Hot Corner (Baseball Romance) (12 page)

"Why do I get the suspicion that the only reason you want me is because you can't have me?" Audrey asked. 

"I've just realized I don't want to spend the rest of my life without you," Trevor said. 

"You seemed to do fine without me the last couple years," Audrey replied. 

"Come on.  Tell me you don't feel it.  Being back on campus.  Back together.  There's a spark.  A chemistry," Trevor said. 

"Trevor, you can't change what happened.  You can't change the past," Audrey insisted. 

"No.  But we could build an all new future together," Trevor said. 

Audrey considered the proposal.  "I'm sorry.  I just can't get over what you did to me."

***

While Audrey was having it out with Trevor, Alice looked to have a heart to heart with a much distracted Peter.

"Do you love her?" Alice asked.

There was no hesitation in Peter's answer though.

"Of course I do.  More than I've ever loved anyone before," Peter said.

"Have you told her that?" Alice wondered.

"Of course," Peter replied.

"Now would be a good time to remind her," Alice remarked.

But Peter had another line of questioning on his mind.  "How worried should I be about Trevor?"

"Terrified," Alice answered.

"I gotta say, that was brutally honest," Peter said.

"Well, this situation could get brutal for you in a hurry," Alice replied. 

"Now you're really starting to freak me out," Peter said. 

"Don't get me wrong.  I hate Trevor for what he did to Audrey.  But he's also her first love.  The one that got away.  And now the one that wants her back.  People don't always have the clearest heads when it comes to stuff like that.  Sometimes we can't see straight.  And it's your job to make the picture clearer," Alice explained.

"Damn, and I was wondering if I was worrying too much before.  But I guess I've been worrying too little," Peter admitted.

"The question is, what are you going to do about it?" Alice asked.

"I'm still working on that part," Peter said.

"Work harder," Alice urged.

"Thanks for the advice.  But I have to wonder, are you doing this because you're rooting for Trevor to fail, or me to succeed?" Peter asked.

"I can see that you have a good heart," Alice admitted.  "And I don't want to see it get broken."

***

Suddenly Peter had a lot on his mind.  So when Audrey caught up with Peter, he was desperate to hear the news.  Audrey was tight lipped though, and stuck in her own world. 

"You're awfully quiet over there," Peter said.

Audrey was still trying to process what had happened.  But Peter was anything but patient.

"Sorry.  It's just that a lot of things are happening all at once," Audrey explained.

"Would you just clue me in on them?" Peter asked.

"Can you give me a minute to sort them out first?" Audrey urged.

"Look.  I just want to know that you told Trevor to back off," Peter answered.

"I know everything seems so simple to you.  But it's actually really complicated," Audrey admitted.

"Why do I get the feeling that I should have been the one to talk to Trevor?" Peter asked.

"Peter, this isn't easy for me.  I didn't ask for this.  I just wanted to come to the reunion and have a good time.  I just wanted a little peace in my life.  Instead I have all this stuff being thrown at me," Audrey ranted.

"How do you think I feel?  Just as I open myself up to you.  Just as I'm falling deeper in love with you than I ever thought possible, I can feel you slipping away," Peter said.

"What are you talking about?" Audrey asked.

"Come on Audrey.  I'm not stupid.  I see Trevor worming his way back in," Peter explained.

"Peter, you're my boyfriend.  That means something--" Audrey started saying.

"Yeah, I just hope it means enough," Peter said.  "I mean you were once his girlfriend.  But all that meant for you was a broken heart.  The irony now is, that this time you may be the heartbreaker.  And I the one with the broken heart," Peter explained.

"I think you might be overreacting," Audrey replied.

"I might be?  Meaning I also might not be?  As in you're not sure?  Well, I don't like the sound of that," Peter said.

It seemed like Audrey managed to put her foot square in her mouth.  But before she had the chance to explain herself further, they reached the parade route.

***

Audrey didn't want to watch the parade with such loose ends dangling.  As Peter was about to grab a spot on the parade route, Audrey stopped him.

"Look, I'm sorry for being so short with you before," Audrey said.  "I didn't mean to be evasive or standoffish."

"I know.  You just have a lot on your mind.  I just wish you had less on your mind is all," Peter replied.

"This apology isn't going as well as I expected," Audrey admitted.

"There's one way to clear all the air," Peter remarked.  "Tell me I'm your one and only.  That you can't imagine spending your life with anyone else."

Audrey went to answer, but couldn't find just the words she was looking for.

"That hesitation says everything," Peter bemoaned.

"Peter, I love you," Audrey replied.

"Don't you get it Audrey?  I do more than just love you.  I want to build a life with you," Peter said.  "You're the only woman I want to be with.  I just hope that's enough."

Peter had said his piece.  He'd laid his heart out.  The rest was up to Audrey.

Chapter Six

"What are you doing?" Alice asked.

Before Audrey had a chance to take her spot watching the parade, Alice had a few choice words for her.

"I was going to watch one of my good friends in the parade," Audrey answered, unsure of what Alice's problem was. 

"I meant with Peter.  You're going to blow it," Alice warned. 

"I don't need this right now.  There's so much going on," Audrey said, on overload. 

"That's exactly why you need to hear this from me," Alice insisted.  "Audrey, you're not seeing straight anymore.  Don't you realize there's only one thing that matters in all of this?"

"And what's that?" Audrey asked. 

"That Peter loves you," Alice admitted. 

"Wow.  He really won you over in a hurry, didn't he?" Audrey said. 

"What can I say?  He didn't go and break your heart," Alice replied.  "I mean for the life of me, I don't know why you'd even considering getting back with Trevor--"

"Who said I'm considering getting back with Trevor?" Audrey remarked. 

Alice wasn't buying Audrey's efforts to deflect though.  "Are you kidding?  It's all over your face.  And it's just shocking to think about."

"Don't hold back at all.  Tell me how you really feel," Audrey joked. 

"This isn't a joke.  Remember how much Trevor hurt you.  How devastated you were.  How you thought you'd never recover," Alice explained. 

"Trust me.  I'll never forget that," Audrey admitted.

"Good," Alice fired back. 

"Still, I can't help but believe that people can change," Audrey explained. 

"Yeah.  But that includes you as well.  Do you really want to make the same mistake?  Or do you want to learn from it?" Alice asked.  "You're unbelievably lucky.  I don't have anyone.  But you have someone that loves you.  Someone that wants to spend their life with you.  Don't turn your back on that.  Don't turn your back on Peter."

"For the last time, I never said I was considering getting back with Trevor," Audrey argued. 

"Keep it that way," Alice insisted.  "Because it would be the biggest mistake of your life."

"Don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Audrey asked. 

"No.  I mean God Audrey, you're like an ostrich with its head in the sand," Alice said. 

"What?" Audrey asked. 

"Get your head out of the sand Audrey.  The prize of your life is right in front of you.  Peter would wrestle alligators for you," Alice explained. 

Suddenly Audrey flashed back to the ostrich from her apartment complex.  The one that had busted out of the celebrities backyard and gone on the lam and just so happened to end up at Audrey's place.  Maybe it had all been for a reason.  Maybe it was time for Audrey to break out of the cage of her past.  To get her head out of the sand.

***

The parade was amazing.  The whole gang was ecstatic to see Frank on his float.  And everyone had a ball--except for Audrey.  While everyone else reveled, Audrey thought about Peter and Trevor.  She went over what Trevor had done to her years before.  How he'd broken her heart.  And then she thought about Peter.  How he'd never done anything like that.  How he'd always been there for her.  Still, there was a lot of wrestling going on in Audrey's heart.  She just wanted that to end.  But everything was about to come to a head at the homecoming ball. 

Chapter Seven

"I can't change the past, but I know how to build a better future," Trevor spouted.

Trevor was waiting just outside the ladies room as Audrey came out in her homecoming ball gown. 

"Wow.  If you believed in me this much when we were actually dating, we might still be together," Audrey replied. 

"You can't deny all that we've been through.  All the good times we've had together.  And even now, the chemistry we share," Trevor said.  "Look, we have a past--"

"A quite sordid one actually," Audrey interjected. 

"Face it, Peter's a nice guy, but he's not 'the one.' He doesn't know you like I do.  What makes you tick.  What makes you happy.  What you need.  And he can't give you the thing you've always wanted," Trevor said. 

"What's that?" Audrey asked, skeptical. 

Trevor pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket and handed it to Audrey.  "Open it and see for yourself," Trevor insisted. 

Audrey opened the box to find an emerald necklace waiting for her.  And like that, the memories shot back.  Of the glory days of her relationship with Trevor.  A time of wild dreams. 

"I can't believe you remembered," Audrey said. 

"We were living off mac n cheese and ramen noodles," Trevor recalled.  "But what we lacked in money, we made up for in love.  And nothing was going to tear us apart."

Audrey joined in.  "You gave me this ring to propose to me because you couldn't afford a real one."

"Well, now I can afford a real one," Trevor insisted, reaching into his pocket to pull out a ring box. 

Audrey freaked out.  "No.  Don't tell me you--"

"I know now we're meant to be together more than ever," Trevor insisted. 

"I never thought I'd say this, but don't you open that box," Audrey argued. 

"But don't you get it Audrey?" Trevor asked.  "I can't let you slip through my fingers again.  If I did, I know I'd never get over it.  But look, we can be happy together.  Just like before.  Only better this time."

Audrey looked at the ring box, then at Trevor's eyes.  She considered.  The fact was, Peter had been there for her, through thick and thin, for better or worse, even to the swamp.  Meanwhile when Audrey was with Trevor, he didn't do most of that.  And suddenly Audrey's decision came easier than she ever expected.

"I think some things should be left in the past," Audrey explained. 

"We're not like that," Trevor pleaded.  "We could be better than ever--"

Audrey cut Trevor off and handed him back the emerald necklace. 

"It's time to move on," Audrey said.  "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a boyfriend to get back to."

***

Audrey dashed into the reception hall with only one thought on her mind--telling Peter how much she loved him.  Audrey spotted Peter at a table, grazing on appetizers.  Peter dropped his crab cake as he spotted Audrey and looked at her like she was the only woman in the room.

"Wow.  You look gorgeous," Peter remarked, letting his stomach get the best of him. 

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you," Audrey said. 

"Where have you been?  I've been looking all over for you," Peter replied. 

"I was just doing something I should have done a long time ago," Audrey admitted. 

"Look, back at the parade--"

"You were just doing what any loving boyfriend who do.  Being protective of me.  And you had every right to be protective.  Besides, I should be the one apologizing," Audrey remarked. 

"I'm not looking for an apology.  I just want to know where we stand," Peter explained. 

"I love you," Audrey said.  "More than anyone else.  And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  I'm sorry if I gave you a reason to question that.  But I won't do it again.  Because the thing is, I've never been happier than when I am with you.  And I don't ever want that happiness to end."