Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter
Twenty-One
“This feels weird. Don’t you think it feels weird?”
“Um…”
We’re at my apartment in LA now that baseball season is
over. We packed up most of our stuff and had it shipped to Florida for storage.
Why Florida? Because that’s where our families are. My family moved back to
Orlando, and it’s where we’ve decided to eventually put down roots because
family is most important to us.
But this apartment? Well, this is so we have a place to stay
when I need to be here to record for The Echo Wars. The show keeps
growing in popularity, and we’re now recording season three. Despite my agent
and manager dropping me, my career has been steadily moving forward. Christian
and I are moving forward, too. On our terms.
I slowly walk around the space. The living room that doubles
as everything—office, dining nook, movie theater, and dance space. I run my
hand along the cozy blue couch that faces the small, wall-mounted TV, and smile
sadly at the worn, thrifted coffee table that’s always barely been wide enough
for a laptop and two mugs. The faux hardwood floors still creak, and the
battered and worn woven rug that used to add a splash of personality is beyond
faded.
Jen and I have lived what feels like many lifetimes in this
space, and it seems weird to be here without her. The sad sigh is out before I
can stop it.
“You know she moved only fifteen minutes away, right?”
Christian teases, reading my mind.
Laughing softly, I shake my head. “I know, but…I’ve never
been here like this without her. Sure, there were times I was here, and she was
away, but her stuff was always here. Now, it feels a little…I don’t know…sad.”
He walks up behind me, wrapping those muscular arms around
me before kissing my cheek. “Then we’ll just have to fill it with stuff of our
own so it’s not quite so sad.”
That makes me smile.
Plenty of things in this apartment are mementos from my life
before Christian, but there are also many from the time since we met. The
thought of us being able to put stuff in here now feels like the closest thing
we’ve had to a place of our own. This little apartment has been the one
constant since I was twenty, and I honestly love the idea of the two of us
making it ours.
Turning in his arms, I smile up at him. And yes, my heart
still skips a beat when he smiles back, and I get to gaze into those brilliant
blue eyes that I’ll never grow tired of seeing.
“I love that idea,” I say softly. “Thank you.”
He kisses me, and it goes from sweet to a little something
more. When we’re here, we’re usually on alert for Jen to come through the door,
so there’s something a little freeing about knowing we won’t be disturbed. So,
we linger a little while longer before slowly pulling apart, breathless and
smiling.
“We really should unpack…” I say, not really wanting to as
we kiss some more.
“Yeah, I’m getting pretty hungry. We really should go to the
grocery store…” he says before we kiss some more.
“Or we can just order pizza and have a quiet date night at
our apartment,” I suggest. We can always start unpacking tomorrow. Now that the
baseball season is over, we don’t have to follow any strict routines.
“Are you kidding? That sounds like the perfect night to me.”
He moves in close again, “Those are always my favorite date nights.”
“Mine, too. But now that we’re back in California, the walks
on the beach to watch the sunsets were pretty spectacular, too.”
“Mmm…they were. We’ll have to make
some time to do that while we’re here.”
This is the first time in years that we didn’t pack up and
go to Florida at the end of baseball season, and I feel like we have so many
opportunities. I don’t even know where to start. I need to be in LA right now
for several promo events for The Echo Wars and to wrap up some
recordings before the holidays. Christian and I have already planned to spend
the time with our families before coming back for my recording schedule. The
next several weeks are full for me, but they’re the complete opposite for him.
We haven’t talked about it much, but I’m curious what retirement looks like for
him. Right now, we’re just taking things one day, one moment at a time.
But first, our pizza date night…
The Galactic Wars have a tremendous presence
at conventions, and I go to as many as I can. They are so much fun, and I love
meeting the fans and interacting with them. It’s mind-blowing that so many
people are so enthusiastic about the universe—and specifically Ashla.
I’m in a weird headspace because…well…this is the life I’ve
always imagined for us, but it seemed so far off. It’s here now, and I didn’t
realize how big of an adjustment it would be to live a “normal” life. One not
on a strict schedule, or with an exact routine. This is what I’ve dreamed of,
and it’s taking me a while to ease up and enjoy the freedom.
We don’t really talk about it, but I can tell that we’re
both working to find our new groove.
It’s also remarkable how much Christian’s body has healed.
He’s worked hard at it—at relaxing and giving himself grace. We found a
physical therapist with no connections to the league, and they came up with a
treatment plan that has seriously worked wonders.
I’ve always loved watching him move—both on the field and
off. He has an athletic grace that makes everything he does look effortless.
And now that he’s starting to feel better, it’s so much better because I know
he’s not powering through the pain.
“So? What are we doing today?” Christian asks as we sit down
for his famous and delicious pancake breakfast.
Because that’s never going away.
#Pancakesforever.
“I have a recording session, but I should be home in time
for us to drive to the beach for a sunset dinner.”
He nods. “What night are we meeting everyone for dinner?
Thursday?”
“Yup. Everyone’s going to be there—Jen, Penny, Freya, and
all their significant others.” I look over at him and let out a happy sigh.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For always being so willing to hang out with my friends.”
“To be fair, they’re my friends, too.”
It’s true. He won them over years ago, and they all adore
him.
I mean…who wouldn’t?
“And this weekend…?”
I grab my phone and quickly scan the calendar because there’s
a lot on it. More than I ever imagined. There are conventions literally all
over the world, and all of us from The Echo Wars are riding the wave
of our immense popularity. Between events, appearances, and press interviews,
I’ve been very busy.
So, what makes this different from being on a movie set
somewhere far away for weeks or even months?
Christian and I are doing it all together.
Because we’re a team.
Go Team Lucas!
“Okay, it looks like the only things we have on the calendar
this weekend are an Echo Wars meet and greet in Anaheim and a brunch
with Michael and Jeremy on Sunday.” Putting my phone down, I take a forkful of
pancakes, humming with appreciation. “So yummy.”
He preens, and it’s adorable.
“What about your schedule for next week? Anything exciting?”
“You know, PT on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I
received an invitation from the Pasadena Little League to come and speak at one
of their events. I have a call with them on Tuesday.”
He says it casually, so I’m not exactly sure how he feels
about it.
Fortunately, I don’t have to ask because he’s already
talking.
“I think I’ve been so wrapped up in focusing on letting my
body heal that I haven’t spent a whole lot of time thinking about what my next
chapter looks like.” He pauses and then keeps talking. “Everyone expects me to
go into coaching. My whole career, I was told that I would make a great coach
one day. It’s the natural next step,” he continues with a sigh. “But, Ella
Rose, I’m burned out. I don’t want the baseball lifestyle for us anymore. The
constant grind. As you always say, it’s the same song, different verse.”
“Oh, Christian, I completely support you, and I don’t want
to jump back into that lifestyle either. But maybe the Little League thing…” I
prompt. Luckily, he visibly relaxes.
“I think about all the incredible people who came into my
life when I was young and fell in love with baseball. Coaches, teachers, older
players—all of them. What if…what if I’m the guy who can make a positive
impression on a kid who’s just learning how to play?”
His face lights up, and his eyes brighten.
“Ella Rose, if I’m being honest, I’ve lost my love for the
game a bit. After dealing with so many injuries, free agency, and contract
negotiations…I didn’t realize how much I needed a break from baseball.”
I think we both needed a break from it, but I don’t say
anything. I just let him talk.
“Whenever I see kids playing baseball, I stop and watch. I
love watching the joy on their faces. I want to find that joy again. I have so
many offers to work with major league teams. I’m getting calls constantly to
come back and play, or to coach or scout. But I need some distance.”
All I can do is nod.
“But kids? I know I can help there and make a difference.”
“Christian, by helping kids, you might just end up helping
yourself and find your love of baseball again. You should definitely go and
talk to the Little League team,” I encourage, squeezing his hand. “I also think
you should go up to the high school. Remember how your friend from the Waves
invited you to come and help his local high school baseball team?”
He shrugs and gives me a knowing smile. “I guess so.”
“Yay!” Oh, this makes my heart so happy. Then I glance at
the time and realize that if I don’t finish eating and get ready, I’m going to
be late. “I hate to do this, but I need to power through the rest of my
pancakes so I can shower and get dressed. Which means I’m leaving you with the
dishes. Sorry.”
A deep, masculine chuckle is his only response.
“Christian…” I say around a mouthful of syrupy goodness.
“It’s not a problem, you know that. No one’s keeping score
around here. I know you need to get to the studio, so don’t worry. I can handle
the dishes.”
“I appreciate you so much.”
“Appreciate?” he teases. “Really?”