Ava
Present Day
He was leaving. He was choosing Boston, I felt it in my gut.
Today was decision day, his deadline. I hadn't heard a word, and I was over it. It was early in the morning, and Ellie was still sound asleep. I decided to take matters into my own hands.
Me: Can you stop by my place this morning before you head to the field?
His response was immediate. Almost as if he had been waiting for me to text him.
CoJo: Yeah, on my way.
I was pacing the floor in my living room, thinking through what I wanted to say to him, when his knock broke me from my thoughts.
I quickly headed to the front door, swinging it open.
Cohen stood on the other side. Chocolate waves perfectly styled, amber eyes locked on me.
I stepped to the side to let him in. The Aviators t-shirt he wore stretched tight across his broad shoulders, his joggers doing nothing to hide his perfect baseball butt.
I let my eyes linger a moment longer than necessary.
He turned to face me. "What's up, Trouble?" He said it so casually, like today didn't define his future… our future. It pissed me off.
I planted my hands on my hips. "How can you be so casual about this?"
His head tilted. "About what?"
I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "I don't know, Cohen. Does the Boston offer ring a bell? You know, the five-year, one-hundred-and-thirty-five-million-dollar contract."
Cohen smirked. He fucking smirked.
"Oh, yeah. That."
I wanted to punch him in his pretty face.
I had been agonizing over his decision for the past week, and he was acting like he couldn't care less. "Your deadline is up. You haven't given us any indication whether you're taking our deal or theirs."
Smart, Ava. Keep it about the team, about business.
His face fell slightly. "The team. Right. You need to know because of your job." He leaned back against the counter in my kitchen and crossed one leg over the other. "What do you think I should do?"
I stood across from him, crossing my arms over my chest. "I think it's an incredible offer. A career-defining opportunity."
Cohen nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "That's true. It is."
I continued, "We can figure out the long-distance co-parenting thing.
That won't be an issue, just an adjustment.
We have the resources with Dean's plane.
" My eyes fell to my hands, which I was wringing nervously.
"This is a big deal, Cohen. I don't want you to not take it because of Ellie. We’ll make it work. " I glanced back up at him.
He watched me a moment. "Is that what you want? For me to go?"
"I want what's best for you and your career. I don't want you to stay because of Ellie."
Cohen pushed from the counter, planting himself in front of me. "I'm not."
My stomach sank. I swallowed past the lump in my throat, willing the tears I felt pressing against the back of my eyes to go away. I was not going to cry in front of him. "Good. When are you going to tell the Aviators your decision to go to Boston?"
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My heart quickened at the closeness. "I'm not going to Boston, Ava."
I stepped back, confused. “What?”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I’m not leaving.”
“You just said you weren’t staying because of Ellie.”
“I’m not.” His eyes held mine. “I’m staying because of you.”
I shook my head immediately. “No. No, no, no.” I started pacing the kitchen, my hands dragging through my hair. “Cohen, you cannot turn down a dream opportunity for me. We aren’t even together. That makes no sense.”
“Ava—”
“You have one-hundred-and-thirty-five million dollars sitting on the table,” I continued, my voice rising. “A full no-trade clause. A championship roster. You don’t walk away from something like that because of a woman you’re not even dating.”
He grabbed me gently by the arms, stopping my pacing. “Ava. Look at me.”
I kept my gaze on the floor.
“Ava.”
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to his.
“I’m not walking away from something,” he said quietly. “I’m choosing something.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is,” I shot back. “Because someday you’re going to wake up and realize you turned down the biggest contract of your career because of me. Maybe not now. Maybe not next year. But someday.” My throat tightened. “And I won’t be the reason you regret your choice. You'll resent me.”
His grip tightened slightly, not hurting, just grounding me. “You really think that little of what we have? This connection we both can’t seem to shake?” he asked.
“This isn’t about us,” I insisted quickly.
His brow lifted. “Isn’t it?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “This is about your career. Your future.”
“And you don’t want to be a part of that?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out.
He took a step closer. “Ava,” he said softly, “I love you.”
The words knocked the air straight out of my lungs, and for a moment, the room spun. I had imagined hearing those words before. Late at night. In the quiet moments between feeding Ellie or sitting on the couch together, but never like this. Never when everything felt like it was about to break.
My knees nearly gave out. I pushed away from him, shaking my head. “No, you don’t.”
His jaw tightened.
“You love me as Ellie’s mom,” I amended quickly. “We’ve been through a lot together. That’s natural. And this huge decision you’re facing probably makes everything feel bigger than it actually is.”
He crossed the room in two strides and took my face in his hands. “Don’t do that,” he said firmly.
My heart pounded.
“Don’t diminish my feelings because you’re too scared to believe them.” His eyes searched mine. “Yes, I love you as Ellie’s mom,” he continued. “But I’m also in love with you.”
My breath caught.
“It took me a long time to get here. I know that,” he said.
“But you’re my choice. You’re what I want.
” His thumb brushed away the tear that had slipped down my cheek.
“It’s always been you. Since the night we met in Walker’s penthouse all those years ago, I haven’t been able to shake you, Ava.
” His voice softened. “I don’t choose Boston.
” He rested his forehead against mine. “I choose you.”
My chest cracked open as I choked out a sob.
I choose you.
“I love you, Ava. And I will prove it to you every goddamn day if I have to.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he was mistaken again. That I'm never anyone’s first choice. But memories of all the ways he had chosen me over the last year stopped me.
The way he wouldn’t let me drive when I was pregnant.
How he’d left a game early to be at my side during labor, all fourteen hours of it.
Him leasing an apartment in his building to be close to us and hiring movers to handle everything.
All the late nights he’d chosen to stay up and sit with me while I breastfed our daughter, even when he had a game the next day.
How he knew what I liked to eat, down to the smallest detail.
The way he’d chosen to come watch me ride instead of hanging out with his best friend.
Being afraid of horses, but still getting on one and riding with me.
The way he’d showed up for me over and over, without hesitation and without ever being asked.
All the quiet ways he had chosen me suddenly felt incredibly loud.
How had I not seen it before? Had I been so busy waiting to be chosen that I'd missed the fact that he already had?
He wiped the tear from my cheek.
My eyes lifted to his, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer. “I love you too, Cohen.”
For a second he just stared at me, like he needed to make sure he had actually heard the words.
“Say it again,” he whispered.
A small watery laugh slipped through my tears. “I love you.”
His forehead dropped against mine, and he let out a breath like he had been holding it for ten years. “God, Ava,” he sighed. Then he pulled my mouth to his, and I melted against him.
He chose me.
His kiss felt like a promise. It felt like forever.
I pulled back slightly, my breath still tangled with his. “So… now what happens?” I asked softly.
His hands slid slowly down my arms before settling firmly on my hips. His eyes burned as they locked on mine. “First,” he said quietly, voice rough with intention, "I'm going to fuck my girlfriend."
“Then,” he continued, brushing his thumb over my hip, “I’m going to sign with the Aviators.”
A slow smile crept across my face. “Oh, so you just assume that because you told me you love me, I’m suddenly your girlfriend?” I teased. “I’m not sure that’s how it works, CoJo.”
His grin turned wicked.
Before I could react, he bent down and lifted me easily into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist automatically as he carried me toward the bedroom.
“Pretty sure that’s exactly how it works,” he murmured against my ear. He laid me down on the bed, hovering over me, one hand braced beside my head. “You’re mine, Trouble,” he said softly. “It’s about time I show you what that means.”
His mouth crashed into mine again, hotter this time. Hungrier. Weeks of tension, months of restraint, every unspoken feeling between us poured into that kiss.
As he worked his way down my body, my head dropped back on a sigh, his tongue tracing a path up my inner thigh. He took his time, like he had all damn morning.
My fingers tangled in his hair as his hands slid beneath the hem of my shirt, warm against my skin. My body trembled as his lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, then down the sensitive curve of my neck.
“Cohen…” I breathed.
He paused just long enough to look up at me, eyes dark with promise. “What, baby?” he murmured. The morning light spilled through the curtains, casting a soft golden hue across the room as the man I loved looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
I glanced toward the hallway instinctively. “You do realize our daughter could wake up any minute,” I said. “And I have to be at the office in forty-five minutes.”
His mouth curved slowly against my skin. “Sounds like a challenge.”
My stomach flipped.
“Let’s see,” he murmured, brushing his lips along my collarbone, “how many times I can make you come before then.”
I laughed softly, and before I could respond, his hands slid lower, pulling another gasp from me.
He dragged his tongue lazily through my center before pulling my clit into his mouth, causing me to arch off the bed.
He dipped a finger inside, curling his finger just right as he sucked harder.
Then another finger. My pussy tensed around him, I could already feel the delicious pressure beginning to build at the base of my spine.
"This may be easier than I thought… I know you're ready, baby.
" He dipped his head back down and picked up the pace.
It didn't take long before he sent me over the edge with his name on my lips.
But that didn't seem to stop him; he continued to lick and suck.
I was so sensitive that I wasn't even sure if I fully came back down before the bastard pulled another one from me.
My legs were shaking, breath bated. I pushed up onto my elbows and looked down at him.
His dark locks were a mess from my hands, and he wore that easy, sexy smile that drove me crazy. He glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. "That's two, Trouble. I've got a few more to take from you."
He crawled up my body and pressed his mouth to mine.
I immediately opened for him as he slipped his tongue inside, and I could taste myself.
I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth as he groaned.
I pushed against his shoulder to get him down on the bed.
He lay down and let me settle myself on top of him.
I kissed his neck and down his sculpted stomach as I tugged down his joggers, taking his boxer briefs with them.
His thick cock bobbed, and I licked my lips before taking him into my mouth.
Cohen dropped his head back. "Fuck, baby," he said on a sigh.
I took him to the back of my throat and then slowly licked my way from base to tip before sucking the head of his cock into my mouth.
I gripped him at the base and slipped my lips down his shaft, pumping him at the same time.
I glanced up; his amber eyes on fire and locked on me.
His hands went to my hair and pulled as I picked up the pace.
He grabbed me underneath my arms and pulled me up his body, his cock popping out of my mouth. I frowned. "Hey! I wasn't done."
"As much as I love it when you blow me," he glanced over at the clock, "I've only got ten more minutes, and I plan to get at least another two orgasms out of you."