna get caught.” She
winks.

At
that, I let out a deep breath and finally drop my shoulders. She’s right. It is
pretty late, and considering she’s been coming to Camp Champ for years, no one
would know better than her about how sweeps work.

“I
need to relax, huh?” I rest a finger on my chin as if in thought, unable to
hide the smirk on my face. “If only we could think of something to do that
would help.”

Emily
pokes my side hard, clearly getting my drift. “Very funny.”

“I
thought so,” I say, lying down on the blanket and wrapping my arms around her
tiny frame, happy and content just to have her near me.

Tucking
Emily into my side, the night sky unfolds above us. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Absolutely
stunning,” I murmur, never once having looked up at the stars, my eyes fixed
only on her.

As
Emily turns to look at me with moonlight shining in her eyes, every worry I’ve
been shouldering falls off and sinks away, leaving only us. No misinterpreted
letters—or life altering career choices. I reach out and brush my fingers
across her lips before taking them in mine. No rules, no problems, nothing.
Only us.

Emily
lets out a soft moan when I shift our bodies so I’m above her, and like an
exploding supernova in the sky, we both come undone.

Stripping
off each other’s shirts, our hands explore every exposed inch of each other as
the light summer breeze cools our hot skin. “You feel so good,” Emily breathes,
arching her body into mine as I move from her lips, to her neck, and back up
again, savoring the way her body responds with goose bumps.

“I
want you so bad right now,” I admit as she drags her nails across my back,
sending my already hyper-senses into overdrive.

“I…do…too…”
Emily manages between pants, our hips rocking together in a slow and steady
movement that’s quickly driving me to the edge.

Shifting
my weight so I don’t crush her, I brush my hand from her cheek, down her chest
and across her flat stomach to the waistband of her white cut-off jean shorts.

“Look
who’s trying to steal third now,” she says, causing my hand to freeze just
above the button on her shorts, but managing to send my heart pounding even
faster than it already was.

“I’m
sorry. I thought…we can slow down.”

Emily’s
hand flies over her mouth to stifle a laugh, her eyes dancing with mischief. “I
was kidding.”

I
run my hand through my hair, before flopping over onto my back and trying to
catch my breath. “Who’s the funny one, now?”

Emily
sits up on her knees and straddles my body, her soft pink cheeks and her black
lacy bra competing for my full attention.

“You
know, Slugger,” she says, lowering her body to mine until her lips are at my
ear, her voice as carefree as summer itself. “There’s no need to steal third
when I’m waving you home.”

I
brush my hands into her hair, roll us over so I’m hovering above her again, and
start to nibble at her neck. “If that’s the case—I plan on hitting this one out
of the park.”

“Well,
you didn’t get called to the majors for nothing,” Emily teases, her giggles
drifting across the open field before a sudden burst of light drowns out the
blackness, and her laughter along with it.

Oh,
shit.

Scrambling
to my feet, I grab Emily’s shirt from off the ground and toss it to her before
snatching mine and yanking it on. I squint against the flood lights and see
Walter with his hands on his hips and his nostrils flaring.

Oh,
shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

“Mr.
Ford. Miss Evers,” Walter growls between clenched teeth as a large vein in his
forehead throbs. “Seeing how this is not the first time I’ve caught the two of
you out past curfew I’m not even going to bother asking for an excuse, because
I don’t particularly feel like being lied to. Again”

“Sir—it’s
not what it looks like,” I manage to get out, while Emily, whose back is to
him, slips her shirt on.

He
crosses his arms and stares me down, challenging me to explain how this is not
exactly
what it looks like. I scramble for an answer, an excuse, anything, but I
come up blank. The only thing my brain can manage at the moment is two simple
words. Oh. Shit.

“Well,
tell me then, Tyler—are you a counselor?”

“Um,
yes, sir.”

“And
is she a camper?”

“Technically
a junior counselor,” Emily corrects, turning around, but it doesn’t matter. I
know the rules and I know I’ve broken them.

“Yes,
sir.”

“And
are you two out here past curfew? Fraternizing?”

I
drop my head, unable to say anything to defend my actions. “Yes, sir.”

“Well
then, Mr. Ford. It
is
exactly as it looks—and what is also clear—despite
both of you passing the written camp rules test, you have managed to break not one,
but two rules this evening.” Walter takes a deep breath and lets his hands fall
to his side. “And seeing as I have already written you both up once this
session for the food fight you started, this would make strikes two and three.

“But—”
Emily starts to protests before Walter cuts her off.

“No
buts, Miss Evers. You have been a camper here for over twelve years and should
know the rules better than anyone.” Walter shakes his head, disappointment
tucked into every tired wrinkle. “I’m sorry, Emily, but I have no choice. I
have to kick you out.” He scrapes his hand across his face and sighs
dejectedly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get in
trouble on purpose by how you’ve been acting this summer.”

I
whip my head around and stare at the girl standing next to me and realize it
is
exactly how it looks.

Emily
used me to get kicked out of camp—just like she said she would.

“And
as for you, Tyler, while I understand your job shadow with Doctor Newton makes
your circumstances here at camp somewhat different; I have no choice but to
fire you. There is no way I can keep you on after you’ve broken our
fraternization policy. It’s really too bad, too.” Walter shakes his head back
and forth, “Doc and I were just speaking about what a help you’ve been, and how
we hoped to find you a permanent role in the nurse’s office next year if you
wanted to come back.”

Fired.
Fraternization policy. A permanent role working under Doctor Newton.

Walter’s
words swirl around in my mind as the weight of this lost opportunity makes my
limbs go heavy, while sending my anger rising as hot and high as a campfire
doused with gasoline.

She
used me to get kicked out of camp. And I’m going to lose everything.

“Sir—”
I begin, but stop short when Walter raises his hand, silencing me.

“There’s
nothing left to say. Tomorrow is visitor’s day, and I need all staff on hand,
but once our guests have left, I will arrange for a new counselor to take over
for you and that will be that. Do you understand?”

“Yes,
sir.” I nod, keeping my fists clenched tightly at my sides.

“And
as for you, Emily, I’ll contact your parents in the morning to let them know
what has happened and request they come and get you immediately.”

“There’s
no need,” Emily says, casting her eyes at the ground, sounding resigned.

I
furrow my brow, surprised she doesn’t sound more elated since she’s getting
exactly what she wanted. What she’s worked so hard for.

Walter
cocks his head to the side like he didn’t hear her correctly. “I’m sorry?”

“There’s
no need,” she repeats, looking up with tear filled eyes. “They’re coming
tomorrow for visitor’s day.”

My
eyes go wide. In a matter of minutes, Emily’s plan to get kicked out of camp
has stripped me of my job as counselor, my job shadow with Doc, and now, most
likely my reputation with Coach when he finds out about this tomorrow.

Staring
at Emily, I silently plead for her to look at me—to look at me and explain why
she would do this—but her eyes stay fixed on Walter as a single tear pools over
and runs down her cheek.

“Very
well.” Walter’s lips press into a thin hard line, looking spent. “I’ll speak
with them after the visitor’s day luncheon tomorrow. Now both of you—back to
your respective cabins immediately.”

“Sir—”
I start, prepared to except my punishment and apologize for letting him down,
but I get cut off again, this time by the long deep sigh of frustration he
blows out.

“Just
go, Tyler. You too, Emily.”

I
nod as the disappointment in myself, and my fury at Emily grows. “I truly am
sorry, sir,” I choke out.

Walter
slumps his shoulders. “Yeah, me too, kid. Me, too.” He turns around and stalks
off into the dark shadows beyond the lights of the field and disappears.

“Tyler,”
Emily says softly, reaching for my hand.

How
can she whisper my name like that after what she’s done?

I
pull away from her touch, and stalk off in the direction of my cabin—unsure I
can speak I’m so angry.

Emily
runs after me, grabs my arm and stops me at the edge of the field just beyond
the light. “Tyler, stop. Please. I’m sorry.”

Spinning
around, I yank my arm out of her grip and glare at her. What does it matter
what she has to say for herself at this point? She got want she wanted. She
doesn’t need to keep playing me.

“You’re
sorry? Really, Emily? For what?” I fume. “For causing me to lose my summer job?
Or for the hours of job shadowing, and the letter of recommendation I needed
for my med school applications I’ll no longer receive from Doc?”

I
rake my hand through my hair, and let my words tumble out without thought. “Or
are you sorry that ruining my summer job and school wasn’t enough? Well, don’t
worry, because I’m pretty sure once Coach finds out why you’ve been kicked out
of camp, you’ll have ruined my spot on the team and any chance I had to go to
the minors after this season.

“So,
forgive me if I don’t want to hear your apologies, Emily,” I spit out through a
clenched jaw, my anger tightening the muscles in my neck and shoulders, too.
“I’m just sorry it took you so long to achieve your goal.”

Emily
staggers back a step, her eyes wide, and full of tears. “My…my goal?”

“Yeah—I
know all about your little plan to use me to get kicked out of camp, Emily. I
saw the letter. So, congratulations—you did it. I guess I’m the idiot for
thinking what we had was real.” I laugh with an edge so sharp I could cut
myself against it.

“The
letter?” She gasps, understanding registering on her face. “Tyler, no. You have
it all wrong.” Emily drops her head into her hands before crumpling to the
ground crying. “Please let me explain. I didn’t…mean for this…to happen,” she
manages to say between sobs, causing my heart to hurt, despite my anger at her.
“What we have
is
real…it is.”