Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Before I head out, I straighten my white button-up and tuck the front in, leaving the back hanging out of my blue jeans. Then I fix my belt buckle.
One more look over my outfit and I nod at my brown flat lace-up boots. Not sure about my shirt, I try rolling up the sleeves. I get one rolled up and sort of like the look of one rolled and the other down.
I push a hand through my hair, and it falls right back into my face. I’ll go for a cut soon. I tend to keep mine shorter than my brother’s.
“Time to go,” I huff and turn to head out of the bathroom.
Thomas is sitting on the couch scoffing down a burger, already dressed and ready to go. Caleb still hasn’t moved from his spot on the couch. I walk over to him and kiss the top of his head.
He flinches away at first but looks up at me and smiles. I don’t take offense; my brother has his aversions. But since we were little, he has come to me for hugs and affection when he needs them. The flinching is almost reflexive at this point when it comes to me.
He always smiles it off to let me know he’s okay with my displays of affection. I respect when he lets me know it’s too much. Caleb is very vocal when he’s having a bad day or he’s overwhelmed.
“Have a good time. I’ll try to come along next time. I want to go to my first college party. I just need more time to prepare.
“Tonight is too soon. I’m not ready for that,” he says while searching my face as if to read my reaction.
In fact, I know that’s what he’s doing. I give him a smile. “I’m not going to rush you to do anything. Rest up. Next week will be the first full week of baseball and classes. The rest can wait.”
“Thanks, Cam.”
“I love you, bro. Let Kota know if you start to feel sick.”
“I’m cool. Don’t worry about me. Be you, Cam. Tonight, just be you. Not Cam and Cal, just Cam.”
I can’t help smiling at my brother. He’s the only one who gets it. He has lived it with me. It is rare that we get to be just one person.
Not that I regret anything I do for Caleb. I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s just hard sometimes always having to be on because everyone expects me to answer for Caleb like he can’t answer for himself.
It gets exhausting for the both of us. The brother who is always seen and the one who only wants to be seen. I work twice as hard for my brother to get to be treated the same as me—he knows and understands that.
I nod and head for the door before I get in my emotions. Thomas pounds his chest and releases a loud burp before he hops up to follow me. Kota meets me at the door to pull me into a hug and kisses my cheek.
“You’re the best. Have fun, I’ve got him.”
“Thanks, darlin’. Love you.”
“Love you more.”
I kiss her forehead and head out. I inhale deeply as I step out of the door. For once, I shut my brain off. Tonight, I’m going to go with the flow.
CHAPTER 7
We Meet Again
Cameron
“Man, are you ready for hell week? That shit is going to shred you to your soul,” Garrett, one of my new teammates says.
He’s a sophomore batter. So far, he’s a cool dude. We’ve been knocking back beers and shooting the shit since I arrived.
I finish the beer in my hand and nod. I heard hell week will have you feeling like your stomach has dropped out of your ass. This is why Caleb needs to get his rest. He needs to be mentally and physically ready for this.
“I’m ready. Drinking this shit might come back to bite me in the ass, but I’m ready. I’ve never been afraid of hard work.”
“Good to hear. Last year, I watched a few guys quit the first day. Couldn’t have been me. I worked my ass off to be here. I’m in this until I can’t take another breath.”
“I hear you. I’m ready to get to work.”
“I hope you didn’t schedule any classes for afternoon or evenings. I swear those dickheads in the registration office will fuck your schedule up if you don’t know better.”
“Wait, what?”
“They fuck with freshman athletes. They’re supposed to schedule morning or early afternoon classes for us, but they don’t and then take weeks to fix it or shove you in some bullshit classes you were trying to avoid,” Garrett says.
“You’re shitting me, right? I have two afternoon classes. My brother has like one. What the fuck, man?”
I’m fuming. Caleb was getting into his new routine. It’s only been a week, but with hell week, that might send him into a spiral.