Curveball

"Curveball" (Part 6 — Pressure Builds)

By the end of the week, every hallway knew.

Leah Steele — the freshman with glittery makeup, curly hair, and freak energy —
was officially with Ryan Lynch.

Senior.
Baseball star.
6'4 and built like a security guard.
Tattooed arms.
Don't-talk-to-me energy.
Now walking through the halls with his arm around her.

And it drove people crazy.

⸻

In the girls' bathroom, Leah could barely touch up her lip gloss without hearing whispers.

"She got him wrapped."
"What's she doing he likes so much?"
"Didn't he used to mess with Maya?"
"Freshmen are getting bolder every year."

In the boys' locker room?

"You really cuffing her?"
"Thought you were just messing around."
"She worth the drama?"

Ryan didn't respond to any of it.

But he made one thing clear —
He didn't care who was watching.

⸻

That Friday, Leah was standing at her locker when she felt his presence behind her.

Close.

Big.

Warm.

His hands slid around her waist, pulling her back into him.

"You free tonight?" he said into her ear, voice low, only for her.

She blinked, heart skipping.

"Why?"

He smirked. "You're coming to my place."

She turned around, giving him that look.
"Your house?"

He leaned down, whispering against her neck.

"No parents. No teammates. Just us."

⸻

8:37 PM.

Leah walked up to Ryan's front door in a hoodie that wasn't hers.

His.

He opened it before she could knock.

Gray sweats. Shirtless. Chain on.
Tattoos glowing in the soft lighting of his room behind him.

"You wore my hoodie," he said, eyes on her lips.

"You left it on purpose," she shot back.

He grinned. "Come in."

She stepped inside, heart pounding.

The house was quiet.
Dim lights. Music low. A candle flickering on his nightstand.

And on the bed?

Her favorite snacks.
A blanket.
And a movie paused on the screen.

Leah blinked. "You did all this?"

"I know what you like," he said, tugging her closer.

She smiled slow. "You tryna be soft now?"

He pulled her into his lap, hands on her thighs, lips at her ear.

"I'm tryna be yours," he whispered.
"Loudly."

⸻

Just as things started heating up —
Lips pressed, legs tangled, hoodie sliding off her shoulder...

BZZZZ.

Ryan's phone lit up.

Maya.

Text: "Wow. You really fell for her? LMAO."

Leah saw it.

Everything paused.

She looked at him. "You still talking to her?"

Ryan picked up the phone. Didn't even blink.
He showed it to Leah, unlocked it, held her gaze — and then blocked Maya right in front of her.

"No distractions," he said. "Not when I got you."

Leah stared at him, breath caught, heart in her throat.

Then she climbed right into his lap, straddling him.

"You're real bold tonight," she whispered.

Ryan grinned, hands gripping her waist.

"You ain't seen bold yet."