Page 41 of Verdict

“Even better. I’ll text her and see if she’s free.”

Silence settled between us again—thick, lingering. We just stood there, looking at each other, neither of us moving.

“Okay, well, goodnight.” Ava turned quickly, heading down the hallway toward her bedroom.

“Right. Goodnight. See you tomorrow night.”

After the day we’d had, walking out of Ava’s apartment—walking away from her and Ellie—felt wrong in a way I couldn’t quite name. Not dramatic. Not painful. Just… off.

Okay. Maybe a little painful.

Like taking one deliberate step back when everything in you wanted to step forward.

I’d never been the guy who ran. I showed up. I stayed. I always stayed. I just didn't attach myself to anything I couldn't survive losing. I knew how to do hard things. I’d done them my whole life. Showing up was easy. Staying present was easy.

Letting something matter? That was where people got wrecked.

If something was yours, truly yours, it could be taken from you. And I’d learned young that the things you loved most didn’t seem to stick around.

Ellie was different. She was blood. She wasn’t something I could walk away from. There was no version of my life where I didn’t show up for her.

But Ava—

Ava was a choice.

And choosing her felt like stepping onto thin ice and pretending it wouldn’t crack.

I stepped off the elevator into my place, the silence pressing in. It had never felt quieter, colder… emptier. I glanced at Ellie's toys on the ground, scattered across the floor, abandoned. I picked up a pillow that had fallen off the couch. I could smell the faint aroma of lilac and peach—Ava. I felt an ache settle deep in my chest, craving the sound of Ellie's giggles and the sight of Ava holding her.

Here, in this apartment. With me.

I picked up a few toys and headed toward Ellie's room to put them away. I lowered myself into the glider I used to rock her to sleep, and sighed, dropping my head into my hands. "What the fuck is happening to me?" I groaned.

The fresh smell of cut grass. Dirt perfectly raked between the bases. Bright lights. The satisfying crack of a bat. Today was game day.

This stadium was my house. This was where I had control.

But for whatever reason, I felt… off. I was never nervous before a game. I was usually focused, locked in—ready to fucking go.

But not tonight.

And I suspected it had everything to do with Ava and Ellie coming to the game tonight.

I was warming up, tossing the ball with Beckham before moving on to batting practice. My arm felt good, but oddly enough, my inner thighs were screaming—and I knew it had everything to do with being on a goddamn horse yesterday.

Beckham noticed my wince when I pushed down into my lunge. "What's with the face?"

"Walker got me on a fucking horse yesterday." I continued to push down, fighting past the pain.

Beckham dropped his head back and cackled. "I would have paid good money to see that."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, well, sorry, I don't plan on making it a habit." Beckham's gaze shifted to something behind me, and a slow smile spread across his face. He gestured toward the dugout, "Your fan club's here."

I spun around so fast I almost pulled my hamstring.

Worth it.

Because standing in the seats behind the dugout was my baby girl wearing a tiny little Aviators' onesie with my name and the number six on the back with little pink headphones on. I sprinted across the field to get to them. Ava's lips pulled up in a soft smile, and fuck, she nearly took my breath away. She wore a tight navy-blue tank top tucked into jeans, with Walker's jersey draped across her shoulders, her dark hair in a loose braid.