The Change Up

By Angela Flowers

Once upon a time, it was Camden and Peyton against the world. Then she broke his heart and he left town to pursue his dream of becoming a major league pitcher. Now Cam is back and Peyton is ready to make amends, but the only way that can happen is if she tells him the truth about why she broke up with him years ago. She knows there will be consequences when Cam learns the truth and they could possibly cost him his baseball career, which is the last thing Peyton wants. Will Cam be able to forgive and forget, or will he make a disastrous decision that could ruin their future forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angela Flowers
• Release date: Aug 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005024628

Angela Flowers

Angela Flowers lives in Virginia with her husband, two sons, and four dogs. When she isn’t writing or homeschooling her two boys, she enjoys reading, listening to music, watching TV and spending time with her family.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Peyton

Park: Don’t come to the game.

My forehead scrunched in confusion as I read the text from my brother again. I always went to his home games, especially on the weekends. Afternoon baseball was the best, in my opinion. There was nothing like sitting in the warm sun, enjoying stadium food and cold drinks, and watching the game unfold on the diamond in front of you.

What’s up? my friend Trent asked as we crossed the parking lot.

Parker doesn’t want me at the game for some reason.

Trent frowned. Really? That’s weird.

It really was. Having grown up on baseball, coming to watch my older brother play was ingrained in my bones. Up through high school, I’d attended almost every game he’d ever played. That tradition continued when he signed with our local Triple-A team, with the exception of away games, of course. It helped that my family had season tickets and that I had moved to the city where the stadium was located. My parents still lived forty minutes outside the city, so they didn’t always make it to the home games. When that happened, I usually brought Trenton Kingston, my best friend Samantha’s brother, with me because Samantha found the game of baseball boring.

Almost immediately after Trent and I walked into the crowded stadium, I felt a charge in the air. Glancing at Trent, I raised my eyebrows and he shrugged. Everyone around us was chatting excitedly and had that starstruck look in their eyes that usually meant a well-known player was in attendance. A group of teenage girls fluttered by, leaving a cloud of high-pitched giggles behind them. I absently wondered which player had given them a few minutes of attention.

Since we were already running late, Trent and I took our seats just as the announcer began his welcoming speech before smoothly transitioning to the player introductions. I searched the dugout and quickly found Parker. He had his gear on, so he was going to play. That’s odd. Why tell me not to come then?

After the starting players for both teams were introduced, Trent went to fetch us some drinks and food, while I settled back in the plastic seat and watched the guys take the field. Parker glanced my way and shook his head. What was going on?

The first pitch was thrown and the game was underway by the time Trent returned with our sodas and hot dogs. Setting the foil-wrapped dog in my lap, I took a big sip of the cold drink.

I found out what all of the excitement is about, Trent said. We acquired a new closer. Camden Burnett.

My throat convulsed, sending soda rushing up the back of my throat and trickling from my nose. The burning sensation in my sinuses made my eyes water and I began to cough.

Whoa! Are you okay? Trent patted my back.

Camden Burnett was my brother’s best friend and my first, well, everything.

Uh, yeah, I said, rubbing at my nose with a napkin. Cam is my brother’s best friend. They played together most of their lives.

Really? And now they’re playing together again. That’s pretty cool.

Yeah.

My eyes darted to the outfield where the bullpen was located. I couldn’t believe Cam was on the other side of that wall. I mean, what were the odds that he and Parker would end up on the same team again, especially at this level?

The sound of the crowd cheering around us drew my attention back to the field, where we’d just struck out a batter. I automatically cheered with them. Feeling light headed, I set my soda in the cup holder in front of me and scooped up my foil-wrapped hot dog from the concrete where it had fallen during my choking episode. I had lost my appetite for it though.

Excuse me, Marvin, I said to the older gentleman beside me. When you had season tickets, you became friends with your surrounding seatmates. May I borrow your program for a second?

Sure thing, sweetheart, he said as he handed it to me.

I took the program and flipped it open to the spot where a piece of paper had been inserted. My heart clenched at the sight of Cam’s grin staring up at me from the flyer announcing his addition to our team. His dark hair was longer and his face was thinner than I remembered. A shadow of a beard covered his chin. His smile was still full of confidence, as were his brown eyes.

That’s him? Trent asked.

That’s him, I mumbled.

Are you okay? You’re shaking.

Uh, yeah. I just need to eat, I lied.

Several questions raced through my mind in a continuous string. Did he ever think about me? Was he worried about seeing me again? Did he even care?

I absentmindedly handed the program back to Marvin and thanked him.

You okay, sweetheart? he asked. You look a little green.

I’m fine. I forced a smile. Trent, I’ll be right back.

His response didn’t register as I stumbled away and up the cement stairs. Since the game had just started, the women’s bathroom was empty. I went to one of the sinks and splashed cold water on my face.

Get it together, I told my reflection. "It’s not like you have to see him."

All I had to do was watch him pitch one inning, maybe two. That’s it. He was a closer, so he wouldn’t pitch more than that. Once the game was over, I would high tail it out of here and head for the safety of the apartment I shared with Natalie, my college roommate, and my brother.

Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths before straightening. I could do this. After all, it was just another ball game and Cam was just another pitcher.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Because the second Camden Burnett stepped onto that field eight innings later and the crowd erupted around me, I was thrust back to a time when he and Parker had been the best high school pitcher-catcher combo in our state. My nerves crept up on me again, causing me to perch on the edge of my seat.

What if too much time had passed? What if they’d lost their rapport?

As Cam made the walk to the mound while his walk-up song played, my eyes raked over him, taking in every muscle that had been defined by years of professional conditioning. While he had always worn his uniform well, he’d never filled it out that well in high school.

The music faded and Cam turned to pick up the resin bag, giving me full view of his backside. I whimpered at the sight of those tight pants hugging the curve of his ass. Thank you to whomever decided baseball pants should be tight-fitting. His stance was the same as I remembered. If I wasn’t mistaken, he even winked at Parker just like he’d done in high school. Seeing it brought an automatic smile to my face.

The ball flew from his hand, landing in Parker’s glove with a glorious slap of leather upon leather that sent chills down my spine. How many times had I witnessed this magic in my lifetime?

Holy shit, Trent murmured beside me. Did you see that?

Unable to tear my eyes from the history taking place in front of me, I nodded. Seeing them together again on the same field made me giddy. I forgot about everything else as I watched Cam strike out the first batter easily. The second one fouled three times and then went down chasing a curve ball. The third batter grounded out to second to end the game. We won six to three.

The crowd jumped to its feet and cheered as Cam and Parker hugged, and then turned with their arms still draped over each other’s shoulders as they saluted the crowd. The fans were eating it all up, cheering and calling out Cam’s name.

The dynamic duo was reunited.

On the field, the rest of the team gathered around Cam and Parker. On his way back to the dugout, Cam’s head lifted and his eyes found mine. My breath caught but he’d already turned away again.

That was amazing! Trent said, laughing. What a story!

I chuckled. Trent was a journalism major so of course his mind immediately went there. He wasn’t wrong; it was definitely front-page worthy on not only our college paper where Trent worked, but also for all of the local papers in the area.

Do you think Parker and Camden will let me interview them? he asked eagerly.

Um, I think they’re going to be pretty busy for a little while but Parker will probably squeeze you in. Give him a call later.

Nodding, Trent jotted down notes in the little notebook he kept in his back pocket for moments just like these.

As we fell in line to exit the stadium, I sent Parker a quick text on Trent’s behalf. Then I slid my phone into my pocket. Normally, I would hang around to meet up with Parker after he was done, but not today. Not only would he busy for a while, but I wasn’t risking coming face to face with Cam. I’d had my fill of the past this afternoon.

Chapter 2

Cam

Camden, how did it feel to be playing with Parker again?

Grinning, I nudged my friend and said, It felt great. Natural. Like riding a bike.

Parker laughed. They’ve never seen you try to ride a bike.

Hey! I protested. "I can ride a bike. Now."

Laughter erupted around us. The questions went on for another twenty minutes before our manager ended the interview. Together, Parker and I left the roomful of reporters behind and headed for the showers.

I have to make a phone call first, Parker mumbled as he stepped in the opposite direction of the showers.

My chest tightened. He was calling Peyton, of course, to check on her. The trade had happened so quickly that Parker and his teammates hadn’t known about my arrival until I’d joined them for warm-ups.

I stepped into the shower stall and turned on the warm water. Letting it rush over my shoulders, I listened to the chatter around me. Several guys congratulated me again. After thanking them, my mind wandered back to Peyton.

I hadn’t seen her since high school. A knot formed in my throat at the memory of the horrible things I’d texted her that night. Not that anyone would blame me. She’d shredded my heart to ribbons and kicked dirt over them as she’d walked out of my life. I thought she loved me. Hell, we dated for two years. But that was a long time ago.

The sound of people congratulating Parker echoed off the walls. I heard him enter the stall beside mine and sighed. Is she okay? I asked, immediately irritated with myself for asking.

Yeah.

I grunted. I’m sure seeing me didn’t bother her at all. After all, she’d been able to walk away from me without a second glance. Gritting my teeth, I silently cursed myself for being a fool. Well, never again. I’d learned my lesson the first time.

A friend of P’s works for the school paper and wants to know if you’d give him an interview. He’s a good kid. When I didn’t answer right away, he added, She won’t be there.

I didn’t ask if she would be, I snapped.

I know. I just figured.

Look, I don’t give a shit if your sister’s there or not, Park. She’s just some girl I used to date. It’s no big deal.

Silence. Shit.

I didn’t mean it like that, man, I said quickly.

I know.

His judgement curled within the steam. I had known this was going to be awkward but there was no avoiding it. Sure, maybe I should have listened when Parker had warned me that getting involved with Peyton was a bad idea, but I’d been young and stupid.

"It’s just you and me, P, I whispered against her neck as I cuddled her close. Forever."

"You can’t promise that, Cam. You’re graduating in few weeks. Everything is going to change."

Had she known then that she was going to dump me? My stomach churned just thinking about it. God, it made me sick to think that I believed her when she told me she loved me. How she sat there and let me talk about our future when she wasn’t planning on sticking around for it.

I often wondered if Parker had known she was going to break up with me, but I was too afraid to ask. Besides, Parker and I had made a promise when he’d agreed to let me date Peyton that whatever happened, she wasn’t going to become between us.

After graduation, Parker and I had gone off to our respective colleges while Peyton stayed behind to finish her senior year of high school. Distance became my savior, giving me the opportunity to focus solely on ball and forget about her. When I was focused on ball, it was easy to push all thoughts of her to the back of my mind, so I spent as much time as possible either on the field or working out in the gym when I wasn’t in class.

Now, I was on our hometown Triple-A team, and Peyton was going to school in the same city.

When I saw her in the stands after the game, I’d almost gone to meet her at the net like I used to after each game. Closing my eyes, I pictured the way her fingers would curl through the fencing next to mine. That had been our ritual before and after each game. Sometimes she’d even kiss me through one of those tiny squares. My body shivered at the memory. God, after all this time I could still feel those lips and taste her sweetness on my tongue. What was wrong with me?

Look, Cam, Parker said as I cut the water off in my shower. I know this is going to be hard—

You think?

—but just try to keep it civil, okay?

I grunted again.

I’m sure she doesn’t want to see you anymore than she has to either.

I ground my teeth together. She probably hadn’t even given me a second thought after walking out of this stadium.

Plastering a smile on my face, I said goodbye to my new teammates as they filed out of the locker room. Rolling my right shoulder, I glanced at my phone sitting on the bench. The message light flashed. I knew without checking it would be from my mom. She would be upset she’d missed my first home game but there hadn’t been time to tell her I was coming back.

Heaving a sigh, I pulled a t-shirt over my head and reached for my phone. I was getting ready to call Mom when Parker called my name.

Ready to grab a drink and do that interview? he asked from across the room.

Absolutely.

The call to my mom could wait. I needed to blow off some steam. Parker and I left the locker room together just like we had hundreds of times before. With the exception of the Peyton drama, it was good to be home with my best friend again.

You’ve got that mushy smile on your face again, Parker accused. Cut it out.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

When he rolled his eyes, he looked so much like her it caused my heart to skip. I’d forgotten how much he and his sister resembled each other. Damn, this was going to be harder than I thought. Pushing away the thought, I draped my arm across his shoulders and said, Admit it, Park. You missed me.

He snorted. You wish. Now I have to share my spotlight.

"Your spotlight, huh?" I teased.

You heard me.

That’s some fantasy world you’re living in, my friend. We all know it’s the pitchers who own the spotlight.

Screw you.

No thanks.

Laughing, we climbed into his car. It felt good to fall back into our usual banter. I’d missed it. Sure, we’d still ragged each other over the phone over the years but this was much more fun.

Chapter 3

Peyton (Then)

The back of my neck prickled and I turned from the dishes I was washing in the sink. Cam was standing in the doorway of the kitchen and staring at me, and for some reason, it warmed me from head to toe.

Hey, he said.

The huskiness of his voice grated over me, leaving my nerve endings raw in its wake. That was new but I liked it.

Hey, I responded.

His eyes darkened as they dropped briefly to my mouth before jerking back to up to my eyes. When he licked his lips, the muscles in my legs trembled. What was happening? Why was he looking at me like that? He was my brother’s best friend and he was always hanging around here, so why did this feel like we were meeting for the first time?

Did you have fun at your grandmother’s? he asked.

Why was he looking at me with that weird expression on his face?

Yes, I croaked.

I’d spent the whole summer with my grandmother at her lake house. Was that why I was having this strange reaction to Cam now? Because I hadn’t seen him in a couple of months? Because he was taller and sexier than I remembered?

Wait a minute. Sexy?

Good, he murmured as his eyes darkened. Clearing his throat, he shook his head, as if trying to shake off a memory. Do you know where Park is?

Um, I think he’s up in his room? I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I haven’t seen him in a while.

You’re dripping.

I started. What?

He came into the kitchen and took the soapy rag from my hand and tossed it into the sink. Then he picked up the drying towel and knelt at my feet to mop up the floor.

There, he said, smiling as he stood up. Can’t have you slipping and falling now, can we?

Since when did he worry about me falling instead of finding it funny?

Uh, thanks, I whispered. My throat was suddenly dry.

His head tilted as he looked down at me. He must have grown two inches while I was gone and I had no choice but to tip my head back to see his face.

He reached out and wiped a finger across my cheek. Bubbles.

My lips parted and I swallowed a sigh. His lips thinned and his brows dipped ever so slightly into the suggestion of a frown. Then he dropped his hand and took a step back.

Catch ya later, P. He winked and walked out.

Holding my breath, I listened to his footsteps going up the stairs. Once they’d made their way to Parker’s room, I exhaled and fell back against the counter. Oh, this was bad. This was very bad. I couldn’t have a crush on my brother’s best friend.

Camden Burnett was one of most sought-after guys in our school. Along with my brother. Oh, God! Parker would be pissed if he knew I was thinking about Cam this way. There was no way he would ever be on board with me going out with Cam.

I snorted. Like Cam would ever want to go out with me.

Stop dreaming, P, I said to myself. There’s no way that could ever happen.

Thinking about the way he had looked at me made my stomach do a little shimmy. For a second, I could have sworn he was thinking about kissing me. Then when he’d crossed the room, I thought … Stop it! This is Cam you’re thinking about.

Feeling confused and uncomfortable, I turned back to the sink of dishes. As I resumed washing, my mind wandered to the last time I saw Cam before I left. He and Parker had just returned from a run. They’d plopped down on either side of me on the couch where I was watching TV and I’d immediately started yelling at them to go away because they smelled horrible. Laughing, they’d each ruffled my hair. They both knew how much I hated that.

It had been so … normal between us. Maybe I was imagining things?

Hey, honey, my mom said as she came into the room.

Caught off guard, I jumped.

Oh, I’m sorry, she said. I didn’t mean to scare you.

Well, you did. I caught myself and smiled. It’s okay. I was just daydreaming.

Raising a brow, she asked, About a boy?

Uh, yeah.

Someone from the lake?

No.

I bit my lip while I debated telling her it was Cam. She would probably be disgusted by the thought because she thought of him as a second son, so I decided to keep my scandalous thoughts to myself.

Parker appeared in the doorway. Hey, Ma. Cam and I are heading to the park to play some ball.

Okay, honey.

Parker looked at me. See ya, P.

Maybe Peyton could come with us, Cam said.

What? Parker and I said at the same time.

I looked over Parker’s shoulder and saw Cam standing behind Parker with his thumbs hooked through the beltloops of his jeans. His gaze met mine and he smiled. I mean, if you want to.

What makes you think she’d be interested in going to the park with us? Parker asked. We’re going to be shooting hoops and she’ll be bored.

Cam shrugged a shoulder. I just thought she might like to get out of the house.

Was he saying he wanted me to go? I couldn’t tell. Uh.

See? Parker said. She’s good.

Now, Parker, our mom said. You haven’t seen your sister all summer.

My brother rolled his eyes. Fine. But I don’t want to hear about how bored you are, P.

I dried my hands and followed them out of the house. The second we were far enough away, Parker punched Cam in the shoulder and said, What the hell, Cam?

Look, I don’t have to go, I said.

Ignoring my brother, Cam turned and looked at me. No, you should come. It will be fun. I’ve kind of missed having you around, P.

Since when? Parker eyed him suspiciously.

She’s been gone all summer, Park.

So?

"So, maybe she’s missed