Curveball(39)

Olivia walks out of the kitchen with a plate of hot wings and two more beers. “I hope you guys are hungry.” Her tits jiggle as she sets the plate and bottles on the table in front of us, giving me a show.

“I’m always hungry for you, baby,” I say, licking my lips.

She rolls her eyes, the blush already spreading to her cheeks. “You have company. Behave yourself. I’ll be in my office, grading papers.”

I forget she’s still my teacher—until she reminds me that I have to study for a quiz or do my homework. Then, I remember she’s older and bossy as fuck, but I like it when she orders me around since I do it so often in the bedroom. If my ribs didn’t hurt so damn bad and if my arm wasn’t broken, I’d throw her over my shoulder and take her into the bedroom.

“I never behave,” I shoot back, winking. “I guess you’ll have to punish me for it later.”

Shaking her head with a wide grin lighting up her beautiful face, she walks away. “Enjoy the game, boys.”

Luca taps me on my good arm, speaking under his breath, “I still can’t believe you’re dating our professor…and that you have a legit girlfriend. I never thought you’d settle down with anyone.”

Staring at Olivia’s ass before she turns into the office down the hall, I smile. “Me either, but she’s a keeper.”



The headaches and nausea from my concussion might be worse than my broken ribs and arm. Add puking my guts out to the list of my least favorite things to do because this sucks balls.

Olivia sits on the bathtub ledge while I hang over the toilet for the fourth time today, dry-heaving. This has been my life for the past week. Some days, I have no desire to leave the bed, and if not for the constant spins and vomiting my meals every hour, I would crawl under the covers and wish for death. I made a horrible decision to help the people I love, and that decision has cost me everything.

Olivia rubs my back and hands me a towel to wipe my mouth. “It will get worse before it gets better. That’s what the doctor said.”

I close the toilet lid and sit on top of it, clutching the towel in my hand. Still slightly dizzy, I’m afraid I might barf again at any moment. “I know. It’s just…”

She reaches out and places her hand over mine, her gaze intense and strong. “I will help you. All you need is a little time to heal.”

“I hate that you have to see me being so weak…so vulnerable.” I turn my head, looking down at the tiled floor, ashamed. “I’m the man. I should be taking care of you, not the other way around.”

Olivia lifts my chin with her index finger, so our eyes meet. “You think that’s the way it should be because it’s the only thing you’ve ever known, but I want to take care of you. As your girlfriend, that is my job. If I were sick, you would be sitting with me right now, holding my hair so that I wouldn’t get throw-up on it. You would make me soup and tuck me into bed. I know you would do those things for me because you are a good person, and you care about people.

“Don’t be afraid to let me help you. The front you put on for your family and friends might be what they need, but you can be yourself with me. I love the dirty-talker, the frat boy, the sexy baseball player, the man who provides for his family, the smart guy who pretends to be stupid around his friends. I love everything about you, Mark. This”—she squeezes my hand tight—“is what we do for each other. We take care of each other. Understand?”

“I love you,” I say aloud. I’m shocked because, even though I love the shit out of this woman, I have never said those words to a girl.

My life was all about one-night stands, binge-drinking with my frat brothers, and playing baseball before she fell off the bar at Club Rave and into my arms.

She caresses my cheek, and her fingers travel slowly down my jaw. “I love you, too, Mark. We will get through this together. I have faith in you. You will play baseball again. I am sure of it.”

“I hope you’re right.” My voice lacks any confidence. “Because I don’t share your same enthusiasm. It’s hard to even put into words how I feel about this. In one night, I lost everything.”

“No, you didn’t.” Now, she sounds as though she might cry. “You still have me, your family, and your friends. You are graduating from college with honors. Your life is only beginning, Mark. It’s not over. You can do this. I know that for a fact. By the time you graduate, you can start over, and once you’re back in shape, you can try out for the majors. They would be stupid not to want you.”

“I feel useless right now. Don’t you get that? I can’t do simple things. My mother and sister need me to keep the roof over their heads, and I can’t even take off my shirt without screaming or needing another pain pill. I just…” I turn away from her because I hate that she has to see me this way. I hate that I feel broken.

“I’m here, Mark. I love you, and I am not going anywhere.”



After two weeks of moping around and lounging on the couch, Olivia dragged me out of the house for my doctor’s appointment. As I sit on the table in the exam room, she waits next to me, holding my hand and sucking in deep breaths, probably more nervous than I am about my prognosis.

The first ten days after the accident were rough with having to deal with the concussion. I puked so much, the doctor had to prescribe me nausea medication that helped until the symptoms lessened. My ribs still hurt like a motherfucker. Every time I breathe or move, I swear, something tears inside me.