Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
His eyes sparkled as he looked up at me. Every time he did that, it was like he was handing me the sun…or the world. There was nothing like it.
“Baseball isn’t a guy.” He wrapped his hands around the back of my head, tugging me down, possessing my mouth. I loved it when Jojo took what he wanted from me. We’d started blowing each other now, and it was basically the most amazing thing ever. Like winning the fucking World Series or some shit. When he stopped kissing me, I lay on him again, giving him my weight as he added, “Ignore what I said. I love that you have baseball. It makes you happy, and I’ll totally cheer for you appropriately so no one knows we’re secret boyfriends, but I’ll be doing like…I don’t know, jumping jacks in my head.”
I rolled off him, dissolving into laughter. “Jumping jacks? It’s not an aerobics class.”
“Back flips?” He cocked a brow.
“That’s better.” When he put his head on my chest, I said, “You make me happy. That day when we started school was the first time I ever felt like I was somethin’.”
“Gage…” He turned and looked down at me. “With or without me, you’re something. You’re everything.”
I shook my head, but really, I loved hearing things like that from him, even if I didn’t believe them.
“We should read some,” he said, and I groaned.
“Do we have to?”
“Yes. If you read…two chapters, I’ll…you know.”
I grinned. “No, I actually don’t know. Tell me.” The way he got all nervous when talking about sex was so fucking cute. “Do you want to blow me? Is that what you’re saying?”
His cheeks flushed pink. “I hate you.”
“Nope. You love me.”
“I guess.” He playfully rolled his eyes, then reached over and pulled something out of his bag. “I got us a new one. It’s a baseball book.”
A baseball book for ten-year-olds, but it still made me smile.
I took it from him, struggled through two stupid chapters, him helping me when I had trouble with words, then celebrated with mutual blowjobs.
CHAPTER TEN
Joey
“Hey! What are you doing today?” Dad asked as I was walking out of the house to meet Romeo and Mouse.
We were going to one of Gage’s baseball games together. I still couldn’t believe I’d gotten all weird on him about it a couple of weeks before. What that had been about, I didn’t know. Sure, I loved spending time with him, but I knew baseball was his thing—always had been, always would be—and I wanted Gage to have things that were for him. He deserved more of them.
“Kevin and Angie are picking me up. We’re going to Gage’s doubleheader.”
“You act like you’re that kid’s boyfriend, going to all his games like you should be sitting there in a skirt. You gonna be his wife one day too?”
My insides froze, my heart thump-thump-thumping like a heavy fist banging on my chest. He was in one of his moods today. It was the worst when he was in a mood.
“No, sir. I’m not a fag.” The word tasted like bile. I had to bite back my own vomit at using it. “You know I’m with Angie now, and we’re all going together. It’s not like it’s just me going to watch him play.”
He shook his head, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. “Don’t play no sports. I don’t know what’s wrong with you. It’s like you’re no son of mine. Your mama probably spread her legs for someone else and then left me with you, just like Angie will do to you one day.” My hands fisted at my sides, my jaw working, tight. God, I hated him. There was no one in the world I hated more than him. “You should be playing. It’s a bit of a pussy sport. At least Kevin plays football.”
I listened to him ramble about what it meant to be a real man and how I wasn’t that. It was nothing new, but it still made a familiar ache grow inside me. I couldn’t wait to get out of here, couldn’t wait to be free and live my life with Gage.
Romeo’s Jeep pulled down the driveway. Angie got out, her eyes darting back and forth between me and Dad. “Good morning, Chief Robinson.”
He nodded, didn’t even give her the courtesy of a reply. How could he be such a dick but no one saw it? People in town loved him, treated him like a hero, but he wasn’t one at all.
“You ready to go, Joey?” she asked.
I started replying, “Yeah—” just as Dad cut me off with, “Joe needs to stay home and do yardwork with me today.”
I closed my eyes, feeling myself deflate. Today was also Gage’s eighteenth birthday, and Dad knew it. We were going to spend the day at his doubleheader, then find something for all of us to do.