“We’re we ever really just friends, Kenny?” I eyeballed him.
He chuckled again and shook his head.
“No. I think I fell in love with you when we first met. I just didn’t know what it was back then, you know? We were too young to understand that, and… But that doesn’t mean we can’t try.” He took a deep breath and scrunched up his face for a second before looking me in the eye. “I’ve really missed you.”
“Maybe you should have called?” I snorted.
“Yeah… You could have called, too. I mean, you did change your number.” His eyes bulged for a second.
I looked over at him and frowned.
“And how would you know that if you never called?”
He shrugged, and a light blush covered his cheeks. Maybe it was from the whiskey, or maybe he was feeling everything that I was too. Regret – pain – anger – happiness – desire, they all flooded through my veins. How could one person feel so much all at once?
“Dammit…” Kenny laughed loudly. “Alright, so I tried once. I was drunk and… It was about a year after we…”
“You mean you, I think.” I pointed my finger and frowned.
He held up his hands. “Fine. It was a year after I… did that… and I was drunk and… well, I wanted to hear your voice and see how you were doing.”
“I was still pretty shitty.”
“Yeah…” He sighed. “I was too.”
I crossed my arms and laughed softly, my breath tickling the hair on my arms.
“We’re something, ain’t we?” I picked up my first beer and downed it – he nodded and took a sip of his own.
“But we’re here and… It’s not too bad.” He smirked.
“No… It ain’t that bad at all.” I placed my elbow on the table and leaned in. “So, you moved back home?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for a while, but the math position came open, and when Dad told me about it, I applied. I was kind of shocked when they offered it to me, to be honest. I didn’t think they took me too seriously during the interview. I mean, they all remembered me, of course, and I felt like they gave me the interview because of Dad, not because they wanted to hire me.”
“You think you got the job because of Coach, don’t you?”
He nodded slowly. “Maybe? I think I’m a good teacher, but being Dad’s son didn’t hurt, that’s for sure. I think they were hoping it would keep him around for a few more seasons or something.”
I exhaled sharply. “I couldn’t believe he was actually retiring. He left me a message a few months ago, but with everything going on, I never called him back. When Woodenhall called me and asked me to come to speak at his ceremony, I was surprised that he actually did it. I know how much he loved that school and the team.”
“I know. Remember how mad I used to get at him? His job always made me feel like he never had time for me. Then I realized it was me who kept my distance. I think it was you who told me that. Do you remember?”
“I do. We started going to the games and hanging out behind their dugout. Coach was so excited that you were there, and if I remember correctly, he almost always took us out for milkshakes and burgers after.” I grinned as the memories of untroubled times flooded through me. I had kept them at bay – but here, with Kenny, back in my hometown, they had been gurgling up to the surface again.
“That he did. I’m glad he’s going out on his own terms. Mom said they were gonna travel and kick off the dust of Hardin.” He leaned forward – our faces about a foot from each other. I could feel his sweet breath softly on my skin. “So, how’s the great Jax Mason? I saw that you had torn your shoulder.”
“Yep. Still… I’m waiting, I guess. Not really sure what’s… Hey! I bet you’re seeing someone aren’t you?” I regretted those words as soon as they tumbled form my lips. My need to change the subject had put me in dangerous territory.
“In Hardin?” He cackled. “Yeah, right!”
“Still single?”
“And not ready to mingle. You?”
“Nope. Baseball has been my… uh… boyfriend.”
“I bet you have to beat the boys off you with a… bat.” He smirked. “LA has to have a lot of gay people.”
