Homerun (Pro-U Book 4) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Ali Parker
by the ball, and she started as a freshman this past fall for Boston. She made it... and if she fucked it up, she'd fix it and work harder to get back to it."
"Your sister plays ball?" I turned as the waitress walked up and ordered a beer and burger. The other guys ordered before Dillon turned his attention back toward me.
"Yeah. Will told me that you're playing hockey and baseball this year. I'm honestly surprised that the college is letting you." He tilted his head to the side, studying me.
"My father has some good friends up here. He's a professor on campus. It has its perks, though I'm starting to struggle with keeping my head above water. It's about time to figure out which sport is the one for me. I need to do it before I flunk out of college."
"That sucks." Will tapped the table between us. "You think Billows would talk to me if I went up there?"
"I don't see why not. You made a mistake, Will. You're making up for it and you've gotten help. That's a big deal." I wanted to encourage him further, but I knew how strict the school was on drugs in the athletic programs. His chances were slim as shit. "I'll talk to him for you when we get things rolling for the spring semester. That work?"
"Dude, that would be incredible." Will glanced over at Dillon. "I told you he's the real deal."
I snorted and shook my head. "I'm not even sure what that means, but I'll take it."
Real was a word that was missing in my world. I was going through the motions, trying like a mother fucker not to get hit with another panic attack because I was swimming in too many deep pools without a life raft. The worst part was that I was getting tired.
Bone tired.
Chapter 4
One Week Later
Layla
"I really don't want to go out tonight, Aubrey. You guys just go without me. Seriously." I stood in front of my bathroom mirror in the dorm and brushed foundation across my cheeks.
"Stop being a party pooper and get ready. We're going to be late meeting everyone for the drive up to Boston. It's going to be a great time, and you know we can't spend a New Year's Eve apart."
"What about next year when you're in Washington?" I was being a baby about it, but I couldn't help it. My situation with my folks wasn't getting any better, and it was on my shoulders to do something about it. I could wait until my father accidentally killed my mom in a drunken rage, or I could ruin his career by going to the police, thereby ruining her income source and sending her to the streets. It was more than I could bear to consider either of the possible options.
So... I would do what I'd been doing for the last year. I'd step in between the fight and let him smack me around. He had no clue he'd hit me before, and would have died if he realized it. I looked so much like my mother that it had to be hard to tell us apart in the middle of his drunken haze.
I turned my head and pulled my hair back. The dark bruises from his fingers squeezing my throat were faint enough that no one would notice.
"Can't say you fell down the stairs with that one," I whispered and brushed some of the foundation over the marks and jerked my hair back into place as Aubrey walked in.
"When I'm in Washington, I'll just have to come home. Duh. We're not spending Christmas or New Year’s away from each other, Lay. You know as well as I do that when we have kids, we're just going to have to take turns going to each other's houses, no matter where we live. That was the promise we've been making our whole lives." She wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek to my back. "Remember?"
"Yeah. I remember." I patted her clasped hands and leaned forward, breaking her hold so that I could finish working on my makeup. "Who all is coming with us tonight?"
"Jayce, Lucas, Emily and Jacob. It's my Uncle Vinny's hotel. He let us rent out the penthouse for the night." She wagged her eyebrows at me as I watched her in the mirror.
"Because of the engagement?"
"Yeah. He doesn't have kids, so he
"Your sister plays ball?" I turned as the waitress walked up and ordered a beer and burger. The other guys ordered before Dillon turned his attention back toward me.
"Yeah. Will told me that you're playing hockey and baseball this year. I'm honestly surprised that the college is letting you." He tilted his head to the side, studying me.
"My father has some good friends up here. He's a professor on campus. It has its perks, though I'm starting to struggle with keeping my head above water. It's about time to figure out which sport is the one for me. I need to do it before I flunk out of college."
"That sucks." Will tapped the table between us. "You think Billows would talk to me if I went up there?"
"I don't see why not. You made a mistake, Will. You're making up for it and you've gotten help. That's a big deal." I wanted to encourage him further, but I knew how strict the school was on drugs in the athletic programs. His chances were slim as shit. "I'll talk to him for you when we get things rolling for the spring semester. That work?"
"Dude, that would be incredible." Will glanced over at Dillon. "I told you he's the real deal."
I snorted and shook my head. "I'm not even sure what that means, but I'll take it."
Real was a word that was missing in my world. I was going through the motions, trying like a mother fucker not to get hit with another panic attack because I was swimming in too many deep pools without a life raft. The worst part was that I was getting tired.
Bone tired.
Chapter 4
One Week Later
Layla
"I really don't want to go out tonight, Aubrey. You guys just go without me. Seriously." I stood in front of my bathroom mirror in the dorm and brushed foundation across my cheeks.
"Stop being a party pooper and get ready. We're going to be late meeting everyone for the drive up to Boston. It's going to be a great time, and you know we can't spend a New Year's Eve apart."
"What about next year when you're in Washington?" I was being a baby about it, but I couldn't help it. My situation with my folks wasn't getting any better, and it was on my shoulders to do something about it. I could wait until my father accidentally killed my mom in a drunken rage, or I could ruin his career by going to the police, thereby ruining her income source and sending her to the streets. It was more than I could bear to consider either of the possible options.
So... I would do what I'd been doing for the last year. I'd step in between the fight and let him smack me around. He had no clue he'd hit me before, and would have died if he realized it. I looked so much like my mother that it had to be hard to tell us apart in the middle of his drunken haze.
I turned my head and pulled my hair back. The dark bruises from his fingers squeezing my throat were faint enough that no one would notice.
"Can't say you fell down the stairs with that one," I whispered and brushed some of the foundation over the marks and jerked my hair back into place as Aubrey walked in.
"When I'm in Washington, I'll just have to come home. Duh. We're not spending Christmas or New Year’s away from each other, Lay. You know as well as I do that when we have kids, we're just going to have to take turns going to each other's houses, no matter where we live. That was the promise we've been making our whole lives." She wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek to my back. "Remember?"
"Yeah. I remember." I patted her clasped hands and leaned forward, breaking her hold so that I could finish working on my makeup. "Who all is coming with us tonight?"
"Jayce, Lucas, Emily and Jacob. It's my Uncle Vinny's hotel. He let us rent out the penthouse for the night." She wagged her eyebrows at me as I watched her in the mirror.
"Because of the engagement?"
"Yeah. He doesn't have kids, so he
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