Page 38 of Love Unwritten
I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I can’t do this with him because I don’t know how. After spending so many years putting off uncomfortable conversations, I never developed the skill to handle them.
“What about after the game?”
“Sorry. I have plans.”
The tiny tic in his jaw gives his emotions away. “Fine. What about tomorrow?”
“Fully booked as well. In fact, my calendar is slammed until the new year.”
“It’s June.”
I flash a fake smile. “I have so many things to catch up on now that I have a lot of free time. Not that I expect you to understand since you’re self-employed and all.”
“You could at least hear me out.”
“Oh, like you did the night of Nico’s accident?” I might not like confrontation, but if Rafael pushes me hard enough, he will get one.
“I told you it was all a mistake.”
I steel my spine. “Well, your mistake was my wake-up call.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I gather up some courage with my deep breath. “Things were never going to work out. You didn’t value me or my time enough, while I valued your family way too much. It would only get worse with time, so you firing me just sped up the process.”
A shrill whistle and someone shouting my name in the distance save me, and I walk away before Rafael ever has a chance to reply.
After three dreadful innings, Willow shouts, “Oh, thank God you’re here!” She waves at my replacement before pointing in my direction. “Ellie, you’re free.”
I swear I hear one of Willow’s brothers cheering, but I don’t take it personally. Outfield might as well be outer space with the distance I’m expected to cover.
“All good.” I wipe the sweat from my brow and throw her a thumbs-up before heading to sit by my mom on the bleachers. It’s unreasonably hot today, thanks to a heat wave coming in this week, and the lack of shade doesn’t help matters.
At some point in the fourth inning, Lorenzo ditches his shirt altogether and earns a standing ovation from the other women watching. Burt jokingly tries to take his off too, which gets a groan from me and a whistle from my mother.
A lot of people from town have gathered on the bleachers surrounding the softball field. I had hoped to see Nico in the crowd, but I’m filled with disappointment when I find him missing. The ache in my chest that has been present since the night of his accident worsens, always acting up whenever I think of him.
Nico has been my shadow for months, so to no longer have him around feels like I’m missing a vital organ. I long for mornings spent bargaining for him to get out of bed and afternoons hanging out in the barn with the animals almost as much as I miss our music lessons together.
I only have myself to blame for losing it all.
“You did so well out there.” My mom wraps her arm around my shoulder and tugs me against her, pulling me out of my dark mental space.
“I barely did anything.”
“I saw you run for the ball.”
My cheeks burn at the memory. “I was running away from it.”
“Hm. Hard to tell from this far away, so I doubt anyone noticed.”
I blow a loose strand of hair out of my eyes with a frustrated huff.
Some women suck in a breath as Rafael walks past our bleachers and heads toward home plate. He wipes his face with the hem of his shirt, giving them all a good look at what lies beneath. His abs, which I had never seen before, give me eight more reasons to stay far away.
What Rafael lacks in personality as of late, he makes up for in spades physically. The man could have marble statues made in his likeness because his body is that sculpted to perfection.
As if he senses my eyes on him, he looks up, and our gazes connect. Something sparks in his, and I’m quick to look away, my cheeks burning at being caught in the act.