Hayes smirks like he knows I can’t stop thinking about her, and Silas looks at Campbell. “What do you say, Campbell? You want to go visit the pretty principal after this?”
I feel my blood boiling, and I know Silas sees right through me. Even though I have nothing to offer her, the thought of her with another man makes me want to destroy more than my reputation.
“Try it, and I’ll bloody your nose,” I say, staring directly at Campbell.
“Eh. It won’t be the first bloody nose I’ve ever had. How about it, Hayes, was a bloody nose worth getting your girl?”
Hayes’s smile is bigger than his usual smirk. “Worth every second of it.”
Gritting my teeth, I curl my hands into fists, digging nails into my palms to keep me from hitting one of them. This is my fault. I’m the idiot who let them in, but even through the haze of my anger, I can’t help wondering if they are right.
Maybe Lily and I can help each other.
______________________
The first baseball practice falls two days after the custody hearing, and as much as I was dreading it at first, that’s not the case now. Now, it’s a chance to spend more time with Tanner.
I’ll die before admitting it aloud, but I’m thankful Hayes talked me into this.
Except when I walk onto the field and find him and Campbell standing there, bats and gloves in their hands, I suddenly find myself suspicious rather than thankful.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, eyeing both of them.
It’s only been two days since I saw them last, and that’s not nearly long enough to get over the constant headache they seem to leave me with.
“We’re your assistant coaches,” Campbell says, puffing out his chest as if that makes him some kind of hero instead of an annoyance. Hayes smirks.
“No.”
No one mentioned any assistants, and though I knew I would obviously have one, I never in a million years thought it would be either of them.
“You didn’t think we would let you do this alone, did you, Theo?” Hayes asks.
“I was hoping,” I mutter under my breath. Louder, I say, “Fine, but remember you asked me to be the head coach. That means you listen to me.”
Campbell lifts his hand in a Mark salute. “Aye, aye, captain,” he says before jogging off.
I look at Hayes. “Does he ever turn it off?
He glances at Campbell, and I swear there’s a flicker of concern in his eyes before he hides it with a smirk. “Never.”
I groan. “It’s going to be a long season.”
Hayes claps me on the back. “Come on, coach, let’s go meet your team.”
The boys are already waiting in the dugout with Campbell, and when I walk up, they all look my way. I don’t say anything at first, taking each of them in to get a fill, and they stare right back.
My eyes find Tanner. He’s standing on the edge with a group of boys I recognize from the football team. He’s watching me with a guarded look, and I study him, looking for any signs of harm. Josephine and Eric are not physically abusive, but they’re hell on him mentally. He might not like to admit it, but Tanner is a sensitive kid. He must seethe question in my eyes because he tilts his head and shrugs.
Gritting my teeth, I pull my attention away from him and force myself to continue to look at the other boys. Some of them I know. Some I don’t, but when I get to the end of the row, one kid stands out. He’s the kid I saw with Zeb at that brush fire a couple of weeks ago. His hands are clenched into fists by his side, and the way he’s looking at me could be a problem. Hatred burns in his eyes, and I can only imagine what Zeb has told him.
This is going to be a fun season.
I take one more second to consider him, and then I look at the others, finally addressing them.
“Welcome to the team, boys. I’m Coach Sylvis. I know we are getting a late start for practice, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about this team. I want to make it clear that I expect hard work and discipline. I also expect you to stay out of trouble. I don’t care if you are a starter. If you break my rules, you’re out. I value respect, and I understand that it’s earned. I’ll earn your respect, and you earn mine. Any questions?”
All the boys shake their heads, and I clap my hands together. “Great. Let’s get started with some warm-ups. Twenty laps around the bases.”
