already four points ahead of ours. Hopefully, we could catch up.
Scotty handed me the bat. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile.
He stepped away then crossed his arms over his chest.
When Liam pitched the ball to me, I hit it on the first try. Using my entire body in the swing, I hit it hard across the field. It soared high in the sky then went further back than anyone else’s hit.
“Damn,” Bran said. “She knows how to hit.”
“Livia.” Scotty looked at me.
“Huh?” I kept eyeing the ball.
“Run,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh.” I laughed to myself then sprinted around the bases.
Scotty stood on home plate and started to count every time I circled the bases. “One…two…three….come on, Livia. Make it four.”
I slid into home plate before Liam could tag me.
“Four!” Scotty clapped his hands then laughed. “Wow. You’re good.”
I got to my knees then wiped my hands on my shorts.
Scotty extended his hand to help me, but then took it away suddenly, the fear in his eyes. He stepped away and gave me my space.
It was like he was scared of me. Now I felt worse for the way I yelled at him in the library. He knew I was a ticking time bomb. I got to my feet then walked behind the mound.
Scotty crossed his arms over his chest while Keira took the bat.
I suddenly felt self-conscious standing next to him. His natural scent came into my nose, and I inhaled it automatically, loving the smell.
Keira took the bat and hit the ball out of the field and over the fence. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Well, looks like we won.”
Liam gave her a dark look with a small smile.
They had their own silent language, something the rest of us couldn’t decipher.
“Pizza?” Bran asked.
“I’ll eat anything,” Tony said.
“We noticed,” Bran said sarcastically.
Scotty turned to me. “Do you like pizza?”
I already spent the afternoon with them. Should I eat with them too? The anxiety was taking a hold of me.
Scotty was in tune with my thoughts. He recognized my distress automatically. It was like he could read my mind. “I could drop you off at home on the way if you don’t want to come.”
“No, come,” Bran said. “I’ll show you my high score on Pac-Man.”
Scotty rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. His score wasn’t even that high.”
“It was higher than yours,” Bran snapped.
“I never played,” Scotty snapped back.
“Because you know you’ll lose.” Bran stuck his tongue out at Scotty then walked away.
“Anyway…” Scotty chuckled then looked at me. “Some of my friends are a little immature.”
“I noticed.” A smile stretched my face.
“I don’t mind taking you home. But I think you’d have a good time if you came. We usually play pool when we’re done.”
The reassurance in his eyes made me want to say yes. Even though I hadn’t known Scotty for very long, I was warming up to him quickly. Ever since he said we could just be friends I felt closer to him. The pressure was off. I wasn’t a piece of meat he was trying to sink his teeth into. “Okay.”
A smile spread across his face, and his eyes brightened noticeable. “Cool. And I’ll make sure Bran leaves you alone.”
“That would be appreciated,” I said with a laugh.
We headed to our cars, and when we reached Scotty’s truck, he opened the door for me.
I stared at him like he was crazy. No one ever opened my door for me.
He waited for me to get inside. “Ladies first.”
I grabbed the dashboard for balance then climbed in. He shut the door then walked around, getting into the driver’s seat. He started the engine then turned on the radio.
“What do you like to listen to?” he asked.
“Anything but rap.”
He laughed. “Do you like alternative music?”
“Sure.” He turned on Mumford and Sons. “My favorite band.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure why that surprised me.
“Yeah.” He pulled onto the road. “Do I look like a guy who listens to country
Scotty handed me the bat. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile.
He stepped away then crossed his arms over his chest.
When Liam pitched the ball to me, I hit it on the first try. Using my entire body in the swing, I hit it hard across the field. It soared high in the sky then went further back than anyone else’s hit.
“Damn,” Bran said. “She knows how to hit.”
“Livia.” Scotty looked at me.
“Huh?” I kept eyeing the ball.
“Run,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh.” I laughed to myself then sprinted around the bases.
Scotty stood on home plate and started to count every time I circled the bases. “One…two…three….come on, Livia. Make it four.”
I slid into home plate before Liam could tag me.
“Four!” Scotty clapped his hands then laughed. “Wow. You’re good.”
I got to my knees then wiped my hands on my shorts.
Scotty extended his hand to help me, but then took it away suddenly, the fear in his eyes. He stepped away and gave me my space.
It was like he was scared of me. Now I felt worse for the way I yelled at him in the library. He knew I was a ticking time bomb. I got to my feet then walked behind the mound.
Scotty crossed his arms over his chest while Keira took the bat.
I suddenly felt self-conscious standing next to him. His natural scent came into my nose, and I inhaled it automatically, loving the smell.
Keira took the bat and hit the ball out of the field and over the fence. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Well, looks like we won.”
Liam gave her a dark look with a small smile.
They had their own silent language, something the rest of us couldn’t decipher.
“Pizza?” Bran asked.
“I’ll eat anything,” Tony said.
“We noticed,” Bran said sarcastically.
Scotty turned to me. “Do you like pizza?”
I already spent the afternoon with them. Should I eat with them too? The anxiety was taking a hold of me.
Scotty was in tune with my thoughts. He recognized my distress automatically. It was like he could read my mind. “I could drop you off at home on the way if you don’t want to come.”
“No, come,” Bran said. “I’ll show you my high score on Pac-Man.”
Scotty rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. His score wasn’t even that high.”
“It was higher than yours,” Bran snapped.
“I never played,” Scotty snapped back.
“Because you know you’ll lose.” Bran stuck his tongue out at Scotty then walked away.
“Anyway…” Scotty chuckled then looked at me. “Some of my friends are a little immature.”
“I noticed.” A smile stretched my face.
“I don’t mind taking you home. But I think you’d have a good time if you came. We usually play pool when we’re done.”
The reassurance in his eyes made me want to say yes. Even though I hadn’t known Scotty for very long, I was warming up to him quickly. Ever since he said we could just be friends I felt closer to him. The pressure was off. I wasn’t a piece of meat he was trying to sink his teeth into. “Okay.”
A smile spread across his face, and his eyes brightened noticeable. “Cool. And I’ll make sure Bran leaves you alone.”
“That would be appreciated,” I said with a laugh.
We headed to our cars, and when we reached Scotty’s truck, he opened the door for me.
I stared at him like he was crazy. No one ever opened my door for me.
He waited for me to get inside. “Ladies first.”
I grabbed the dashboard for balance then climbed in. He shut the door then walked around, getting into the driver’s seat. He started the engine then turned on the radio.
“What do you like to listen to?” he asked.
“Anything but rap.”
He laughed. “Do you like alternative music?”
“Sure.” He turned on Mumford and Sons. “My favorite band.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure why that surprised me.
“Yeah.” He pulled onto the road. “Do I look like a guy who listens to country
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