"I remember that you felt strong when you leaned over me. I remember the thick veins in your arms when you braced them by my head." She leaned forward even more. "I remember the thick feel of your cock inside me, and you moaning in my ear how good and juicy I felt."
I was completely and utterly unmoved. "How many of the guys Winter dated have you done this to?"
Something like shame passed like a cloud, but she shook it off and came back for a second round. "Winter's a sweet girl, but she doesn't have it in her to handle a man like you."
This time I leaned forward so I was almost close enough to kiss her forehead. Triumph gleamed in her eyes. Too bad for her that it would be transitory.
"I think you overestimate my studliness and underestimate the charm of your sister. I love her. Even if you were having my baby—which you’re not—it won't change how I feel about her. Now cut your act and tell me exactly what it is you want from me."
Like a switch, her sultriness was turned off and her sneer returned.
"Love? What the fuck do you know of that? I want you to leave us alone. Winter is always wanting to be with you, and I need her. You don't. You've got your friends, and you can get any girl you want. Just leave her alone."
"No."
She said other things, but I walked out. I texted Winter.
Dinner tonight?
Can't. I'm actually tattooing someone tonight. Just a small tattoo on someone’s ankle, but I'm already dying of anxiety.
Want me to come hold your hand?
No I think that I'd be even more nervous.
Miss you.
God, miss you too. Gotta run.
I stayed away from the trailer, and when construction closed down for the night, I called Adam. "I'm not up for partying at the house tonight. Want to hit some baseballs?"
We had a houseguest—a Marine friend of Noah and Bo's. He was a good guy, but Noah and Bo were convinced they had to throw a party every night. And tonight, the last thing I needed was company. I was in a shit mood and figured if I could slam the leather off some baseballs, I'd be able to sleep without going over to Winter's apartment and mauling her.
Batters Up was a batting cage and bar. Six cages and a platform to hold your beer pitcher. Genius. Adam didn't bat. He made sure the pitcher was full while he took drags on his e-cigarette. He was trying to quit smoking.
"What's the deal?"
"I think Ivy is cock blocking me."
"How so?"
I hit another eighty mile an hour fastball before turning to Adam. "Because every time I ask Winter to stay over, Ivy invents some excuse involving the baby. She's sick or the baby is moving or she's worried she's spotting. She's got a thousand different medical emergencies, and Winter runs every time she's called."
"So go over there and spend the night."
"Tried that. Ivy kept banging on the separating wall, telling us to tone it down and that she was trying to sleep. Winter's bed is cheap as fuck and makes a ton of noise. So we tried the floor, and we were still too loud."
Adam nodded. "Yeah, she's cock blocking you, but why? She still want in your jockeys?"
I thought about the heavy come-on earlier in the day. It was calculated and had no sexual intent. "No, I think it has to do with the fact she doesn't like that Winter would rather spend time with me than her."
He took a long draw and blew out the smoke. We both watched it waft in front of his face and then evaporate into the air.
"What's the best case scenario?"
"From whose point of view?" I asked.
"The fuck? Yours. I don't care about the other two."
I bristled and pointed the bat at him, "Don't talk like that about Winter."
Adam smirked. "See, choices are already being whittled down."
"Ideal scenario? Winter pregnant with my baby."
Adam's mouth dropped open, and the cigarette hung precariously on the edge of his lip. I resisted the temptation to grind it below my boot before it fell and started a fire on the Astroturf. If e-cigs could do that. I didn’t know.
"That's not the response I thought you'd give."
"What would it be?"
"No one being pregnant."
"Yeah, okay, I could live with that one too." I set down the bat and walked around the net. He handed me a drink, and I drained it but the alcohol didn't make me feel better. It never did. "Remember that night, the one right after Dad died?"
"The one where you passed out in your truck with Ivy?"
"That's the one. She's saying we had sex that night, and I'm the baby’s daddy."
He whistled. "Holy shit. I'm guessing that neither of you has said a word to Winter?"
"I don't believe it's true for a second. I was fully clothed. She was fully clothed. Did we look like we'd had sex?"