Chapter 9: I Need To See Phoenix

Tatum's POV

It's game day. The LA Cats are versing the Miami Rabbits in one of the first games of the season, and while some might be excited to watch their favorite team play, I'm looking forward to watching Nico do his thing.

I have never watched a baseball game before, but knowing that I'll get to see Nico play is making my stomach twist and turn with excitement. Although, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that Nico didn't reply to my text message from the other night.

I put it down to him just being busy with work and training, so I tried not to think too deeply about what the no reply meant. After the night we shared a couple of weeks ago, I would like to think that he would still be somewhat interested in me, but he's Phoenix Reid. He could have any girl he wants, so it's naïve of me to think that he's only interested in me.

"Come on, Tate, your dad is waiting for us," Sammie says from my bedroom door, pulling me out of my daydream.

I awkwardly clear my throat and run my hands over my black denim shorts before hoisting my shoulder bag over my shoulder. "Coming," I murmur as I follow Sammie out of my bedroom and down the stairs to where my dad is parked in the driveway.

He was so excited when I told him about our plans to come and watch the game. Guilt prickled at the edge of my skin when I saw the genuine smile on his face and listened to him express how happy he was that I was taking an interest in his job. But I pushed those feelings down because the last thing I want to do is dwell on them.

Dad gives me a warm smile as I slide into the front seat of his car. "You ready for the big game?"

I return his smile and nod. "Yeah, it should be fun. Thanks again for the sky box. We appreciate the effort you went through to get us one."

Dad waves me off with his hand as he pulls out of the driveway and heads toward the highway. "It's no big deal, really. When I told them my little girl wanted the best seats in the house, the venue was more than willing to help me out. I'm just glad that you're excited to see what your old man does for work."

"Well, I know I'm excited." Sammie grins from the back seat, looking between my dad and me. "Is the team ready for the game?"

Dad nods. "They sure are. Phoenix has been putting in extra hours of training, so I'm confident he'll play well tonight."

My heart squeezes at the mention of Nico–Phoenix. I look out the window so my dad doesn't see the heat rushing up my neck. The man may not have responded to my text, but my body certainly responds to the mention of his name.

The drive to the baseball stadium took a little longer than usual because of the crowd rolling in for the game. Dad managed to get around the traffic and pull into the staff parking, avoiding the crowd altogether. That is certainly a bonus of carpooling with my dad as opposed to driving ourselves.

Once we're inside, Dad guides Sammie and me through the hallways and up toward the sky boxes. I can hear the rumbling of the crowd as fans file into the stadium, looking for their seats while enjoying food and drinks. The atmosphere is electric, rumbling in my chest, and the game hasn't even started yet.

We stop in front of a door labeled 'sky box number 6' and Dad uses a key to unlock it. My mouth almost hits the floor when he pushes the door open, revealing an entire buffet of food on the opposite wall, and just to the left is a massive floor-to-ceiling glass panel that has the most stunning view of the sun setting over the top of the stadium, the crowd rolling in, and the field below.

"Dad…" I breathe as I walk into the room, taking in the leather couch and minibar with all of my favorite alcoholic beverages. "This room is amazing."

"You could say that again," Sammie murmurs from beside me before rushing off to check out the minibar.

I turn to my dad to see a massive smile on his face. "This is too much."

Dad waves me off with his hand before shoving them both into the pockets of his pants. "Anything for my little girl. Enjoy all of this, okay?" He looks down at his watch. "I've gotta run, but the game starts in thirty minutes, so enjoy. Come down to the locker room when the game is over, okay?"

I nod and smile. "Of course. Good luck!"

***

Thirty minutes later, Sammie and I are sitting on the leather couch with drinks in our hands watching as the Cats and Rabbits run out onto the field, the crowd screaming so loudly that it vibrates my chest.

"Now this is something I could get used to," Sammie says as she pops a piece of sushi into her mouth. "This is f*cking amazing."

"I agree." I smile, a small hiccup leaving my lips. Since walking into the room, I may have already had three glasses of Jim Beam and coke, the alcohol already rushing to my head. "Let's hope the Cats win."

After the stadium finishes singing the national anthem, I scan the field and spot the one person I have been dying to see since I last saw him at Mario's almost a week ago. Nico slips his hand into the mitten as he walks to the pitcher's mound, tossing a pearly white baseball into the air a couple of times. This action earns a lot of cheers from the crowd.

My eyes scan the fans sitting below us and I start to realize just how popular Nico is as a baseball player. For some reason, it has just never crossed my mind until now as I watch him throw the first ball, the person batting misses, and the crowd goes nuts, screaming and cheering his name.

"Damn, the fans are obsessed with Phoenix," Sammie says from beside me, sipping on her drink.

I take a sip from my drink, my eyes never leaving Nico as he continues to throw the ball and the batsman strikes out every time, forcing him back to the dugout. "I can see why."

Every time Nico swings his arm forward and releases the ball, all I can think about is how hot he looks. Those same fingers dug into the skin around my hips, guiding me up and down his thick c*ck as he whispered dirty words in my ear. It's hard to believe that this is the same man I met at Mario's a couple of weeks ago.

I swallow hard and stand to make myself another drink and grab some food from the buffet, ignoring the moisture pooling between my thighs. If I'm thinking filthy thoughts like this now, I'm going to need another drink to get me through the game.

***

The game is approaching the last ten minutes and the Cats are winning 4-1. The crowd has been hyped the entire game. The Cats fans are likely excited that the team is doing well in the first game of the season, which is always a promising start.

Sammie and I are standing against the glass intently watching as Nico steps up to bat for the Cats. I grip my eighth – or maybe it's tenth? – drink of the night, my heart in my chest. I have only ever seen Nico pitch and not bat, so I'm looking forward to watching his thick arms as they grip the wooden bat, swinging it behind his head to–

The irritating sound of my ringtone from the couch forces me to turn my attention away from him to see who is calling me. I stumble toward the couch, and Sammie laughs from behind me.

"You're so drunk, Tate." Sammie giggles, leaning against the glass wall for support.

"Am not," I defend, even though I'm beyond tipsy at this point. "I just want this stupid phone to shut up so I can watch Nico bat."

When I see the caller ID, I groan.

"Who is it?" Sammie asks from behind me.

"Jaiden," I mutter as I bring the phone closer to my face, wondering if my eyes are blurry or if the screen is.

"Answer it and see what he wants."

If I were sober, I would toss my phone back onto the couch and ignore the incessant ringing, but I'm not sober, I'm very tipsy. And tipsy me has a mind of her own that I can't control in this state.

"What?" I snap into the phone, turning to face Sammie. Her eyes widen as if to say, 'Tell me everything he is saying.'

"Tatum… are you drunk?"

"No," I slur slightly and try to cough afterward to cover it up. "No, I'm not drunk."

Jaiden sighs. "Tatum, what are you doing? I called because I wanted to talk about what happened the other day."

I frown. "Well, I don't want to talk about what happened. You acted like a jerk, and that's that. I told you never to speak to me again and I meant it."

"Tatum, please don't do this," Jaiden pleaded, his voice strained. "You know I care about you, I was just–"

"I don't want to hear your bullsh*t excuses," I shout a little too loudly but I don't care. I'm sick and tired of Jaiden trying to weasel his way into my life. He tried to hurt me the last time I saw him, so I'm done entertaining what he wants. For once, he needs to listen to what I want. "I want you to leave me the f*ck alone, got it? I never want to see you again."

"Tate, please–"

I pull my phone away from my ear, ending the call and tossing the device onto the couch. Sammie is watching me with wide eyes and all I can do is shrug my shoulders and chug the rest of my drink.

I'm tired of dealing with my a*shole ex-boyfriend who can't seem to take the hint that I'm no longer interested in him, no matter how many times I spell it out for him.

When I look out the glass window, the Cats are congratulating each other on the field as the crowd cheers loudly with excitement. Of course, Jaiden made me miss the last few minutes of the game.

Although anger and frustration are burning deep within my chest, there is only one person I know who can extinguish it in the best way possible, and I need to see him right now before the fire within me burns this f*cking place to the ground.