“Come on, Kelly, knock it out of the park!” she yelled, gripping the fence in front of the dugout.
Kelly swung and cracked the ball. With bases loaded everyone went nuts and the players cleared home plate.
Maggie was up next. Her team cheered as she approached the plate. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mariella walk off the field into the parking lot. A sleek black car idled by the fence.
Returning her focus to the game, she lifted the bat and eyed the pitcher. The first pitch was a strike. She honed her attention on the ball and swung again, not hitting it as far as she wanted but getting herself safely to first base.
She glanced at the fence. Mariella was talking to whoever was in the car. Her hands waved as she spoke fervidly. Maggie narrowed her eyes. Was this the boyfriend?
Ryan was up next. He whacked the ball into the outfield, and Maggie hustled all the way to home plate, scoring another run for their team. Unfortunately, Ryan only made it to third.
As she walked back to the dugout, she paused. Mariella was clearly upset, and when she tried to walk back to the field, the car pulled alongside of her, blocking her way. Maggie shifted directions and walked to the fence.
“Mariella, you okay?”
Her friend turned and Maggie could see she was not. Tears streamed down her face and she held out her hands helplessly. Turning back to the car, she snapped, “I have to go. Please leave me alone.”
She jogged back to the fence and Maggie scowled at the car as it turned away. But it didn’t leave the lot. It parked. “I don’t think he listened.”
Mariella looked back and scoffed. “That’s it.” She stomped toward the parked car that was partially hidden by the bleachers. Maggie heard her friend snap at the man and the man begging for her to listen to him.
“I’m through listening. I told you what I want, but you don’t want that.”
“Why can’t you compromise? You’re being unfair. I told you, we could have an apartment here, and I’d take care of you. Isn’t that enough?”
“No! Don’t you get it? I don’t want any of those things. I want you to love me. Only me, Bran.”
Bran? Blood rushed from Maggie’s face as she moved closer to the bleachers. The game carried on, and she heard Ryan calling her, but some sort of trance had her body locked. She had to have misheard.
She rounded the bleachers and staggered to a stop as she spotted her sister’s fiancé. This was the man Mariella had been seeing since college? No wonder he couldn’t commit. He was marrying Maggie’s sister!
Something unleashed inside of her, and she gripped the fence, throwing her leg over the rail and vaulting into the parking lot. “You son of a bitch!”
Mariella turned, her eyes wide as Maggie charged toward the black car. “Maggie, what are you doing?”
“Maggie?” Bran did a double take.
“You cheating piece of shit!” She didn’t stop until both her hands shoved into his chest. “How dare you?”
“Maggie!” Ryan leapt over the fence and came running to her side. He frowned when he recognized Bran. “What are you doing here?”
“He’s cheating on my sister!” Maggie shoved him again.
“Hey!” Bran held up his hands defensively. “Calm her down.”
“Fuck you!” Maggie yelled, chest out and ready to maul. Ryan tried to get between them, but she wasn’t having it. “You think you’re going to get away with this? You don’t deserve either of them!” She swung her hand and scratched his cheek.
“Someone get her away from me!”
More people gathered and Ryan banded an arm around her waist, hauling her back a few steps.
“Put me down!”
“You have to calm down.”
“Fine! But put me down!”
“Someone tell me what’s going on!” Mariella shouted. Turning her tearful eyes on Maggie, she asked, “You two know each other?”
Ryan set her down in front of the black car, and she panted. “He’s engaged to my sister.”
Regret flashed in Mariella’s eyes, telling Maggie she knew there was another woman but never expected it to link back to her family and those they knew. “I’m sorry.”
“You knew he was cheating on you?” Ryan barked, a stunned look on his face.
She held out her hands. “It’s complicated. He started dating me first. I’m not the other woman. She is.”
Maggie ground her teeth. It took everything inside of her not to lunge at him again. “My sister’s too good for you.” She turned and kicked his headlight, smashing the glass with her cleat.
“Hey! You’re fucking paying for tha—”
His words cut off with a solid whack. Everyone in the crowd collectively gasped. She turned and Bran was on the ground.
Ryan stood over him and snarled, “You’re a real piece of shit.”
He jogged over to her and adrenaline raced through her veins. She couldn’t stop shaking. When he reached her, she looked up at him on the verge of tears. “Please get me out of here.”