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Cole

I barely make it back to my apartment before I have a text from Rory.

Rory

You get back?

Cole

You miss me so much already that you have to check on me?

Rory

I’m checking to make sure you made it home, jackass

Cole

Bit of an ego blow

Rory

You could use one

Cole

Ha ha…

But yes, I just got back

Sage still asleep?

Rory

Yeah

I might have to request you sing to her every night

Cole

As long as you don’t tell Lane

Rory

Well fuck

I was just about to text him about your magical abilities at soothing his daughter

Cole

Probably just a fluke

But get some sleep, Starlight

Might as well get some shuteye before Sage is up at the crack of dawn

Rory

Night, Sparrow

I strip my T-shirt off and flop onto my sofa, smiling like a fucking fool.

My life would be a lot fucking easier if I didn’t like her so much.

But goddamn, I like her.

Every time I see her, it just strengthens those feelings.

I’m going to be completely fucked if I can’t get my shit sorted.

I scrub a hand over my face, trying to clear my racing thoughts. I wince lightly as my arm brushes against my chest.

I finally finished out the sleeve on my right arm by adding PIERCE to my inner bicep, and it’s still sore as fuck. I may have gotten my first tattoo on my eighteenth birthday a decade ago, but it’s not like the pain gets better. Getting stabbed with a needle thousands of times is always going to hurt like shit.

But even the ache in my arm can’t keep my mind from spiraling. So, I pull my phone back out, shooting a text off to the first friend I made when I came into the league.

Cole

You up, man?

Ari

Dude, it’s midnight

When the fuck am I asleep at midnight?

I roll my eyes as I pull up his contact to call.

The greeting I get as Ari picks up is exactly what I expected.

“Lucky I’m answering right now, Pierce.”

“Still salty over the World Series, Morgan?” I laugh.

“Yes, dick,” he says, lightly chuckling. “You specifically hit the home run that won you guys the goddamn game. And your sister’s boyfriend struck me out before that.”

“Come on, Ari. Just be happy your friend was MVP, and pray you can come play for a better team next season.”

I met Ari Morgan when we were both on the Kansas Huskers Triple-A team. He’s a year younger, but we both got called up to the majors within weeks of each other. We’ve pretty much been on this journey together the entire time.

We only played together on the Huskers for a little over a year. I was traded to the Stars shortly after the start of the next season, and Ari ended up traded to the Atlanta Thunderbirds before the end of that season.

Currently, he’s still pissed that the Stars beat the Thunderbirds in the World Series.

He’ll get over it, though. Fuck the Thunderbirds.

“So, what’s up, man?”

“Just a lot on my mind lately. I need a distraction, so I figured we could catch up. Got any plans for the offseason?”

“Heading to Korea for a couple weeks. Haven’t seen my mom since the last off-season. I miss the shit out of her.”

The entire time I’ve known him, Ari’s always been close with his mom. When his parents divorced when he was a kid, his mom stayed in South Korea to be near her family while his dad came back to the US once his military contract ended. Ari spent most of his time in the US after that but gets back to visit as often as he can.

“Tell Eomma that I say hi,” I reply.

“I’ll tell her. You got any plans?”

“Garro’s getting married next month,” I answer. “I’m a groomsman for him. Low-key bachelor party at a cabin soon. Should be fun.”

“The best decisions are made when you get plastered at a wedding,” Ari laughs.

“That tattoo you got on your ass after our hitting coach’s wedding would beg to differ.”

“Fuck off,” he chides. “That tattoo is a work of art.”

“Whatever you say, man.”

“Is my ass tattoo giving you your needed distraction?”

“Well, it was,” I reply, exasperated. “Now I’m thinking again.”

“That’s dangerous.”

“Go fuck yourself, Morgan.”

Ari howls with laughter from the other end of the phone, clearly finding himself hilarious. “What’s going on, Cole? What’s got your head in a tizzy?”

“Tizzy?” I question.

“You want my help or not?”

I want to laugh, but I sigh instead. “Just… girl troubles, I guess.”

“You?” he asks. I can sense his exact look right now—utter disbelief. “Cole Pierce is having girl troubles? NYC is full of women—I can’t imagine you’re having trouble finding one.”

“That’s not my problem. It’s… one woman. A specific woman.”

“Wait, you want one woman? What happened to the man that slept with half of Wichita?”

I groan. “It was not half of fucking Wichita. But that hasn’t been me since I came back to New York. I’ve had some hookups, but I’m not fucking any woman with a pulse.”

“What caused that?” His voice is incredulous, almost like he can’t believe I’m not the fuckboy I used to be. Kansas had a very different Cole Pierce than New York does.

“That’s, uh… when I met her.”

“Holy shit!” he exclaims. “That’s been almost four fucking years. You’ve been in love with a girl for four goddamn years, and I’m just now hearing about it?”

“I’m not in love with her,” I chide.

“I’m sure you’re not.” I can hear the smirk in his voice.

I sink back into my sofa, folding my arm over my eyes. “God, I’m fucking pathetic, aren’t I?”

“How the hell would I know? I don’t date. I don’t know what shit is normal.”

“Very helpful, Ari.”

“You know me, and you still called to chat about your ‘pathetic’ love life. This is on you, Pierce.”

“Can you try to be more helpful? I’m going out of my fucking mind.”

“Fine. What makes this girl so special that she’s got you all twisted up?”

“She’s awesome, man,” I say, a soft smile on my face because I can’t help but smile when I’m talking about Rory. “She’s confident as hell. She’s fun to spend time with. We both tease the shit out of each other, and it’s always the highlight of my goddamn day. And she’s fucking stunning on top of all that.”

“Damn,” he laughs. “You’ve got it bad for this girl.”

“I do,” I sigh. “So fucking bad. We’re friends; we have been since I got here, but we’ve been getting a lot closer.”

“She sounds like she’s special, then,” Ari says, any judgment or humor from earlier now erased from his tone. He can see how serious I am about this.

“She is, Ari. She’s fucking incredible.” I rub my jaw, trying to calm myself. “She’s my… Starlight.”

I didn’t give Rory the full explanation for why I chose that for her. I didn’t lie, but I didn’t tell the whole truth either.

So why Starlight? Because her smile shines as bright as the stars in the clear night sky, lighting up everything it touches. Because any darkness fades whenever she’s around. Getting caught in her light makes everything feel the way it should.

“So go for her. If this woman has the Cole Pierce I knew so wrapped around her finger, she’s gotta be the one.”

The one .

I like that thought.

The closer I get to Rory, the more I like what I see. We’re compatible in so many ways, and we always have fun together.

That’s what I’d want from somebody I consider the one .

And the thought has me groaning again.

Because I can’t fucking have it.

I let out a breath. “I can’t,” I say softly. “I can’t have her.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated. I really like her, but we can’t be more than friends. We’re not allowed to be together.”

“Wow, this is a real-life Romeo and Juliet,” Ari laughs. “Romeo went for the girl. You should, too.”

“That play ended with both of them dead. I’d rather not try to live out a fucking tragedy.”

“Okay, bad example.” He takes a deep breath. “Cole, I’ve never known you to be like this. You obviously really fucking care for this woman. You should be with her, circumstances be damned. You sound like you’re miserable at the thought of not being able to even try.”

“I wish it were that simple.”

God, I wish it was.

Skip is an incredible Field Manager and a great guy, but getting involved with his daughter would obliterate my career. Baseball is all I know—I can’t give that up.

I’ll just settle in for a life of misery and loneliness.