Dare You to Fall for the Catcher (Rock Valley High 3)

“Oooh, is that for me?” Charlotte pointed at the greasy takeout bag in my hands.

I nodded and handed it over. She didn’t look in the fry-pelting mood anyway. Charlotte snatched it up with a chirpy ‘thank you’ and dove right in.

“Oh my gosh, I needed this so much.” She stuffed a handful in her mouth and rubbed her belly with the other hand. “I haven’t been able to eat anything until now. You’re the best, Sis.”

Sitting on the edge of her bed, I eyed her suspiciously. How was I supposed to start a strict lecture on the dangers of drinking and hanging with terrible people like this? It just didn’t make sense. Why was she so perky?

“Charlotte, I think we need to talk about last night,” I said in a low voice, rubbing my palms up and down the tops of my thighs. “About the party.”

She swallowed down a mouthful and nodded at me, her mouth forming a deep frown. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”

Depositing the takeout bag on her desk, she pulled out the chair and sat facing me. Sorrow washed over her face, resulting in the pitiful little pout she’d perfected over the years. She splayed her hands out on her knees, palms up, and fixed me with a steady look.

“I am so sorry for last night,” she said. “I know what I did was stupid and irresponsible. And I definitely know now how awful Sarah and those girls are. I won’t make that mistake again. I promise.”

I blinked at her, unsure I’d heard what she said. “You...do?”

She smiled and nodded energetically. “Absolutely. I’m just sad I didn’t realize it sooner.” Holding her hand up to her mouth, she giggled. ”Of course, if I’d realized it sooner, than I wouldn’t have realized something really wonderful last night.”

My head was beginning to spin. That was a lot of realizing in one night. I had no clue what she was talking about.

“What do you mean?”

She jumped up from her chair and spun, reaching her hands toward the ceiling. Her dancer’s legs flexed with impressive shape. “You said I needed to find my person and I did. It was totally and completely by accident, but I found him. And now, he’s all I can think about.”

“Wait, what?” I stared up at her, feeling lost. “Who are you talking about?”

She scowled and stopped spinning, placing her hands on her hips. “None of my so-called friends cared about me when I got sick. I could’ve disappeared into a gutter and they wouldn’t have done anything. But he did. He found me. He took care of me and made sure I was safe.”

Dread pooled into my stomach. I was starting to have an inkling of who she was talking about, but it couldn’t be. The universe didn’t have that sick of a humor—did it?

“Charlotte, are you talking about...Jayden?”

Her eyes turned shiny with fondness and a goofy smile appeared on her lips. “Ugh, his name is even better when I hear someone else say it.”

“Jayden? Jayden Paul?”

She nodded. “The one and only.”

All I could do was smile painfully at her.

“Can you believe it? I was looking for someone to understand me, and he was there this whole time, passing me in the hallways at Rock Valley High. He was so sweet. After he helped me to the swing to wait for you, he told me about his older brother and his addiction. Thanks to him, I’m never going to party like that again. Jayden really cares about me. I can’t wait to see him again.”

I grunted and shifted my seat. “You’re going to see him again?”

She bit her lip and squealed. “Yes! Tomorrow, after baseball practice, I’m going to march right up to him and show him just how thankful I am. Do you think I should make him cookies? Boys like baked goods, right? What flavor will make him fall for me, too?”

“Jayden Paul?” I couldn’t help but ask one more time.

She shot me an annoyed look. “Yes. And please don’t tell me you hate him. Because if you keep this up, I’ll officially have no one and I’ll die a sad and lonely death.”

“No, I don’t hate him,” I said softly.

But Charlotte didn’t hear me. She was already bustling about the room, spouting off ideas on how to properly thank the boy who’d become her new obsession. All the while, I stared blankly at her. It was official. My life had become one giant train wreck. I hoped that whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes was getting a good laugh, because someone needed to.

Charlotte had gone and found her person, despite the fact that he didn’t know anything about it. And I guess I could say that the one good thing about all of this was Charlotte’s promise to never party again. That was one major problem off my list. Still, that didn’t seem like a promise she’d keep for long if she found out about me and Jayden.

I left Charlotte’s room with a heavy feeling pressing down on my chest. Nothing in this world was simple.