I'm obsessed with baseball and this idea came to me on a whim. Let me know if I should continue!
Summary: Bella's heart has been on lockdown for two years after pain and heartache. Enter Edward, her best friend's brother who has always been there and been an almost. She's ready to run the bases again, and Edward's ready at home.
I think the universe is on my side
Heaven and Earth have finally aligned
Days are good and that's they way it should be
You sprinkle stardust on my pillow case
It's like a moonbeam brushed across my face
Bright-Echosmith
"Bella, you're hogging all the hot water!" Alice yelled, her voice echoing through the bathroom. I jumped as though I'd been electrocuted.
"Jeez, Alice, you know how to give a girl a heart attack," I murmured, with a hand on my chest.
"Glad I woke you up from dreamland. Bella, you've been in there forever, and we're running out of time," Alice protested. I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration before switching off the water and reaching my hand out for a towel. Grabbing a towel, I parted my wet hair to the side before stepping out.
"Thank God," Alice said in relief as she switched the water on. I chuckled as I walked out to my bedroom. I found a Diamondback's jersey on my bed as I raised an eyebrow.
"Alice, did you put this on my bed?" I yelled, hoping she could still hear me.
"Yes, you needed a jersey and I always have like five extra ones between Emmett and Edward," Alice remarked. I hadn't seen Edward since my junior year of college after a softball game.
Edward was cheering with Alice from the sidelines as I played second base. He surprised me, driving along with Alice as she made the hike to New Mexico. James was playing two fields over, on the baseball diamond as an outfielder.
Once I was cleaning up by ushering my mitt and bat away in my batting bag, I saw Edward and Alice waiting for me outside the dug out. I raced to them, as I felt the sweat start to smear my eyeblack.
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd get tan," Edward said with a chuckle. I grinned as I ran up to him to envelope him in a bear hug. He eagerly twirled me around for a second.
"Sorry, I probably have dirt and sweat all over me," I apologized, adjusting the bow in my hair.
"You just kicked ass out there, B," Edward reminded with a crooked grin.
"I had no idea what was going on, but I love that bow on you," Alice said with a grin.
"The bow was Lauren's idea," I said with a chuckle. Lauren made the whole team bows attached to a hair elastic for our games. We wore them as good luck charms.
"B, that RBI you had was clutch," Edward complimented.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"I mean, two people on at first and third and two outs and you're tied?" Edward said, baffled.
"It was luck," I shook my head.
"Hitting is anything but luck. You just looked so cool out there, like you weren't nervous at all in that situation," Edward continued.
"I try to, Charlie always taught me to stay calm and focus and drown out the noise," I shrugged. In the distance, I saw James start to walk towards us. James joined my side at a moment as he kissed my cheek.
"Hey Isabella," he murmured in my ear. I felt blush pool in my cheeks as Alice threw a confused look at me.
"This is James, my boyfriend," I said with a small smile.
"James, this is Alice and Edward, we've been friends since middle school," I said, introducing him.
"Nice to meet you, Alice and Edwin?" James said with a Georgia twang as he reached out his hand.
"Edward," Edward corrected, scanning James.
"Right. Well, it was nice to see you both. Isabella and I have an important dinner with my parents tonight so we'll be going," James said, his grip on my shoulder slightly tightening.
"Oh, I thought we were gonna catch dinner..." Alice said with disappointment.
"I'm so sorry, I completely forgot," I apologized, my cheeks flushing. James's eyes flashed with anger for a moment before they switched back to the cool, calm blue as he smiled once more at Alice and Edward.
"Well, she remembers now. We'll see you around, Alice and Edward," James said, beginning to steer my body to the way of the parking lot.
"I'll call you tonight, Alice," I said apologetically.
"Okay," Alice said with a hopeful smile. Edward just stared at James with disbelief and anger.
"Edward," I said. Immediately, the anger dissipated from his eyes.
"Thanks for coming, it was good to see you," I murmured with a smile on my lips.
"Of course, B. You played great out there," Edward said with a slight smile.
"Bella," James urged, the cool exterior melting off for a moment as he forcefully tugged my hand towards the parking lot.
That was the last time I saw Edward since he did not come to the wedding. Edward at that point was drafted to the MLB immediately, passing by the minor leagues. He sent a letter I hid from James in apology.
"Bella?" Alice called, drawing me out from my thoughts.
"Sorry," I apologized.
"The jersey looks good on you. You even put mascara and eyeliner on today, you dare devil," she winked. I rolled my eyes. I was slightly worried about seeing Edward again, because the last time I saw him there were so many things I wish I'd said.
"I'm glad you decided to grow out your hair again," Alice commented as she lightly touched the curled ends of my hair. At her words, a half smile spread across my face. Alice noticed the little things, like how I chose to grow my hair out again after having it short for so long.
"It feels more like me," I said with a smile.
"You look more like you, Bella. Now c'mon, girl, we didn't get box seats for nothing!" Alice said with a wink as she pulled on my hand. Alice's boyfriend, Jasper, played on the Houston Astros. She met him through Emmett, who played in the minor leagues with him.
"I've never been in box seats," I said. Growing up, Charlie took me to as many Mariner games as he could. We always got popcorn and sat on the third base line.
"They're really cool, now get," Alice said as she was shooing me out the door.
"Wait!" I protested as I reached for my faded and worn mitt.
"What do you need that for? There's glass," Alice reminded, seriously questioning my sanity.
"Just in case!" I said with a wink, which earned an eye roll as we piled into her Civic. I'd moved in with Alice after living in Phoenix by myself for two years. I found a counseling job in the area, and reconnected with Alice.
Initially I was worried she'd shun me after we didn't talk in almost two years. However, Alice took me back eagerly and without hesitation.
"Esme will be there as well, she flew out to see us," Alice remarked as she turned onto the main road. I felt my stomach turn, I hadn't seen Esme in years. She was almost like a second mother to me, and she was the first person I called that night. Esme called Alice, who drove out to the hospital that night.
As the unpleasant memories began to surface, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe. I repeated the words in my mind several times before shutting the bad ones at the gate.
"You ok?" Alice asked.
"I'm good," I promised her, with a small smile.
"I can tell you're nervous you know," Alice said as her hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"Your eyebrow does this kink thing," she added as she tried to imitate it, but ended up looking ridiculous.
"Your eyebrow is going to end up that way forever if you do that," I warned, which earned a laugh from her.
"Are you nervous about seeing Edward?" Alice asked curiously. Before I could answer, I felt blush creep in my cheeks. She chuckled as she observed my blush.
"You shouldn't be." Alice assured me.
"The last time I saw him..." I trailed off.
"You were in college and you dated and married a shit head," Alice said in summary. I couldn't debate her logic there.
"He doesn't care, and he asks about you all the time. After the whole thing two years ago with the court case...He was there, you know?" Alice said. My mouth dropped open in astonishment. A cautious smile crept across her lips.
"He was in the back. He was really proud of you for finally sticking up for yourself," she murmured. How could I have not seen him? Granted, I was trying to just make it through the court case.
"C'mon, Bells, we're here. Esme can't wait to see you," Alice said as she parked the car. She grabbed my hand with force as she led me up the stadium steps. The Diamondback's stadium was much larger than the Mariner's.
As we climbed up the steps, I heard an enthusiastic voice chime over the noise.
"Bella!" Esme called, her hand frantically waving. As she caught sight of me, she raced toward me before enveloping me in a warm hug. My mother left when I was little, so Esme filled the role of my mother from when I was six years old.
"It's so good to see you, sweetie. You look great. Oh, Carlisle will be so thrilled to see you!" She said, as she studied me. Esme's hair fell into copper waves behind her, as she escorted us up to the box seats.
"Carlisle, it's Bella!" She called as Carlisle turned around from where he was watching the game.
"Bella, it's so good to see you. You look well," he observed as he walked towards Alice and I. Carlisle looked exactly as I remembered him three years ago.
"Alice tells me you just moved to the area," Carlisle said, gesturing for us to sit down in the seats next to him.
"Yeah, I just moved from Phoenix, I lived with Angela for two years," I replied. Angela was one of my close friends from college, who took me in after I moved out of James's apartment.
"Oh that's great! Now you live with Alice, and we're so happy we get to see you more now," Carlisle said with a warm smile.
"Yeah, me too. Alice has been great so far," I agreed.
"And is this the first time you've been to a baseball diamond in a while," Carlisle remarked. When I moved to Phoenix, I started coaching softball again. Softball was part of me, and it was mine, and he could not take away from that.
"Yeah, I coach softball now, but I haven't been to a baseball game in a while," I said, nodding my head.
"That's amazing that you coach, honey. High school?" Esme chimed in.
"Yeah, I coach varsity. It's been great and I get a little extra added to my salary," I said with a smile.
"I forgot you're a counselor, Bella! What school?" Esme asked, curiosity blooming in her tone.
"I work as a school counselor at a high school," I replied.
"Oh how wonderful!" Esme said, her eyes sparkling. The national anthem began to play, and our conversation halted. From there on, I responded occasionally to conversation, but I was engrossed in the game.
I forgot how talented Edward was. He had an easy grace on the field and was an excellent outfielder. He always was a reliable hitter and a fantastic right fielder. He used to tell me playing right field was the hardest because the ball spun differently when he had to catch it. Therefore, it made tracking the ball a nearly impossible task.
Emmett was a center fielder, and he and Edward worked in harmony on the field. They'd been playing together since high school, and that was reflected on their work in the field. Emmett was a more powerful hitter, he often hit home runs, but Edward frequently hit doubles and singles at crucial moments to bat in for an RBI.
Of course, Edward looked absolutely like a natural out there and was gorgeous. I always thought of him as one of my closest friends in high school, always trying to make time to watch me play and take me out to eat after games.
The Cullens practically adopted me when they moved when we were in sixth grade. Alice became one of my best friends almost instantly, while Emmett became like a big brother. For me, I grew up without siblings and since I was five it was my dad and me.
In high school, Edward was the heartthrob. He had killer emerald eyes and a crooked smile that sent all the girls' into a frenzy. However, he wasn't a player. He always treated his girlfriends' like queens. He only really dated about two girls in high school.
Soon, we were in the last inning of the double header. Edward was up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning with two batters on, one on second and one on third. Luckily, there was only one out, so it wasn't a dealbreaker if Edward wasn't having a good day.
He was in the batter box, getting settled as he dug his feet into the dirt. He looked absolutely calm and calculating as he waited on the first pitch. The first ball was a ball, flying to the outside of the batter's box. Esme was holding Carlisle's arm nervously.
The next pitch could have gone either way as it flew low in the box. The umpire called it a strike which earned boos from the crowd. Alice was bouncing her foot as she bit her lip.
Edward let out a sigh as he stepped out of the batter's box as the umpire called time to dust off home plate. With cool confidence, Edward stepped back into the plate. The next pitch he swung at and the ball went soaring into the foul territory.
"C'mon Edward," Carlisle said under his breath. We all waited with baited breath as the next pitch made contact with his bat. Edward set off like a rocket to first base as the ball went soaring to the back boards and jumping off. Next, he ran to second as the runner on third soared home.
"RBI, not bad," I said with a smile. I could see Edward standing on second with a small smirk. The game finished up with Edward scoring the game winning run.
"Now we just have to wait on the boys' finishing up in the locker room. Carlisle and Esme led us down a set of stairs. They flashed their lanyards to the security guards who let them into the main concrete covered room.
"This is where families wait for their players," Alice whispered in my ear.
"Did the Astros have a game today?" I asked her curiously.
She smiled a knowing smirk as she shook her head.
"No, they have two this weekend. They're home against the Rangers," Alice replied. Jasper had a condo here during the off season, while during the season he lived in Houston. Sometime later, Emmett and Edward walked out, out of their jerseys and in jeans and tee shirt. They looked like they'd showered, but remnants of their eyeblack remained on their cheeks.
Emmett's eyes met his mother's as he enveloped her in his signature bear hugs. Edward's eyes met mine for a moment as he studied me with an unreadable expression. Carlisle gave his son a brief hug as Edward hugged Alice.
"Bella," Edward said with astonishment.
"Surprise, I didn't want to ruin it!" Alice said as she bounced up.
Emmett came from behind me to lift me off the ground with a huge hug.
"Bella-boo, we missed you!" Emmett said as he squeezed me.
"Can't breathe!" I protested which earned a chorus of laughs. As he finally let me down, Edward looked at me expectantly.
"You had a great game," I murmured breaking the silence between us.
"Come here, Bella," Edward said with an impish grin as I walked over to him as he lifted me up to give me a hug. His hug was warm, and I forgot how much I missed them. After a moment, he let me down.
"How are you?" He asked curiously as he peered down to me.
"I'm good actually, I just moved in with Alice," I replied.
"I remember she told me. And you're working at a school, right?" He asked, intentionally making his strides shorter to match mine.
"I work as a school counselor it's my third year," I replied. My kids brought me laughter and also helped me heal. Through each of my students, I got to make a mark on them.
I taught in a poor urban school with limited resources and many burned out teachers. My kids had tough home lives, and many faced trials and battles only they knew about.
"That's great B, and you teach in Phoenix, right?" Edward asked curiously. Alice along with the rest of her family were ahead of us as she threw me a wink over her shoulder. He was one of the only people who called me B and had called me it since we were little.
"Yep," I replied, blush creeping into my cheek.
"A birdie told me you're coaching softball?" He asked, his eyes sparkling as they met mine.
"Yeah, I coach the varsity team. It's my first year of coaching so I still have no idea what I'm doing," I said with a smirk as I shrugged. Edward peered down at me as a smile tugged on his lips.
"Those girls are lucky, you are an really good softball player," Edward replied, which awarded a blush from me.
"Was, maybe," I contended.
"Just cause you took the jersey off doesn't mean you stop being an athlete," he reminded.
"True. I miss being on the field, but I'm glad I get to still be on the diamond in some way," I said, biting my lip. Truthfully, I also coached because besides Esme, I didn't have any female role models to look up to.
In college, the gap was more evident when I moved away from Esme. During my worst moments with James, I so badly ached for a mother to confide in. Although in those times I shut almost everyone out.
By being a coach, I was able to impact these girls' lives and be a constant for a while in their lives.
"B?" Edward called me out of my thoughts.
I turned my attention back to him as my cheeks flamed with embarrassment, "I'm so sorry."
"Why are you apologizing, B?" He asked. As we reached Alice's car, I stood a few feet from her car as I awaited our goodbye.
"It was really good to see you. I'm glad you're back in the area, and I'd love to grab coffee or something soon," Edward said, his emerald eyes meeting mine.
"Absolutely, I know you're super busy with your season and everything so just let me know what days work," I replied, fumbling on my words. Edward smiled crookedly as he shook his head.
"Can I have your phone?" He asked. I furrowed my eyebrows together as I handed him over my phone.
"Now you have my number." he grinned. I shook my head as I bit my lip.
"It was really great to see you, Edward. You played amazing out there," I smiled at him. He hesitated for a moment before I waved at him. Taking my cue, he waved back at me. It could've been my imagination, but I swore I saw him hold back from hugging me.
As I turned around to open the door, he called out to me.
"Oh and B?" He called, I turned to meet his booming voice.
"I always got time," he said with a careful smirk on his lips.
