"Ian told me," Naomi said.

Greg's nose wrinkled as he frowned. "Of course he did. For a man who hates me, he's quite invested in my relationships." The worry lines didn't leave Greg's forehead.

"Are you doing okay?"

"A lot better than the first time. We haven't worked for months. I couldn't see it before, but after dating you and being happy together, it was impossible to ignore that she and I were..." His shoulders slumped. "It was hurting me more than it was helping."

His feelings toward Tara summed up Naomi's during their relationship with Greg. She took a deep breath as her palms moistened as she shifted into a quad stretch. Better to be honest now. "Greg, I have–"

"My sister wants her stuff back. Bring it to the next game, so she doesn't have to see your face again," Ian spat at Greg as he and Brinny passed by.

"Of course. Good to see you too, Ian."

Brinny eyed all three of them as Ian cursed Greg out under his breath. The couple returned to the dugout, and Greg exhaled.

"You're lucky he's not pitching against you tonight," Naomi said.

"I'm sure a stray ball will somehow find its way towards my face. I deserve it though."

"Tara didn't sound very pleased."

"For what I did to you too."

Naomi froze, not wanting to relive any of those memories. The dust had settled, and there was no reason to stir it up.

"When you were honest, I made it all about me instead of supporting you. I'd built up this idea of our relationship, and I panicked after your confession, believing it wasn't possible. It also left me questioning your feelings for me. Had I listened to you or looked into asexuality properly, I would have understood it was ludicrous. I'm really sorry, Nomi. I get why you've avoided me."

A lump rested in her throat. "Thank you."

"Thanks for hearing me out." His smile triggered a flutter in her chest that should have been long dead. She knew how to snuff it out.

"Greg, I should tell you that—"

"Naomi, we need you here!" Ian yelled.

"Tell me what?" Why was Greg's voice so gentle and familiar?

She could spit it out and run, but it wasn't fair to blindside him with the news. Even he had reassured her after she found out about Tara.

"I'll tell you later."

She jogged to the bench and raised an eyebrow at Ian. "What's up?"

"Can Brinny borrow your batting gloves? She's second in the line-up."

Naomi dug in her bag and handed them to Brinny, guessing the pretty manicure motivated the request.

"They might be a little big, but it's better than too small."

Brinny smiled and stepped closer. "That's your ex?" Her gaze rested on Greg.

"Yeah."

"He's gorgeous. You aren't having second thoughts about Kieran, are you?"

Was that a genuine question or was she fishing for clues to make Naomi seem untrustworthy? 

"Not at all."

Ian gritted his teeth. "Greg's an asshole. Kieran's nice."

With a laugh, Naomi said, "You two spent tons of time together to determine that."

Marc hung on the outside of the dugout fence. "I chatted with Kieran, and he seems like a great guy."

"He really is." Naomi scanned the field to check if Greg was in earshot, but he'd remained at the outfield fencing, sending occasional glances their way. "If things were different, I'd invite him to the games in a heartbeat."

"Have you told Greg about him? Because I'll kick his ass if he told you that you can't incite Kieran," Ian asked.

Marc's eyes shot to her ex too, but his expression remained neutral.

"I was about to when you interrupted me twice, Mr. Batting Gloves Emergency."

"Now, before the game starts?" Ian put his hands on his hips, though his height didn't make him intimidating. "Do you want us knocked out of the playoffs?"

"Relax, it's not like I'm breaking up with him. I've just moved on."

Marc and Ian both grimaced, and their gazes shot to Greg.

"What?" she asked.

The guys exchanged glances until Marc said, "Moving on is harder. There's still hope after a breakup that you'll reconcile, but moving on proves you're ready to push that person away for good."

For Naomi, both events had gutted her, but the initial one had seemed harder because she hadn't expected her identity to ruin them instantly. The shock had fissured her self-confidence.   

"He's right. Now that I met Ian, I wouldn't ever go back to someone like my ex. They're night and day." 

Ian wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on the cheek. "I may despise the guy, but he is a decent third baseman, and we don't have anyone else to cover it properly tonight."

Brinny shifted the thin black gloves to her other hand and glanced at the opposing team.

"The outcome of the game isn't that important. We have plenty of wins. Just enjoy being here, have a little fun." Naomi flickered her gaze from Ian to Brinny until it clicked for him.

"You're right." He squeezed his date. "Brinny, let's see how you handle a bat."

Naomi smiled, watching the couple. How would Greg would take the news? But Ian was right. It wasn't fair to tell him when they had a minimum of two hours to spend together. Waiting until afterward was the best choice for everyone.

After Brinny and Ian headed to the field, he set her up at home plate. He was very free with his hands as he adjusted her stance, which she leaned into and encouraged based on her close whispering.

It reminded Naomi of the batting cages with Kieran as she'd helped him through his nerves. She'd loved that charged closeness before they were ready to make a romantic move. Now, they held each other anytime she pleased, which she also adored. If she told Greg today, Kieran could come to next week's game.

"I thought when Ian got a girlfriend, he'd be less irritable," Greg said, approaching from the grassy area near the fence.

"You hurt his sister twice," Naomi said.

"Getting back together was a massive mistake. The break up was inevitable."

Perhaps he felt that about Naomi too, and he'd accept the new relationship news like a supportive friend.

"As long as it makes you both happier. That's what counts."

"It already has. You were trying to tell me something earlier."

"Oh." 

She dug her cleat into the ground and glanced at the other team's coordinated warm-up. They'd been a challenge to beat in the past. Marc tensed as he busied himself by rummaging through his bag. 

"It can wait."

"You sure?"

"There's no need to rush."

He smiled at her like he used to when they were friends, that light carefreeness returning. Then he got into a quad stretch.

"So, do you know much about her?" He eyed Ian, who'd decided frenching was necessary for batting practice. Naomi had to catch herself from laughing as typically Ian would not allow much to distract him from his game mindset.

"She was my private client, and he's working with her dad for his internship."

"Small world. Have they been dating long?"

"They met on the weekend."

Greg's eyes widened as he switched legs for his stretch. "This weekend?"

"I know. It would take me... over a month to get close to where they're at."

And Naomi suspected their intimacy had progressed further than she'd witnessed at the party and here. If only it were that easy for her. She reminded herself that Kieran was more than okay with waiting or exploring another destination. Not every relationship had to look like that.

Greg cleared his throat and ran a hand through his sandy hair. "I'm sorry for pushing you when we were together."

She pulled her elbow into a triangle above her head for a tricep stretch, hoping it would ease her discomfort. Marc must have picked up on it because he joined them, and the conversation shifted from their awkward failed relationship to the game strategy.

In the first three innings, their team made clumsy mistakes. They fumbled easy catches and hit pop flies and fouls instead of clean hits and line drives. Ian's mood grew tenser with each strike this inning, which didn't bode well for a nervous Brinny coming up in the batting line-up. Even their strong hitters had done little with this pitcher's strikes, so that option was unlikely to get Brinny on base. Naomi noticed the pitcher was better at striking out their taller players, and Brinny was one of the shortest.

"Hey Brinny, did Ian explain the strike zone to you?"

"Sort of."

That was probably when he got distracted.

"It's from your front shoulder to your back knee. If you crouch more, this pitcher will probably walk you the next time you're up to bat. You can't be too obvious, but you can shave a few inches off to make it more challenging." The umpire called out ball four as their shortest players got a base, proving Naomi's theory. "Just like that. All you have to do is not swing."

Ian paced in front of the fence. "Brin, you're on deck."

Brinny's hand shook at her side.

"A walk is as good as a hit. We need people on base, and we'll hit you home. It is the same amount of points no matter how you get there," Naomi said.

Brinny nodded and glanced at Ian again. "Thanks."

After Brinny stepped up to bat, the umpire bellowed, "Strike," after the first pitch.

"You've got the next one, Brin," Ian shouted, his wince hopefully hidden by their distance.

Brinny looked to Naomi, who was in the dugout fence's opening to the field. "Smaller," she mouthed.

Brinny tightened up the strike zone, and the ball flew just above her shoulders.

"Ball one."

Naomi nodded to Brinny as she looked back with a smile.

It came close with a second strike, but after three more pitches, Brinny walked to first base. The next batter hit a single that sent Brinny to second. Next, Ian hit a decent double that got her across home plate for the first time. Brinny jogged to the dugout and hugged Naomi with a squeal. Ian gave her two thumbs up and blew Brinny a kiss from second base.

By the time Naomi lined up to bat, bases were loaded with Greg right ahead of her on first. She studied the pitcher from his signal to the catcher to his controlled wind-up and the ball's release. The first two pitches weren't for her, even if one was a borderline strike. She took a deep breath and assessed the latest pitch. 

Perfect.

Her muscles sliced through the swing, and the bat smacked the ball with satisfying power. The ball soared somewhere between center and left field as she fired off to first. She rounded the base as the outfielders continued to chase her hit. Then she took second and sprinted onto third, the rush of her speed and adrenaline overtaking her as Ian screamed, "Go, go, go," from the bench.

As the third baseman hollered for the ball, and it thudded into a glove near them, she skidded to a stop. Her heart still pumped at quadruple the speed of her breaths. The ball soared over their heads toward the catcher, but Greg beat it there.

As he left home plate, he smiled and teased her with the words, "What, no home run?" like he used to, despite only hitting a single himself.

She couldn't help but laugh and smile. Her triple had tied up the score, and her run would push them into the lead. Her heart filled with happiness as softball brought her as much joy as before her heartbreak. That had to be a good sign.

By the end of the game, they'd won and were one step closer to the playoffs. Ian and Brinny were off having their romantic celebration, leaving her, Marc, and Greg packing their bags. 

"Doesn't seem like Ian will be bugging us to go out for drinks tonight," Naomi laughed. She was looking forward to seeing Kieran anyway who'd just replied to her message if her buzzing pocket was any indication.

Marc slung his bag over his shoulder. "I have to coordinate a few things for the long weekend with Nimkii."

Naomi grinned as she loved their relationship. They were planning on backcountry camping for a night and driving up to see her family. "She's going to love it. I'll have to pack too."

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Big trip?"

"Visiting Jodie and the boys in Gimli." She could have added 'with my boyfriend' and should have, but she didn't want the fallout to ruin the rest of her evening. It would just delay her time with Kieran. She'd tell Greg after the next game.   

This Wednesday, you'll get to learn a little more about Kieran's past and Katy. There's even a flashback so you can 'meet' her.