Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
I force myself to park in my usual spot, inhaling sharply when I see the stadium already blazing against the morning sky. There’s another game today, back-to-back games are rare, but they do happen. In the back of my head, I know Ripley’s set to play today—he told me last week. Or had he? My memory blurs; everything’s been a haze since that awful text I sent him: I’m so sorry and I can’t do this. The words practically choke me now.
You have to keep it together, Kali. I slam the car door and take a few steadying breaths. I haven’t seen Ripley since I left his house the other night, and I’m not sure if I have the strength to face him. But I have a job to do—one that demands composure and authority. I tug my hat lower, as if that’ll somehow shield me from the world, and head toward the entrance.
To my surprise, there’s already a crowd forming, even though the game doesn’t start for a good hour. The buzz of conversation hangs in the air. I nod politely to a few players warming up on the field, but my gaze darts around, searching for that familiar silhouette. My heart is pounding so hard it makes my ears ring. I’m terrified of what I’ll see. Maybe I’ll see Ripley’s anger, or worse, his disappointment.
But then I see him, standing near home plate. My breath catches in my throat. He’s dressed in his team’s warm-up gear, glove resting against his hip. Tall, broad-shouldered, that lock of hair flopping onto his forehead. He’s scanning the stands like he’s looking for someone… like he’s looking for me. Even from this distance, I can sense the intensity in his posture.
Before I can decide whether to run or walk over, I spot something else—something that sends a jolt through my system: Juniper. She’s standing beside Ripley, her arm in a little sling, smiling up at him. What is she doing here on the field? My stomach clenches. A wave of guilt rushes through me, threatening to knock me sideways, but I grit my teeth and move forward.
A few fans in the bleachers start pointing, and I realize all eyes are shifting toward me. My nerves skyrocket. I’m just the umpire—why would they be…? And then I hear a crackling static, like someone turning on a microphone.
“Testing—uh—testing,” Ripley’s voice echoes through the speakers. My head snaps up. He’s holding a mic, tapping it nervously, glancing back at Juniper like he needs her strength. My heart leaps into my throat.
“Kali,” he says, voice booming over the field. There’s a hush in the stands, curious murmurs drifting around. “Kali, I know you’re here. I saw your car.” He takes a breath, and I can see how tense his shoulders are. “I, uh, I’m not real great with words sometimes, especially not public speeches, but I need you to hear this.”
My entire body is trembling. I take a step forward, half-wanting to sink into the dugout, half-yearning to run straight into his arms.
Ripley continues, eyes scanning the field until they land on me. He lifts a hand, beckoning me closer. “Kali Carter,” he says, and my name ricochets through the speaker system. “Yesterday was… rough. You and Juniper had an accident—an accident, Kali. It wasn’t your fault.” His voice is raw, but there’s a fire in it. “Sometimes things happen that we can’t predict, and I’m so damn sorry I wasn’t there to stop it or to be with you when it happened.”
I can’t move. My eyes brim with tears I’ve been trying to hold in for hours. He glances down at Juniper, who nods encouragingly, her little sling resting against her pink T-shirt. Then Ripley looks back at me.
“I love you,” he says firmly. “I love you more than I ever thought possible. You make me feel alive and hopeful in a way I haven’t since… well, since before Juniper was born, honestly. And Juniper—” he gestures to his daughter— “she loves you too. I know she does. She’s been talking about you nonstop, worried sick that you might never come back.”
My breath catches. Tears spill silently down my cheeks as people in the stands start whispering, some of them snapping pictures or videos. It’s like a scene out of a movie. A grand gesture, I think, half in awe, half terrified.
“He’s right,” Juniper pipes up, surprising me. Her voice is sweet but resolute, echoing faintly over the speakers. “Kali, I love you. And I’m okay. Please don’t be sad anymore.”
A strangled sob escapes me, and I stumble toward them, oblivious to the onlookers. My vision blurs, but I manage to step onto the field. Ripley’s face is twisted with worry, fear, and hope all at once.
“Kali,” he calls again, his voice wavering. “You’re not a bad person. You didn’t fail. You didn’t let anyone down.” He swallows, lifting the mic one last time. “We need you. I need you. Juniper needs you. We just… we want our family back.”