Page 133 of Hiding in the Outfield

Thanks guys. Trying to stay positive. I know I should be excited.

Michaels

Fuck yeah! Big Leagues bro!

WE LOVE YOU OLLIEBEAR

Barnes

Winters

Me

All right. Boarding now. Thanks guys.

Appreciate you all.

Unsent by Jackson: More than you guys will ever know.

FORTY-NINE

FRANKIE

What a fucking day. Meeting after meeting, none of which had been previously scheduled. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean my assignments don’t still need to get done. I ended up staying late on a Friday night—which should be illegal, yet it’s something that’s extremely common in my line of work. As much as it sucks to work late, I’ll at least still be able to catch most of Jackson’s game.

I haven’t been able to take a breath all day, so I finally unlock my phone and head for the parking garage. I frown. I have fifteen missed calls. And—my eyes go wide—fifty text messages. My pulse teeters for a moment, then takes off. I scroll through my notifications. Missed calls from Jackson, Pao Pao, Shane, Maddy. I hurry out to my car and freeze.

A man is leaning against my car, arms crossed.

“Maddy?”

His head snaps up, and the look he shoots me terrifies me. His expression is tight; even from this distance, his gaze is sad.

“W-what the fuck is going on?” Was there an accident? Is someone hurt? Oh God, is someone dead?

He walks up to me and grips my shoulders. My stomach tightens, ready for the blow.

“First, everyone is fine. I can see every possibility going through your head. There’s just been, ah, some shocking news. When you weren’t responding, I figured I’d head here after work and meet you rather than wait until you got home.”

I draw in a breath that isn’t nearly sufficient, but my lungs won’t let me have the oxygen I so desperately need. “Okay, what’s going on then?”

Maddy’s fingers tighten. “Jackson’s been traded.”

My heart punches me straight in the sternum.

My knees shake and wobble precariously. Before I know it, I’ve been moved to my car, and I gladly collapse against it.

“Traded?” I whisper. I drop my briefcase and slump even lower against my car.

Maddy’s grimace deepens. “Yeah, Frank. He’s been traded to Berkeley.”

My gut bottoms out.

He’s been traded…to California. He’s going to be across the country from me.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I hiss.

This can’t be happening right now. Everything was going so well. Everything was fucking perfect. We were finally going to have it all. And just like that, baseball rips it away.