Jace

"Come on, Jace, what the hell is this?" Coach Harris grunts while holding up a pair of grass-stained pants.

I shrug.

Coach rolls his eyes, cranking his neck side to side. "I told you to do the laundry, so please, just do it. And do it right." Snarling, he throws the dirty pants into the pile with the rest of them before walking out of the locker room.

I'm so fucking tired of this. I knew I was going to be his bitch, but I can't catch a break. Nothing I do is right. I know he's just trying to bust my balls, and teach me a lesson, but come on, I got here two hours before practice to organize the equipment and help clean the field with the maintenance crew. I just finished cleaning the showers in the locker room and now I have to do everyones' laundry. This is exactly how I pictured my junior year with the team.

When all of my tasks are finished, I walk out to the field. Coach is currently standing next to a freshman, Martin Rays, at the pitcher's mound.

"Coach's new prodigy," Kaden says, walking up next to me. "He's pretty good for a freshman."

"Not as good as you."

"Coach has been having me work with him on his fastball. He's picking it up pretty good."

"How does your dad feel about that?"

Kaden lets out a long sigh. "You know I try to avoid telling him about anything baseball-related. Unless I want a lecture or a "back in my glory days story", I keep my mouth shut." Kaden watches as Marin throws a curveball. "I wish you were out there with us, man."

"I think Coach enjoys having me as his bitch than having me actually play with the team."

"I think I'm going to come clean to coach. Tell him that it was all me—"

"No fucking way," I shake my head. "Your dad would kill you. And then me. You need this team."

Kaden goes quiet, keeping his eyes locked on the field. Kaden is a good guy. He wants to do the right thing. But I can't let him do that. Baseball is his entire life. His father's entire life. That's all their relationship revolves around. Kaden knew how to throw a baseball before he could even talk, I'm sure of it.

"Maxwell, those toilets in the locker room better be clean enough for you to eat out if," Coach calls to me from across the field.

I curse under my breath. "Better get back to it." I slap Kaden on the back before retreating back to the locker room.

I hate this. I want to play baseball. But being suspended from the team has really opened my eyes. I don't need it. In a way, I've been playing baseball, but not for myself. My dad made me start the sport when I was six, and I did it for him, to get his attention, his approval. Then when I got older I played mainly to get out of the house and away from him. But I don't need to play now, and I don't want to. I mean, the guy hasn't seen me play since I was on the peewee team. I also haven't seen my dad in years, so I don't need the excuse anymore. Maybe I should just quit now. I really have nothing to lose.

Before I get knuckle deep in the toilets, I look at my phone. There's a text from Loni

LONI: Come over tonight

I need a distraction and I can't think of a better person to get my mind off of things. Not just for sex. I want to talk to her. I want to look into those green eyes and confide in her. Because for some reason, even with our no talking no relationship rule, I know she'll listen to me.

ME: I'll be there.

***

When I get to Loni's apartment, she greets me with a small smile. Normally, she would pull me in by my shirt and shove her tongue down my throat.

She leads me to her room and I can't help but stare at her ass when she walks. It bounces in her loose grey sweatpants. I have to breathe deep and slow to will my growing erection away.

Loni crawls onto her bed and pulls her knees close to her chest. "Sorry, I told you to come over."

I laugh, "Why are you sorry about that?"

"It's just..." she doesn't meet my eyes. "Normally you come over and we fool around but... Can we just talk."

My eyes are wide for a second, but I blink my shocked expression away. Honestly, I would love nothing more than to talk to her. I sit down on her bed. "You can always talk to me."

A half-smile caresses her lips. "I just had a really shitty day. And I really hate to be a baby but I just need to vent, you know?"

"Loni, you can tell me anything. What's going on?"

"This guy Adam, I'm co-directing the short film with, he was such a dick to me today. He threatened to get me kicked out of the group. He just takes control of everything. I can't stand it. He even yelled at me."

"He yelled at you?" My skin gets hot. "You want me to kick his ass?" I joke, but not really. The thought of someone yelling at my girl— I mean Loni -- yelling at Loni, pisses me off. She doesn't deserve to be disrespected.

"Thanks for the offer," she giggles. "But I think I have Adam covered." She drops her smile and looks away from me again.

"What else is going on?"

She lets out a long sigh. "My parents. It's like I don't even exist to them. They don't notice me at all. They have no idea what goes on in my life. My mom, she..." She pauses, shaking her head. "I wish I had a close family. I wish they cared to call me more than once a month, if that. They care more about traveling the world than they do about their own daughter."

"I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "It's fine. Not your fault."

"You should be happy to know you're not the only one who had a shitty day today."

Her brows raise and her body perks up. Probably happy to have the attention off of herself.

"Coach is driving me crazy. I haven't hit a baseball in months."

"Is there anything you can do?"

I shake my head. "No. And honestly I don't want to. Part of me just wants to quit the team."

"Why?"

I shrug. "I got into baseball because my dad wanted me to. I did it to please him, to get his attention, to be away from him. Being suspended from the team now, though, I don't know, I feel free, I guess. Free of him."

"What happened between the two of you?"

I wrinkle my brows, giving her a confused look.

"It's just, when you talk about him, your voice changes, and your hands, they shake."

I look down at my trembling hands and hide them in my lap. "I can't... I'd rather not—"

She grabs my hand. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

Those green eyes make me want to crumble. Seriously, I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life.

"I did a lot of fucked up things to get his attention, and he never noticed me. Not once. I just wanted to elect some kind of parental response out of him, but he didn't even care."

"What about your mom?"

My throat closes, instantly, and I can't breathe. Not until a hand touches my cheek.

Loni examines my face. A soft smile coaxes her lips. She changes the subject, noticing how tense I suddenly am. "You have some dirt right here." Her thumb brushes my cheek.

"Yeah," I laugh. "I would've showered before I came over here. But I needed to see you."

"Come on," she stands from the bed, holding out her hand. "Shower with me."

Loni leads me to the shower. This is exactly what I need. A deep conversation with her, and shower sex to finish it all off. I am so mesmerized by her body, it releases all the built up tension from today.

I grab her cute little ass and her tit fists perfectly in my hand. Her back arches and my fingers tweak her nipple.

She turns around so her back is against my front. Waters runs down her slick skin. Chills spring up along my body as her ass teases my erection. I want to fuck her, but honestly, the teasing might be enough to make me explode.

My hand moves from her breast to her pussy which isn't just dripping from the water. I run my finger over her slit and her legs nearly buckle. Before I can insert my fingers inside her sweet folds, she turns to face me.

A devilish smirk curves her lips before she drops to he knees. My hand press against the tiled walls, holding myself steady as she takes me in her mouth. She sucks my tips before slowly moving down my shaft. I feel myself hit the back of her throat and I can't control the noises coming from my mouth.

"Oh fuck, baby," I moan, tilting my head back.

My hips buck forward, meeting the rhythmic movement of her mouth. Fuck she is amazing. A gentle hand grabs my balls and I swear I see stars.

"Loni," I groan out. "That's it. Fuck, good girl." Moans rasp out of my throat. My fingers tangle in her wet hair as I help her work her pretty little mouth on my cock.

She replaces her mouth with her hand and she pumps my length, looking up at me with seductive eyes.

My legs shake and my orgasm pulses out of me and drips down her chest between her cleavage. She tosses her head back on a laugh and stands.

"I think you need to clean me up," she cocks a brow.

I grab the pink bar of soap and run it down her tits. Now, I'm on my knees, teasing her as I run the soap up her inner thigh.

Her legs inch open, allowing me to gaze at her perfect pussy. Fuck. Teasing her is driving me mad. I need to taste her.

My lips find her dripping heat and I suck her clit. Letting go to flick my tongue inside her.

She grabs my head, holding me against her. "Yes," she breathes.

I'm practically drowning in her and the water that splashes against my face. But I don't care. I'm not stopping until she comes apart on my tongue. I tease her clit in slow circles, nibbling on the swollen flesh when she moans my name.

"Yes!" She cries out when my tongue pushes deeper inside her.

Her walls pulse around my tongue. Her legs shake. I keep licking her until her hips stop rocking, until she's done riding out her orgasm. She pulls me to my feet and kisses me, moaning as our lips meet.

"You taste so fucking good," I say against her lips.

"So do you," She laughs.

We get out of the shower and I wrap a towel around her back, taking note of the mess of scars that are etched into her skin.

"How did you get those?" I ask, poking at her back.

She turns to face me. "My parents didn't pay much attention to me either."

I furrow my brows, wrapping myself in a towel. She finishes drying off then walks back into her room to get dressed and I follow her.

"I was in high school. A sophomore, maybe?" She sits down on her bed and I join her. "My parents were never really around. They didn't care what I did. Might have been a dream for other teenagers, but not for me. I wanted them to notice me, so that led to me doing some pretty messed up things."

My stomach tightens. God, this girl sounds just like me.

"I was out with a bunch of friends one night, drinking. There was this secluded road we liked to drive down at night. Charlie, my friend Charlie, was driving and we were all in the bed of his truck. A very intoxicated me, though it would be a good idea to stand up and climb on the top of the car. He hit a pothole and I was flung off the car."

My entire body goes numb, picturing her in the accident. A bloody lifeless mess as she describes it.

"I hated myself for being so stupid. But there was a part of me that was happy to finally get my parents' attention. Until they didn't show up to the hospital two days after I was admitted."

"Are you serious?"

"Yup."

My heart hurts. With each beat, it sends shooting pain throughout my entire body. Without even thinking, I pull her into my arms and hold her against myself. I want to tell her to never be that reckless again because if something ever happens to her, I will lose my fucking mind.

But I don't say anything.

I just hold her.

Saying something, caring about her, showing her that I care about her, could drive her away. I want her... No, I need her in my life. So if hiding my true feelings for her is how I'm going to keep her in my life, then I'll do it. I'll stick to her damn terms even if it kills me.