“Beckett told me to leave, and Liam didn’t tell me to stay.”
“What? That can’t be right. What happened with you and Liam?”
“Nothing.” It was the truth, but it wasn’t enough. “I got a call during the argument that followed. The scout wants me to pitch for him. I told coach I’d get you to catch for me.”
“Of course, and congrats, but don’t change the subject. Why would Liam just let you leave?”
“Because I got the callback. Nothing like an icy cold bucket of reality to wake you up, I guess.”
“That doesn’t sound like him. Are you sure he wanted you to leave?”
“I waited for him to tell me to stay, and he hasn’t called or texted since I left. I get I’m not smart like you or Liam, but that’s pretty good evidence he wanted me to go.”
Luke looked at the carpet. He had his deep-in-thought face on. “I don’t get it, Coury. He’s been so into you. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Doesn’t it?” He sat up and met Luke’s gaze.
“You think he doesn’t want to piss off Beckett?”
“No. He’s protecting himself. It’s what any sane person would do.”
“You need to call him and work this out.”
Coury shook his head. “No, I don’t. I should have listened to Beckett.”
“Liam is an adult. He knew what he signed on for.”
“Did he?” He shrugged. “I think shit got real when I got that call.”
Luke didn’t answer and Coury lay back down. “Liam’s smart enough to connect the dots. He got what he wanted, and now this is better for both of us.”
“Geez, Coury. You make him sound like a cheap slut.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I saw the look on his face. Hewantedto be happy for me, but he knew what it meant. Beckett gave us the perfect breakup point before either of us got in too deep. He saw that immediately and I’m going to respect his choice.”
Luke stood, went back to his book, and shut it. “You need to stop being so nice. Fight for what you want instead of always being the good guy.”
“I can’t have what I really want, Luke. I want himandbaseball. We both know that’s not going to happen. This hurts like fucknow.Can you imagine what it will feel like in eight weeks? Liam obviously can, and he decided not to go there.”
“I get it, but don’t give up so easily. There has to be a way.”
Hewantedto hope there was some way they could make it work. Hewantedto call Liam and ask him not to bail on them. Hewantedto work together to figure it out. But he wasn’t going to do any of that.
“There are always ways. It’s a matter of what you’re willing to sacrifice. Liam deserves better than to be my dirty little secret. I won’t ask him to do that.”
“Okay. I’m here for you, no matter what.”
Luke didn’t agree because he was so in love, he couldn’t imagine anything that he and Nico couldn’t overcome together. But unlike Nico’s parents’ buying a bakery in Philadelphia so Nico could live with Luke, no one was going to buy him a way to be with Liam and play professional baseball.
“What time are you throwing?” Luke asked.
“9:30. That okay?”
“Totally. You’re going kill it, Coury.”
He sure as fuck better, or else he’d walked away from Liam for nothing.
* * *
