Indigo's POV
After baseball practice, I put my gear in my truck and drive over to the softball field for my little sister's game.
I sit down next to Ryman and my eyes wander over to the outfield where Piper Hardy is. She's been kind of avoiding me for the past two weeks and I know it's because of the kiss we shared at that party.
I watch her catch a softball in her left handed softball glove and then turns to throw it to one of the other outfielders. When her back is to me again, I shamelessly admire Piper's butt in her softball pants.
"Hey man. Whatcha lookin' at? Piper Hardy?" Ryman asks. I elbow my friend and give him a warning look.
"Dude, be quiet. Her parents are right there," I whisper, nodding towards Uncle Michael, Aunt Cassidy, and Beau.
"You know, you should talk to her after the game. Maybe even ask her out," Ryman whispers. I shake my head.
"I can't. Someone might see us, specifically our parents."
"Just talk to her when no one's around then," Ryman mutters, rolling his eyes. I sigh and nod.
"I guess so. Thanks Ry,"
"Of course,"
*
After the game, I find Piper putting equipment away. There's no one around so I figure it's the right time to talk to her.
"Hey Piper. Great game today," I mutter. Piper turns around to look at me and frowns.
"What do you want, Indigo." Piper says dryly, crossing her arms over her chest. I put my hands in my pockets and look down at my feet.
"Piper, I think I like you." I say. I look up to find Piper with a look of shock on her face.
"You like me? You mean, like like me?" She asks. I nod.
"Yeah. That's what I mean,"
Piper shakes her head vigorously as I walk towards her, taking her hand in mine.
"No. No way. You don't actually like me,"
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I do. I think you're attractive," I argue. Piper sighs.
"But it would never work, Indigo. I'm a freshman and you're a senior,"
"And that won't matter once we're older. Age is just a number," I say. Piper scoffs and shakes her head.
"I hate it when people say that,"
"Come on, Piper. Please. I know you like me too. That kiss we shared was intentional, Piper. I know it was," I explain. Piper crosses her arms.
"Indigo, I—"
"Piper, let's go! Your grandparents are up from Mississippi and we're going out to dinner with them!" Uncle Michael calls. Piper sighs.
"I've got to go, Indigo. I'm sorry,"
"Call me after dinner, Piper. We need to finish talking about this," I whisper. Piper nods.
"Okay. Talk to you later," she mutters, grabbing her softball bag and jogging over to her family.
"Yeah. Talk to you later," I mutter, going over to join my family.
Emerson's POV
My brother stays pretty quiet during dinner and it kind of bothers me. Usually Indigo talks a lot, most of it about how well he pitched at baseball practice or make a rude comment about my softball playing abilities. Today, he's quiet and I'm pretty sure my parents find it strange too.
"Something on your mind, Indi? You've been really quiet," daddy says.
"Nah. I just had a really uneventful day, that's all." Indigo mutters.
"Okay. How was baseball practice?" daddy asks. Indigo shrugs.
"It was alright. I'm pretty sure I pitched all strikers and I hit pretty good too,"
"Well that's good," daddy mutters.
Indigo's phone rings and he snatches it up to try and hide who's calling, but I saw the caller id before he hid it. It was Piper.
"I gotta take this," Indigo says.
Indigo goes upstairs and I set down my fork, getting up from my seat and putting my dish in the dishwasher.
"I'm done eating. I'm gonna go upstairs," I mutter. Momma eyes me and I frown at her. "What?"
"You're not going upstairs to spy on your brother, are you?" She questions. I shake my head.
"No. Why would you think that?"
"Probably because you finished your food right after your brother got a phone call," daddy mutters. I shrug.
"So? I can be finished right after he gets a phone call. It's not a crime to do that,"
"I guess not," daddy says.
"I think I'm done too," Sophia says, picking up her own plate and taking it over to the dishwasher.
Sophia knows exactly what I'm doing and apparently she wants in on it. Sophia always wants to do everything else I'm doing and has been that way since we were little. I find it super annoying but momma always reminds me that she's my little sister and it's a little sister thing for her to do.
I tiptoe to Indigo's room and listen through the closed door with Sophia right next to me. It's a little hard to hear through the door but Indigo was dumb enough to put his phone on speaker so I hear both sides of the discussion in bits and pieces.
"I really like you, Piper." Indigo says.
"I really like you too, Indi, but I don't know if us being together is such a good idea." Piper says.
"Why not?" Indigo asks. Piper sighs.
"You know exactly why, Indi. People will talk. I mean, I'm a freshman and you're a senior."
"The age difference isn't that bad,"
I almost snort, laughing at my brother's attempt at getting Piper to relent.
"No, but you're almost an adult, Indi. You turn eighteen this summer," Piper says. Indigo sighs.
"Piper, what if we date in secret. We'll still be together, but no one will know."
"I guess we could do that, but I need to tell Emerson."
"We can't tell my sister, Piper." Indigo says.
"Why not? She's my best friend, Indi."
I smile and nod, glad that Piper wants to tell me about her fake relationship with my brother.
"We just can't tell her. I mean, she's my sister." Indigo argues. Piper sighs.
"Alright fine. I won't tell her,"
"What the hell!" I shout.
As soon as I say it, I clamp my hand over my mouth.
"I gotta go, Piper. I'll talk to you later. Bye," Indigo mutters.
I hear my brother's footsteps padding towards the door and look back to see Sophia sprinting to her room. She closes the door and I shoot a glare at her closed door. Traitor.
As I try to run away too, Indigo opens his door.
"Emerson, what the hell?" He says. I turn around and play with my fingernails.
"Hey Indi. What's up?"
"Were you listening to that whole conversation?" Indigo asks. My cheeks flush.
"Maybe,"
"Damn it, Em. Why can't you mind your own business?" Indigo snaps.
"Language, Indigo." Daddy says as he walks up the stairs. Indigo rolls his eyes.
"Sorry dad, but Emerson was listening in on my conversation with someone." He says. Daddy frowns and looks over at me.
"I knew you were goin' up stairs to spy on your brother. Why'd you do it, Emerson?"
"Because I saw who he was talking to. It was Piper," I say. Indigo's eyes grow wide and he smacks me in the arm.
"What the hell, Em?! No one was supposed to know!"
"Language, Indigo." daddy says again. Indigo sighs.
"Sorry daddy,"
"Emerson, go to your room please. I'm gonna talk to your brother." Daddy says. Indigo swears under his breath and daddy looks over at him again. "What did I say about the language, Indigo."
"Alright, alright." Indigo mutters.
When I get to my room, I pull my phone out of my back pocket and call Piper. I need to talk to her.