Page 14 of Curveball

The game itself went well. My pitching was solid, and we pulled out a 3–1 win against Seattle. We had recently signed a new rookie shortstop, Cohen Jordan, out of the University of Tennessee, and the guy was a beast. Shortstop had been a weak spot for us ever since our all-star veteran retired, but that all changed once we drafted Cohen. I never had to worry when the ball was put into play—he was always exactly where I needed him to be. The guy was easygoing, and we got along well, so I’d been helping him adjust to life in the big leagues. That was me only a year ago.

After I got home and showered off from the game, I had my doorman escort Ava and Aria up using the private elevator that opened directly into my apartment. When I heard the chime, I looked up just as the doors slid open.

Ava stepped out first, wearing my jersey and staring wide-eyed at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Austin.

“Damn, Walk,” she said, slowly turning in a circle, her deep blue eyes bright with excitement. “This place is incredible. Look at that view. You’re big time now.”

She poked me in the ribs before letting me pull her into a hug. I hadn’t seen my siblings in a while, and reunions always hit harder than I expected. When I pulled back, I smiled over her shoulder at Aria.

“Hey, A. It’s good to see you. I’m glad y’all could make it.”

Once I released Ava, I pulled Aria into a hug as well. She had always been like another little sister to me.

"Thanks so much for the tickets, Walk. They were awesome seats! You played great!" Aria smiled.

There were five King siblings in total. Grayson was the oldest and Weston's best friend. Farrah was next, close with Addison—and at one point, with me. Aria was the youngest daughter and Ava’s best friend, while the twins, Nate and Nolan, were the youngest of them all and rounded out the family.

“No problem,” I said as I headed toward the fridge. “I ordered pizza. I hope that’s okay. Can I get y’all something to drink?”

They both asked for water and took seats at the barstools lining the kitchen island. As I handed them their bottles, the elevator chimed again, catching Ava’s attention.

“Are you expecting someone else?” she asked, arching a brow as she gestured toward the stack of pizza boxes on the counter. “Because that looks like a lot of food for three people.”

“A couple of my teammates are coming by,” I said. When Cohen and my catcher, Drake Cooper, found out I was having a quiet night at home instead of going out with the rest of the guys, they quickly invited themselves over. I liked going out well enough, but after a game, I often just wanted to be home. They were similar in that way.

Well, Drake was.

Cohen was still finding his footing with the team; he seemed most comfortable around me.

When Cohen and Drake stepped into the kitchen, I immediately noticed Ava and Aria checking them out. Ava, in particular, seemed to fixate on Cohen, and I felt a familiar rush of protectiveness. With Cohen being twenty-one, they were only three years apart, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it.

I cleared my throat, drawing Ava’s attention. When her eyes snapped to mine, I shook my head tightly. She narrowed her eyes back at me in defiance, completely unembarrassed. Ava had never had much shame, and no one had ever been able to control her, which was both impressive and terrifying.

“Guys, this is my sister Ava and her friend Aria,” I said, gesturing toward them.

After introductions were made, we dug into the pizza and talked about the game. As the night stretched on, I began paying closer attention to my sister and my shortstop. Ava was a little too complimentary about the double play Cohen had pulled off—laughing a little too easily, leaning a little too close. I caught the shift in Cohen’s attention too, the way his focus lingered on her just a beat longer than it should have—asking about USC and her plans to become a lawyer.

Yup. We were done here.

I stood up and told the guys it was time to call it a night. "I've got to get home anyway, Elle gets home early tomorrow," Drake said, referring to his long-time girlfriend, who was currently out of town. I said goodbye to the guys and cut off whatever conversation was forming between Cohen and Ava as they headed for the door.

Once they were gone, I turned to my sister. “No. Not an option.”

She rolled her eyes dramatically and flipped her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “You’re such a buzzkill sometimes. Almost as bad as West.”

Aria started laughing, clearly entertained by our sibling back-and-forth.

Ignoring the comment, because I was not the buzzkill in this family, I motioned down the hallway. “I’ve got the guest rooms set up for y’all.”

While they got settled, I cleaned up the kitchen. I was almost finished when I heard footsteps approach from behind. When I turned around, Ava was already in her pajamas and climbing onto one of the barstools.

“Hey,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“If this has anything to do with Cohen, I’m not interested,” I teased.

She shook her head with a small laugh. “No, you idiot. Aria told me something, and I figured you should hear it from me.”

My heart rate picked up at her tone. I nodded for her to continue.