Book Details

Title: GUY HATER

Author: J. Sterling

Genre: New Adult Romance 

Release Day: October 9th

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Excerpt

In the time it took to throw a baseball or swing a bat, everything I’d worked so hard for as long as I could remember was gone. If I could have snapped my fingers to reiterate the point to myself, I would have. But I couldn’t. Because my fucking shoulder was destroyed, and I couldn’t move my arm. “Hey, Frank.” My girlfriend’s voice cut through my pity party, and I turned my head to meet her eyes. My relationship with Shelby was brand new, we’d only recently started dating, and I was certain it was about to end as quickly as it had begun. I expected to find her looking either as sad or as devastated as I was, but she wasn’t. She seemed calm, a small smile tugging at her lips. She was a sweet girl, someone I could fall in love with someday. Well, as much as I could fall in love with anything other than baseball. But there was no baseball for me anymore. What the hell was I going to do with my life? I had no backup plan because there was never a reason to. Getting hurt had never crossed my mind . . . all I’d been able to think about was going pro. Until now. “How long have you been here?” I tried not to sound like a dick, but my thoughts were focused on life-changing questions like, What am I going to do now? Who am I going to be? Shelby shrugged, and her long brown hair fell over her shoulder. “You don’t have to stay,” I grumbled. “I know you have classes.” She pulled her chair closer to my bed. “I’ve already talked to my professors. I’m going to stay, if that’s okay.” “Are you sure? You realize my career’s over, right?” I practically barked at her. “You sure you want to hang out with a has-been?” It was irrational and mean, but I was mad and she was the only one in the room with me, so I directed my frustration at her. She stiffened a little before relaxing, reaching out to rest a hand on my left arm. “I’m sure. I won’t pretend to know how you’re feeling right now, Frank. I can only imagine how hard this is for you and how sad you must be, but I never liked you because you were a baseball player.” “No? That had nothing to do with it?” Too late, I realized that now I totally sounded like a complete dick. Shelby narrowed her eyes for a second before letting out a soft sigh. “I like your dedication and work ethic. But that’s a part of your character and it has nothing to do with baseball. I love the person you are, not the person you thought you were going to become. I don’t care if you’re a baseball player or a plumber as long as you’re happy.” I reached for her hand and squeezed it with my good one because I knew she meant the things she was telling me. Even though I was pissed off about everything I’d just lost, I still had one very important thing. And she was sitting right next to me, refusing to give up on me. I never knew how much I needed that kind of acceptance until Shelby sat there patiently, giving it to me willingly, no matter how frustrated I was. Over the next few weeks, even my former teammates disappeared. They still had the game, their dreams within reach, and seeing me only reminded them of how easily it could all be stolen away. They stopped asking if I was okay, how I was feeling, and finally, they stopped coming around altogether. That was another blow to my ego, watching them drift away one by one. Guys I’d thought were like brothers just walked away as if I’d never mattered. But not Shelby. She never left my side. When I finally declared a new major and switched my focus to business management and finance, hanging up my cleats for good, she encouraged me and told me I’d be great at it. All the days when I didn’t believe in myself, she believed in me enough for the two of us. I don’t think I would have

 

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