Page 18 of Verdict

“You don’t have to,” I said, already pulling away. “Enjoy your night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I ended the call before he could respond.

I braced my hands on the counter, staring at nothing. This was exactly why I needed to keep Cohen firmly in the friend zone—no matter the attraction. Tonight was just a reminder that I would never be his first choice.

If I were, there wouldn’t have been another woman in his hotel room.

Cohen didn’t do serious, that much was obvious. Anything more than friendship would result in a monumental mess that Ellie would bear the brunt of. If co-parenting was going to work, rule number one—no catching feelings.

Chapter 5

Cohen

Present day

Something shifted during that call with Ava, and I had no idea what.

She’d gone cold. Ended the call abruptly. And whatever the reason, it put me in a foul mood for the rest of the night.

“Hey, Jordan—you coming?” Beckham Stone, our third baseman, called, grabbing his hotel keycard from the dresser. His arm was already slung around Paige… I think that was her name. I honestly wasn’t sure.

I shook my head. “Nah. Not feeling it tonight. I’m turning in early.”

Beckham sighed dramatically. “Fatherhood has ruined you. I’ve officially lost my wingman.”

I chuckled as the tall blonde shot him a warning glare.

“I mean—when I used to need a wingman,” Beckham amended quickly.

She rolled her eyes and then turned to me, smiling softly. “Your daughter is adorable. And your wife is gorgeous.”

They were halfway out the door before I could correct her. And the most unsettling thought crossed my mind.

I didn’t want to.

I scrubbed a hand down my face. Fuck. I needed to get laid.

This was just attraction by proximity, right? Natural biology. I’d watched Ava carry Ellie for nine months. Watched her body change to grow this tiny, perfect human who was the best thing that had ever happened to me. The perfect mix of her and me. I’d watched her strength and resilience when I'd stood by her through fourteen brutal hours of labor as she’d safely delivered my daughter to this world.

And now I watched Ava as a mother—fierce, protective, unshakable. She was unlike any woman I’d ever known… and that was the problem.

I couldn’t have her.

She’d made that clear from day one. Friendship only—the boundary she’d firmly secured into place.

I was just the Aviators’ resident playboy, who happened to show up.

And the irony? I hadn’t slept with anyone since Ava. I hadn't even tried. I was closing in on a year of celibacy, and it was driving me out of my goddamn mind.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have options. Please, I had a roster. I just didn’t want them. I wanted her. This was just the typical “you want what you can't have” thing. I was sure of it.

Plus, could I even handle anything serious? Probably not. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t at least have some fun. Clothing optional.

The idea of a relationship made my skin crawl. Not because I didn’t want one, as most people assumed, but because the more something mattered, the more it had the power to wreck you. Wanting something that badly felt reckless. And I didn’t do reckless. Not with things I couldn’t afford to lose.

I’d already learned that lesson once.

Instead of going out with the guys, I sat alone on the edge of the bed, nursing a beer and scrolling through my phone.

Photo after photo of Ellie.