After months of therapy, Garrett Delko is still struggling to cope with his brother's suicide. The only time he finds peace is on the pitching mound and with a mysterious girl he's been obsessed with since the first week of college. One night, he se...
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Arianne nodded to her tutoring student, Peter, as he prattled on about his latest pirate adventure in the backyard. The eight-year-old boy was adorable but easily distracted which was why he was failing third grade. With a gentle smile, she nodded in agreement that his friend did indeed need to walk the plank for not sharing his goldfish and then steered him back to his math problems.
Arianne glanced at her phone. Half an hour till Garrett's baseball game. To go or not to go? She wanted to see him again, knew that without question, but the why of it made her uneasy. She was beginning to open up to him, perhaps even trust him, and that alarmed her. For so long she'd been unable to connect with people. She'd be talking and laughing, and yet, there was a gap no one could bridge. No one but Garrett it seemed.
She tapped her pen against her forehead. Should she go and support him? But what would he think? Would it give him the wrong impression?
Or will it give him the right one?
She pushed that thought away. Dating wasn't an option for her, and even if it was, she couldn't give him what he wanted. But he's celibate, her heart whispered. He wouldn't push you for more.
But how long would that last? And what would she tell him when he pushed? She couldn't bear to have him look at her with disgust. But despite all those reasons, she wanted to be at the game. She wanted to cheer him on as he stood on that field doing something he loved, because without question, Garrett loved baseball. The way he talked about it as he walked her home had been nothing short of euphoric. And then as they stood in front of her dorm room, he'd kissed her hand and wished her a good night. Usually, she didn't like those cutesy type of gestures, but Garrett made it seem as natural—as if he should always be kissing her hand.
More confused than ever, Arianne slumped into her chair. When had she become a simpering wallflower who couldn't make a decision? If her dad saw her now, he'd be disappointed. He'd made it a point to teach Arianne to think for herself. Trust your instincts, he used to tell her. If you're honest and true to yourself, you can't go wrong. Well, her instincts right now told her to go. And it wasn't like she was committing herself to marriage, or even a date.
Peter finished the equation and angled the workbook so she could check his answer. "Good job, Peter. Now try to solve the next one without using your fingers."
Once her tutoring session finished, she took the bus back to campus and texted Morgan.
Arianne: What are you up too?
Morgan: Hanging out at the Tree House. Why?
Arianne: Wondering if you wanted to go to a baseball game with me.
Morgan: Baseball?! What the hell are you smoking?
Arianne: I'll take that as a no.
Arianne pushed away her disappointment. She'd been hoping Morgan would act as a buffer and not let her do anything stupid like flirt with Garrett.
