Play Nice (Make the Play #3)

  PLAY NICE

  Amber Garza

  Cover: Matt @ The Cover Lure

  Copyright © 2016 Amber Garza

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  For information: ambergarza.com

  To Megan, for partnering with me in this crazy journey and for being a great friend as well.

  Table of Contents

  HAYES

  ASHLEY

  HAYES

  ASHLEY

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  ASHLEY

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  AUTHOR’S NOTE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  HAYES

  It’s the last party of summer, and everyone’s here. As I step out of my car, I scan the sea of teenagers, searching for Talia. I know she’s here somewhere. Probably with Ashley. Frowning, I yank my phone out of my pocket to see if she texted me. She hasn’t. Oh, well. I’ll find her.

  Lumbering over twigs and leaves, I make my way onto the grassy field of Old Man Willis’s property. A few girls stand in a circle, laughing and chatting. I stop to look, but Talia’s not with them.

  “Hey, man.” Brady slaps me on the back. He’s holding a red solo cup and wearing a hazy grin.

  “Hey,” I respond, and then open my mouth to ask if he’s seen Talia, when I spot Josh, Chase and Michael swaggering in our direction. “Oh, look, it’s the new dream team,” I say sarcastically, and Brady laughs.

  “What’s so funny?” Josh asks when he reaches us.

  “You guys are,” I shoot back.

  Josh narrows his eyes.

  But Chase isn’t rattled. He slings an arm over Michael’s shoulder, a broad smile sweeping his face. “You’re not gonna be laughing soon, boys. Not when you see the battery in action.”

  “The battery?” I shake my head in disbelief. It’s not that I’ve never heard of the pitcher and catcher being called the battery of the team before, but Cal and Christian never would’ve said something so stupid.

  “Yep.”

  “Let’s just hope you two can hold a charge,” I say dryly, and Brady chuckles.

  Josh crosses his arms over his chest. “Laugh all you want, Hayes, but just wait and see. This year we’re gonna kick ass now that we’ve gotten rid of Cal and Chris.”

  I furrow my brows. Brady and I exchange confused looks. “As opposed to what? Cal and Chris led the Panthers to victory four years in a row.”

  Josh shrugs as if what I said was ridiculous instead of the other way around. “Whatever. We’re better off without them. Trust me.”

  I don’t trust him, but I don’t say that. Josh may be annoying, but he’s my teammate. Therefore, we should get along. Besides, this year he’ll play short, and as first baseman, I need to be able to work with him.

  “Where’s Talia?” Josh asks. “She didn’t dump you already, did she?”

  Irritation bubbles inside of me, and I fist my hands at my sides. “She’s here somewhere. In fact, I think she’s with your girlfriend.” My lips twitch at the edges. “Unless Ashley already got wise and dumped your sorry ass.” Two can play at this game.

  Josh snorts. “Are you kidding? That chick worships the ground I walk on.” Chase and Michael guffaw as if what he said was the funniest crap ever.

  I shake my head. His ego could stand to go down a few notches. However, I have a feeling that with Cal and Chris gone, it will only get worse. They were good at putting him in his place.

  “Dude, how did you land Talia anyway?” Michael interjects, causing my stomach to sour.

  I’m so tired of this question. Ever since Talia and I started dating at the beginning of the summer, everyone’s been in shock. I mean, I know I’m not the heartthrob of the team, but it’s not like I’m Quasimodo. I can get the chicks. I’ve dated lots of girls before. Not girls as hot as Talia, but they weren’t butt-ugly either. It’s true that I generally get friend-zoned early on with most girls. I think it’s because I’m known as the nice, funny guy. But I do have a few things going for me when it comes to the ladies – my charm, likeability, and the fact that I’m a damn good baseball player. I’m pretty sure those were the things that attracted Talia.

  But instead of showing Michael that he’s rattled me, I throw out my arms and jiggle my body. “I mean, look at all this sexiness? Do you really have to ask that question?”

  A round of laughter circles me.

  “What he’s saying is that she likes a comedian,” Josh teases.

  “Then she chose the right guy,” Chase adds.

  “Do you make her laugh in the sack?” Michael asks, laughing. “Is that how you keep her entertained?”

  “Trust me, she’s not laughing when we’re in the sack,” I say, but then feel bad about what I’m insinuating. The truth is that Talia and I haven’t exactly been in the sack together. All we’ve done is kiss. And the last thing I want to do is give off the impression that we’ve done more. But I also don’t want to confirm what they already think. That I’m a joke. That a girl wouldn’t want to sleep with me. Therefore, I keep my mouth shut like a damn coward.

  “On that note, I’m getting a drink,” Josh announces, spinning around on his heels.

  “Me too.” Chase follows like his little shadow. It will be interesting to see how their dynamic changes now that Chase will be our star pitcher.

  “Good luck with the two of them,” I say to Michael.

  He shrugs. “It’s cool. Josh can be kind of a dick, but Chase is growing on me.”

  “Good thing,” Brady says exactly what I’m thinking. The pitcher and catcher have to have a good relationship. The battery thing was a lame joke, but it was also true. Chase and Michael need to work well together if the Panthers plan to keep up our winning streak. Chris and Cal made a great team, but it was partly because they were best friends. They’d been tight since they were kids. “Hey, you two need a drink!” He says suddenly, eyeing our empty hands. “And I need another.”

  Chuckling, I follow Brady over to a keg that’s set up in the middle of the grass. Brady helps Michael and I fill our cups with bitter scented beer. Mine is a little too full, and it foams out the top of the cup, running down my wrist. I wipe away the liquid with my hand and then take a sip to keep it from spilling any more.

  As I drink my beer, I keep my eyes peeled for Talia. After getting his own drink, Brady sidles up next to me, nudging me in the side with his elbow. “I know who you’re looking for.”

  It doesn’t exactly take a rocket scientist.

  I’m always looking for Talia. Or thinking about Talia. Or calling Talia.

  Sometimes it embarrasses me to know how much I like her. It’s definitely not something I’d admit to any of my guy friends, although deep down they probably suspect it. She’s one of the girls at school that every guy wants to be with.

  And she’s mine.

  Some days I want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. Because lord knows I’ve had my share of Talia dreams over the years, and never did I
think they would come true. Hell, I’m one of the few guys on the team who can’t even get Ashley. Not that Ashley isn’t as hot as Talia, because she is. But she’s also easy, whereas Talia’s not. Ashley’s made the rounds on the baseball team, but Talia’s only dated one guy other than me on the team, Palmer, and he graduated last year. That was why he and Talia broke up.

  Palmer went away to college and didn’t want a long-distance relationship. Talia was broken up about it, and that’s how I came into the picture. Palmer and I were tight, so I’d gotten to know Talia while they were together. When Palmer left, I offered her a shoulder to cry on. And by “shoulder to cry on” I mean that I cracked jokes and made her laugh at every opportunity. Pretty soon, she was seeking me out unprovoked. And oftentimes, she didn’t even want to talk about Palmer, she only wanted to hang out with me.

  And that’s when Brady dared me to ask Talia on a date. Honestly, I expected her to say no. I was completely shocked when she didn’t. Brady was too. I can still see that crazy look on his face when I told him Talia said yes. His mouth was so wide I could’ve shoved a baseball inside it.

  Glancing at him now, I knit my eyebrows together. “She told me she’d be here with Ashley, but I don’t see either of them.” I swing my gaze around the crowded field again. “Of course there are so many people here, it’s hard to see.”

  “Maybe she’s hiding from you, man.” Brady tosses another gulp of beer back.

  “Yeah.” I chuckle, but his words unsettle me a little. It is weird that Talia hasn’t texted or called me all afternoon or evening. Reaching into the pocket of my jeans, I take out my phone and turn it on. Nope. Still no text or phone call. Huh.

  “There’s Ashley.” Michael points with his index finger.

  Ashley staggers in my direction, holding a red cup in her hand, but Talia’s not with her. I step away from my friends and walk towards Ashley.

  “Do you know where Talia is?” I ask, even before reaching her.

  She shakes her head. “I was coming to ask you the same thing.”

  I halt in my tracks. “I thought you were coming together.”

  “We did, but then I lost track of her after we got here.”

  Meaning she hooked up with Josh and ditched Talia. Frustration burns through me. “You left her alone?”

  “Hey,” she says, her eyes widening as if she’s offended. “I didn’t leave her. She took off.”

  Worry for Talia takes root. I glance around the field, noting there are even more people than before. What kind of person leaves their friend alone in a place like this? “Had Talia been drinking?”

  “Duh.” Ashley’s eyes bug out. “It’s a party.”

  My patience is wearing thin. I grab Ashley by the shoulders. “Ashley, we need to find her.”

  She shrugs my hands off, looking at me like I’ve sprouted two heads. “Relax. It’s not like we don’t know where she is. I mean, she’s gotta be around here somewhere, right?’ Eyeing me for a minute, her forehead turns into a mess of squiggly lines. “What are you so hyped up about?”

  Is she for real? “Something could’ve happened to her.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like someone could’ve taken advantage of her.” My agitation is growing by the second. Desperate, I scan the field again, praying for a glimpse of her.

  “Someone’s been watching a little too many crime dramas.” She rolls her eyes.

  I take a deep breath, forcing my anger to subside before I do something I regret. Yanking on Ashley’s arm, I pull her forward. “C’mon, let’s go find her.”

  “Whatever you say, Mr. Superhero. I’m sure she’ll be so impressed when you swoop in and save her from all her partying.”

  I bite back a snide remark. It doesn’t matter anyway. It would fall on deaf ears. Ashley’s so drunk right now she probably won’t remember our conversation tomorrow. And even if she did, she wouldn’t care. If there’s one thing we all know about Ashley, it’s that the only person she cares about is herself. Talia’s nothing more than a puppet to her. Someone to string along. Someone to do her bidding.

  I’ve often questioned Talia about her friendship with Ashley, and even she can’t tell me why she chooses to hang out with her. From what I can gather, it’s more out of comfortability than anything. They’ve been friends since childhood.

  Ashley and I weave our way through clusters of teenagers. As a breeze whisks over us, I catch a whiff of her overpowering perfume. There was a time that scent turned me on. It’s no secret that I used to have a crush on Ashley. I think she even knew I did. But nothing ever came of it. And I’m probably better off. She’s known for breaking guys’ hearts. I’ve seen the evidence of it. Then again, she’s been with Josh for awhile. They’ve lasted a lot longer than any of us thought they would.

  Ashley stops without warning, a small gasp sounding at the back of her throat. Warning bells go off in my head. I turn to where Ashley is staring, and immediately wish I’d never followed her gaze. I want to wash out my damn eyes, to erase what I’ve seen.

  But I know that no matter what I do, I’ll never be able to get this image out of my head.

  The image of Josh’s lips plastered to my girlfriend’s. And it’s not only their lips. Their bodies are tangled together as if they’re hoping to become one. I watch in disgust as his hands play with her hair, and hers roam his chest.

  I’m frozen, unable to move or speak. Unable to look away.

  It’s Ashley who speaks first. “What the hell?”

  Talia jerks backward. When her gaze rests on us, shame cloaks her features. Josh takes a little more time to come out of his daze, but when he does he looks more smug than embarrassed. Figures. Pushing away from Josh, Talia scrambles up off the ground, brushing dirt and leaves from her knees. It makes this whole thing even more disgusting. The fact that she was willing to roll around in the grass with this idiot, to get dirty. That’s not her style.

  “I can’t believe this,” Ashley says, glaring at Josh and then Talia.

  I want to say something, anything, but it’s like I’ve lost the ability to speak. Talia approaches me, appearing wary. And she should be. I’m freaking pissed. So pissed that I have to get the hell outta here.

  Pivoting, I stalk away.

  “Hayes!” Talia calls after me, but I don’t turn around. Instead, I walk even faster, as if by doing so I can outrun the entire thing. As if I can walk away from this and pretend it never happened.

  ASHLEY

  I suppose I should have expected this from Josh. I’ve always known what kind of guy he is. This is exactly how we started out. We hooked up when he was together with Emmy. Back then, I stole my friend’s boyfriend, and now my friend stole mine. It’s poetic justice really. It’s what I deserve.

  However, that knowledge doesn’t make this any easier.

  I know what people think about me. They think I have no feelings. That I’m heartless. An ice cold bitch. It’s what I want people to believe.

  If anyone knew how sensitive I really am, they’d be shocked.

  Not that anyone will ever know. I plan on taking it to my grave.

  And that’s why I bite down hard on my bottom lip and blink back the tears that threaten to penetrate. No way am I giving in to my emotions right now. No one will ever see how much this has hurt me.

  After Hayes takes off and Talia chases after him, I hold my head high, my gaze level with Josh’s. I’m not naïve enough to hope for remorse, or even guilt. I didn’t go into this relationship blindly. From the moment we started seeing each other I knew the deal. I think that’s why our relationship has worked out as long as it has. In the past Josh and I haven’t done well with commitment, and everyone has been shocked at the length of time we’ve stayed together. But I know the real reason, and trust me, it’s not as romantic as some might think. It’s simply because we’re alike. We’re both users. Manipulators. Therefore, we know the score. Josh often tells me that he doesn’t worry about me falling for him because he knows I’m as
guarded as he is and that I’ll never let that happen.

  The problem is that I have fallen for him. He just doesn’t know it. No one does.

  On the surface Josh seems like nothing more than an arrogant jerk, but in the moments when he lets his guard down, he’s actually very sweet. In those rare moments when I’ve seen the real Josh, I’ve had hope that maybe one day I could show him the real me, and I’ve been holding my breath in anticipation. Looks like now I can breathe deeply, expelling that broken dream. I can blow it out and watch it die in the yellow, brittle grass by my feet.

  “You and Talia, huh?” I cross my arms over my chest, as if the mere act can protect my heart.

  One side of his lip curls upward in a lopsided smirk. Then he lifts his shoulders briefly. “Can you blame her?”

  “I can blame both of you, actually.” The words shoot out before I can stop them.

  The smile dies on his lips. He steps forward, studying my face. “Are you jealous?”

  “No,” I snap, bristling at his words. “Of course I’m not jealous of her.”

  “You’re upset.” I can’t tell if he’s concerned or amused, and it pisses me off.

  “Of course I’m upset,” I hiss, my gaze sweeping the field. Many eyes are fixed on us, and I’m sure word has spread like wildfire already. I can practically see the words branded across the field, smoke lingering in the air. “You’ve embarrassed me in front of everyone.”

  “That’s why you’re upset? Because I embarrassed you?” Josh blows out a breath, an incredulous look painting his face. “Man, for a second I guess I thought…” Shaking his head, he clamps his mouth shut. “Never mind.”

  “You thought what?”

  He pauses wearing a pensive expression. “For a second it seemed like maybe you cared about me. Cared about us. But clearly, you don’t.”

  I’m taken aback by his words. “Oh, yeah? And do you care about me? Is this how you show it? By making out with my friend?”

  “You can hardly fault me for this, Ash.”