Page 85 of Bad Ball Hitter
After an agonizing moment, he finally speaks up. “I don’t know how to feel, Lila.” He stares out the window, his voice heavy with resignation yet tinged with a threadbare hope. “I should be relieved, right? He isn’t a reminder of my infidelity to you, but I wanted…”
When his voice dies off, I place my hand on his arm. His muscles are taut under my fingers, like steel cords ready to snap with tension. But he doesn’t push me away or flinch from my touch as I feared he might.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, even though it feels empty and insufficient in the face of what we’ve just discovered.
Drake finally turns around to face me. His brown eyes are dark and hollow, lost in some distant place where I can’t reach him.
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.” He grabs hold of me and pulls me into him. “Nothing changes. That kid is your son and will be mine. We’re a team.”
I nod, my heart aching with the sincerity in his voice and the pain etched across his face. I want to reassure and soothe his turmoil, yet I fear my words will only sound hollow. He’s hurting. And that fact alone cuts me deeper than any words could delve.
“I know,” I whisper against his chest, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “We’re a team.”
His arms tighten around me like he’s trying to hold on to something slipping away from him. For a moment, we say nothing, our silence echoing in the surrounding apartment—a quiet pact between two broken-hearted souls willing to keep going despite the odds.
The shrill of his phone breaks us apart. His brows furrow as he reads the screen. “It’s my agent.”
He turns to me, dipping his head to make eye contact. As if sensing my turmoil, he says, “This doesn’t make me love him any less.”
But is it enough to make you stay?
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Drake
It only takes one phone call for everything to change.
My father.
I was sitting beside Mom and my sister Anna when the police department called with the news of Dad’s crash. The guilt washed over me instantly, a heavy weight settling in my chest. But there was no time to feel sorry for myself. I had to console Mom, who crumbled beside me, and take care of Anna until Mia arrived.
My sister.
I had just finished baseball practice when I got the call from Mia. Her voice was frantic, telling me that Anna had taken a turn for the worse. I drove like a madman, but I was five minutes too late. She passed away before I could say goodbye.
My mom.
Well, it’s easy to guess how that went, considering it was early morning, and I was passed out drunk on Roy’s floor. The shame was a constant companion, reminding me of my failures.
One phone call changes lives.
This is another one.
I took a deep breath, feeling the air tremble in my lungs, and steeled myself for what he was about to say. My hand felt heavy as I lifted the phone to my ear and answered.
“Who’s your favorite person?” My agent’s voice rings through the phone, far too cheerful for the moment.
My gut churns at his near giddiness. Lila stiffens beside me, her body tense with apprehension. Even though I’m not the best at reading body language, it’s clear as day—she’s nervous. And I’d bet my last dollar she knows what I suspect—he came through with the deal.
“Yeah? Dare I ask the terms?” I run a hand along my face, my palm slick with sweat, but my gaze never strays from Lila’s.
“One hundred and thirty million for ten years. You’re locked onto the West Coast, baby. You can thank me later. I accept kisses and a blowjob as rewards.”
Lila stands there shell-shocked, her bright blue eyes widening. For a moment, she seems lost for words. Then she blinks and steps back, her breath hitching as if trying to make sense of the news.
My grip tightens around the phone, barely able to believe what I’ve just heard. A ten-year contract? With the Dodgers? A hundred and thirty million? It’s everything I ever wanted, everything I fought for, but it feels like a punch to the gut. Because getting what you wish for also means losing something else.
“That’s a lot of bank.” My jaw clenches, and the room suddenly feels stifling, the air thick and heavy.