Free Safe With You by Sophie Lira

back is a little sore. I’m going to sit out for a few and stretch.”
    “You okay?” His eyebrows pull together.
    “I’m fine. Really.” I want to touch him, to let him know I’m really okay. But I’m not sure I’m there yet.
    “Okay, go do your upward-facing cat or whatever.” He nudges my arm and winks.
    I shove my finger dangerously close to his face. “Do not mock me, Avery.”
    He laughs and walks out to the field. I make my way to the half-dead grassy patch of land behind the dugout. The temperature has dipped along with the sun, and thankfully the bugs seem to be at a minimum. My hamstrings are tight and my back sighs at the stretch from downward dog. I cycle through a few sequences and end with a few harder poses for fun.
    “Why didn’t you tell me you were over here?” Aubrey bounces over and plops in the grass next to me. “I would have loved a little yoga break. My arms are killing me.”
    I shrug. “I guess I needed the alone time. A lot on my mind.”
    “All good. Kyle was staring at you with no shame for a few minutes.” Aubrey pats my leg. “He’s an insane baseball player, by the way.” Her sky-blue eyes narrow at me and I think she knows something I don’t.
    “He said he was pretty decent in high school.” I shrug and pull at the grass, staring into centerfield. “But it’s not like he was drafted by the MLB.”
    Aubrey chokes a cough. “Definitely not.”
    “What?” I grab her arm.
    “Nothing … ” She shakes her head and I let it go. I want to watch Kyle play. It’s mesmerizing. Enchanting.
    Kyle walks up to bat again. He’s calm, never tense. He examines his bat, the same wooden bat he always uses. It looks like it’s gone through every game he’s ever played. It’s nicked and scuffed, but he still runs his fingers over its surface like he’s telepathically speaking to it. I’ve never seen someone so connected while playing, even when he’s in the outfield. All joking stops, and all he does is concentrate.
    Zach pitches him three balls, and each one hits the same exact spot in left field. His precision is mind-boggling. Aubrey glances at me, her jaw unhinged. He does it again, but this time to center. The way he plays kind of reminds me of us: he’s concentrated and doesn’t give up. He takes pride in what he does, and even if he grounds out to second, it doesn’t faze his next hit.
    “Take a chance with him, Olivia. He’s a genuinely good guy.” Aubrey gives me a quick squeeze.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    Hot tears flow down my cheeks as I throw my phone on my bed. I was so excited Tyler called me back for once, but of course it was only to tell me more bad news. I need to shower before Aubrey picks me up to go to Kyle’s, but the hurt I’m feeling slices deep. Tyler is the only real family I have. Now that he bailed on coming to visit me, again, he’s solidified the reality that he’s a shitty brother. I don’t know why I keep wasting my time with him.
    Every time it’s a new excuse. New job. New girl. New something. If I didn’t hate Braden so much, I’d call him to find out why his supposed best friend is acting like the world’s second biggest piece of shit. After our falling out, when Tyler left for California without saying a word, it took me almost a year to speak to him. I couldn’t stay mad, though. He left because he shouldn’t have been my father figure when our dad was gone for work. I just wish he was honest with me about it.
    I spend a few minutes looking at puppy videos on YouTube to get my mind off him, but every time I calm down about Tyler, I think about Kyle. Aubrey’s reaction to my baseball comment still lingers. Kyle is amazing at baseball, yes. But if he is so good, he should be playing for Tulane, or maybe even in the minor leagues. The Google search bar beckons me, even if I feel a little bit like a stalker.
    The second I hit Enter my browser explodes. The entire world stops.
    Oh my God. He’s Spider-Man.
    THE