Chapter 27
twenty-seven
The next few days are a blur of food, cuddles, and sex.
Lots and lots of sex.
I can’t seem to keep my hands off Luke now that I’m able to touch him whenever I want.
He still tries to be gentle with me, but all it takes is a little taunting from me, and whatever thread of control he believes he still holds snaps. That’s the side of Luke I seem to be addicted to. The part that isn’t trying to hide himself from the world. The part of him only I get to see.
But then there’s the side of him that he’s kept under lock and key for so many years, and it’s finally starting to come up to the surface.
He’s slowly allowing himself to talk about the night that changed the trajectory of his life. The feelings of betrayal caused by not only the two people who should have been the most loyal to him, but by his former team as well.
I had no idea there were teammates who were aware of his ex’s affair but kept their mouths shut because they wanted to make sure Luke kept his head in the game.
He considered many of those guys close friends, even brothers.
Which was another reason he had no qualms about walking away from the MLB at the height of his career.
How he’s been able to be such a solid grounding force for the Monarchs is beyond me. While he won’t be winning any Miss Congeniality contests with the guys, there is no question that his team knows he’s always there for them.
I’ve seen firsthand how he’s handled the team after facing a brutal loss. How he takes certain players aside and offers them private words of encouragement away from the cameras. How he allowed players like Martinez to keep his phone in the dugout in case there was an issue with his daughter.
And while the media does him no favors and says he’s rough around the edges, I will disrespectfully have to disagree.
Because as I look up at the man sitting next to me on the couch with pink undereye patches while rewatching The Parent Trap, I can’t help but grin. The world would have a field day with my current view.
He looks down at me, not changing his usual grumpy expression, and winks. “Stop objectifying me, woman. We need to try to get through this movie fully before you pounce on me.”
I giggle as he pulls me tighter into his side.
And in that moment, I allow myself to admit what my heart already knows.
I’m falling in love with my best friend.
We’ve turned the cell booster on once a day to send proof of life to my brother and friends. They’re usually pics of the lake in the morning sun or the meals we cooked the night before.
But yesterday Luke took a selfie of us with the cabin in the background. I’m in my new favorite cardigan, hair going wild in the wind, smiling like a fool as he holds me close from behind, grinning up at the camera.
My only warning was the mischievous look he sent my way before I heard a swoosh from my phone.
He sent it to the group chat.
He didn’t write a message along with it, but I think our faces might have been confirmation enough, because my phone started blowing up immediately with messages from the girls.
While Luke’s buzzed five times with messages from my brother.
NICK:
YOU MOTHERFUCKER
NICK:
I’m sorry. I meant welcome to the family. I know it’s been a long time coming. I’m genuinely happy for you guys.
NICK:
Though I’m sure it doesn’t bear repeating that I’m your boss and could easily fire you if you so much as cause a momentary wrinkle on my sister’s face.
NICK:
Still very happy, of course. Please disregard the prior message. This is not my wife texting on my behalf to rectify my lack of decorum.
NICK:
But I know people, and don’t you forget it, Coach Weston.
That last message got a chuckle out of Luke.
And to be honest, I was a bit relieved to get that out in the open with the people who matter most in my life.
Even though I know what Luke and I have is true, a small part of me couldn’t help but worry about what they’d say.
I’m technically supposed to be on my honeymoon, and here I am falling in love with my colleague.
And while I know that thought lacks more than an encyclopedia’s worth of context, I still can’t help but feel like I’m going to be judged once everything is out in the open.
My relationship with Damien was tailor made for public consumption, and now I want to hide and protect myself and Luke from whatever onslaught may come our way.
He’s had a rough go at it, and while I know the things people will say about me are inevitable, I am much more worried about how he will handle being on the dark side of the press once again.
But for now, I have bigger issues to tend to.
Like where the hell am I going to live once I get back to the city?
Every time we’ve turned the cell booster back on, I’ve half expected a barrage of messages from Damien or my father’s assistant since he’s still blocked.
But there has been nothing.
Radio silence.
And it’s terrifying.
I’d rather know exactly where the boogeyman is hiding than wonder when he’s going to pop up.
I allowed myself to google my name once before I wisely closed out of the tab.
So far, there is a lot of chatter about the wedding that wasn’t, but everyone seems to be waiting on a statement that Damien has promised to give “in due time.”
So far, the running assumptions are that I was a runaway bride. Ding, ding, ding.
Or that he cheated. Which is also true, but not the reason there wasn’t a wedding, since he informed me of that morbid tidbit after the fact.
And finally, there is talk of me being silenced by some political mastermind behind the scenes, and we’re all staying quiet until I get a payout.
While that last one is way off, all this attention seems to be paying off for Damien’s campaign since everyone seems to be tuning into what is going on in his personal life.
I shake my head as I open the rental app on my phone and try to focus on the task at hand.
After thirty minutes, I give up and shut off the cell booster abruptly. My mind won’t let me focus on square footage and rental agreements when it’s too busy thinking about how the hell I’m supposed to leave this perfect bubble I’ve been living in and deal with the outside world.
Luke looks up from the cutting board where he’s finished slicing a perfectly toasted grilled cheese.
“What’s wrong? Did he text you?” He pulls down the tea towel that was resting on his shoulder and throws it onto the island, eyes lasering in on my phone.
I place a hand on his chest as I shake my head.
“No, I’m just trying to figure out where I’m going to live after we leave this magical place.
All the apartments I like are too far from the stadium, and the ones that are close by are way too sterile looking and pretentious.
I want something warm and inviting like Nick and Luisa’s brownstone.
But I don’t want a place that massive just for me. ”
He places a hand on the kitchen island, standing abnormally still. He clears his throat. “So, uh, you’re not going to move in with your brother and Luisa while you figure out where to go next?”
I scrunch my face. “I love them to pieces, but I would rather run up an astronomical bill at the Ritz than be around the couple that I swear will never slip out of the honeymoon phase. I’ve caught them on more than one occasion getting frisky in the middle of dinner parties at their place.
Piece of advice, always stick to the main floor bathrooms. Anything on the second floor is apparently fair game for them. ”
He nods along, looking contemplative. “I see.”
“Luke.”
“Hmm.”
“Spit it out.”
He sighs. “You already know what I’m going to say. But I don’t want to pressure you into staying with me. I know what we have is very new, and I am trying my hardest not to mess this up by pushing you too far, too quickly. Because if it were up to me, I’d have you moving in with me in a heartbeat.”
I place a hand on his bearded cheek as I press up on my tiptoes and place a gentle kiss on his lips. A part of me thought he would suggest this, but I didn’t want to assume he’d want me to become the official squatter of all of his properties.
“But,” he continues, “I also know you well enough to know that you need your own place. Somewhere that you can call your own.”
My heart soars at how deeply this man understands me.
I was already trying to line up the right words to express why it was important for me to have my own spot, but of course, he already knew.
Because this is Luke. My Luke.
“I want nothing more than to wake up in your arms every morning. And trust me, I will be enforcing an absurd number of sleepovers.” I continue to smile as he feigns indignation.
“But I also know that I owe it to myself to finally stand on my own two feet. To live in a place where I’m allowed to paint the wall colors that make me happy.
Buy fun and colorful throw pillows that match the season.
Have a mismatched gallery wall full of the faces of loved ones and pictures of me and my mom together before she passed.
I want to be able to live in a home that tells the story of who I was, who I am, and who I strive to be.
Because for most of my life my home has been more of a prison cell, and now that I’m finally out, I need a safe space where I can feel free. ”
He leans down and places a sweet kiss on my lips. “I know, Daisy. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. And you’re right. You deserve all that and more. And I think I can help.”
He pulls his phone from his pocket, then walks over to the cell booster.
He gives me a teasing look and switches it back on so he can use his phone.
After a couple of taps, he’s handing his phone over.
The listing for a two-bedroom apartment with the most stunning views of the East River makes my jaw drop.
I start swiping immediately. The kitchen is decorated in warm tones of brown instead of bland whites and grays. The entire place has high ceilings, making it feel like you’re anywhere but an apartment in the busiest city in the world.
And in the description, it says that there are only two apartments per floor, so I won’t have to worry about privacy.
“Luke, this is amazing. How did you find this so fast?”
“My realtor has private listings I’m privy to” is all he offers, and I’m too busy salivating over the deep tub in the master bathroom to badger him with more questions like I typically would.
“This is probably already snatched up. Is it even for rent or sale? Do I need to send a deposit to show interest—”
“How about I shoot him an email with your number, and you two can go over the details? This is all you, Daisy. If you really want this place to be yours, tell him and don’t let him take no for an answer.
The rest we can handle from here. It’s unfurnished, but that’s probably best so you can pick out every single piece of furniture yourself.
If you close the deal today, we can have a mattress delivered by tonight.
So at the very least you have a comfortable place to sleep while you decide what you want to do with the place. ”
I throw my arms around his neck as I squeal. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I kiss his cheek repeatedly. “The apartment is perfect. It’s… it’s a place where I can have friends over for game night!” I say excitedly.
He chuckles. “Hmm, only your friends?”
I nod along pensively. “You’re right. My brother as well. We have been a great cooking duo as of late.”
He catches on to my teasing. “I see. Anyone else missing from that guest list?”
I look up and to the side. “Oh, you’re right! Silly me. I’m sure some of the Monarchs players would love—”
I yelp as he lifts me easily and sets me on the kitchen island, quickly settling between my open legs. I keep my arms right where they are, not showing an ounce of remorse as his face warns me of what’s to come if I finish that sentence.
I blow a curl out of my face and sigh. “Well, I guess it might be nice to have a place where my boyfriend can come visit me when he comes home after a long stretch of away games.”
His face loses all traces of humor.
Shit.
I was really feeling overconfident there, trying to slyly slide in that boyfriend comment undetected. Looks like I gravely miscalculated.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
He pulls me in tighter, one hand now on the back of my head as if he’s bracing to kiss me. “You calling me your boyfriend now, Daisy?”
I clear my throat, nodding as I dig deep for my courage. “I am. Is that crazy?”
His eyes smile as they rove over mine. “Not any crazier than me secretly pining for an engaged woman over the last year.”
I smirk. “Yeah, I guess that was pretty certifiable.”
He nips my bottom lip for that. “Guess I’ll settle for being your boyfriend for now.”
I raise an eyebrow at that. “Settle, huh?” I cross my arms over my chest, and he does the same with a twinkle in his eye.
“For now.” He grins, and before my mind can wrap itself around what he’s getting at, he picks up his phone. “I’m emailing my realtor. Get your game face on, Daze. You’ve got an apartment to lock down.”