Page 73 of The Change Up
Cody: I wish you were here though. My pillow smells like you, and I’m missing my girl. It’s not fair you got to sleep in my bed without me last night.
Me: It was weird sleeping without you.
Cody: Must not have been that weird, you cuddled my sister.
I shriek at his response, and everyone’s heads snap in my direction. My eyes meet theirs, and I shake my head as heat warms my cheeks.
Me: Shut up! I did not!
Cody: You did. Leah gave you shit, but it’s all good, babe. I love your cuddles.
Me: *homer Simpson hiding in a bush* GIF
Cody: *laughing emoji* What are you girls getting up to tonight?
Me: Chinese, cocktails, and cheesy 2000s rom coms. We’re watching Bring It On: Again. JP & Q just crashed the party, but they brought milkshakes.
Cody: Gabrielle Union is so hot.
Me: *eye rolling emoji*
Cody: Have fun, Wildflower. Call me tomorrow.
Me: Sweet dreams.
April is here in Texas. The weather is heating up and so is the CTU Eagles baseball team. It’s been a remarkable season with a good chance that we will go far in the postseason.
I’m so ready to get to Omaha where the collegiate tournament is held. If we keep dominating the field the way we have been, there’s no doubt in my mind we’ll be playing through June.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I tousle my hair until it’s the perfect messy look. It’s early Saturday morning, the team bus leaves in a few hours for a local away game weekend. For the last two weeks, while I’ve been balancing attending classes, practices, and games, and my time with my girl, I’ve also been planning out ways to honor the best national holiday—April Fools’ Day.
Now luckily for most of my friends, I don’t do this every year. The last time I dished out epic pranks was freshman year, and only Hud and Brynn were around to remember that. I’m hopingsince I skipped last year that they both were lulled into a false state of security.
Tossing a few outfits into my overnight bag, I run through all my baseball items to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. It’s still early enough that I should be the only one who’s up in the house. Digging through my closet, I find the hidden bag in the back which is full of my supplies.
Tiptoeing out of my room, I pause for a second, listening for any movement from the guys. When nothing sounds out of the ordinary, I head to the shared bathroom the rest of the guys share.
The bathroom is a moderate-sized space with a combination tub and shower, a single sink with a mirrored vanity above the basin, and of course, the toilet. Reaching inside the shower, I pull out Hudson’s shampoo. Bringing the container to the sink, I reach inside my bag for what I’m looking for. Switching out his shampoo, he’ll never know what’s coming.
Once the bottle is returned to the exact spot he had left it in, I pull out the next item and get to work setting up the next prank. Ten minutes go by, and Niko and Hudson’s pranks are set up. Ty’s was a little challenging, but I was able to sneak into his room last night to get his set up.
Closing everything in the bathroom and making sure I’ve left nothing behind, I enter stealth mode as I tiptoe down the stairs. Once I’ve made my way into the kitchen, I head to the pantry for a package of Pop-Tarts before reaching inside the fridge for a lemon-lime sports drink.
Taking a seat on the island, I pull out my phone and open Instagram. The first picture I see damn near makes my heart stop. My Wildflower. She’s laying on her side, body propped up by her elbow, dressed in a white tank top and short set with lace details and a slit separating her top in two underneath her breasts. She’s reading a book with a mug and nail polish on thebed in front of her. Her long golden hair is tousled in messy curls that hang down her body. She’s breathtaking.
As beautiful as she is, it’s the quote underneath her photo that made me pause.
“My light illuminated in his presence because his soul was the one mine had been promised to.” —Nicole Fiorina, Stay With Me
I knew it was a quote from one of her books. I’ve learned over the last couple of months that Chloe loves to annotate the words she reads. Luckily, I’ve witnessed this first hand from when I borrowed her book, but I’ve watched her whip out a soft case filled with highlighters and sticky tabs. When Chloe reads, she doesn’t just skim the words. She absorbs the story and the message behind the black ink.
Chloe Mariano thinks I’m her soulmate. If you would’ve asked me six months ago if I believed in soulmates, I would’ve told you no. But now, after being reunited with the girl who stole my heart and got away, I’d say maybe. Maybe there’s someone out there for all of us. A lost soul out in the universe searching for its mate.
For so long baseball has been my only love. It’s the only love I thought I’d ever have, but something inside of me has changed. I love my pretty Wildflower. She’s mine, and I’ll stop at nothing to make sure she knows how much she truly means to me.
The squeaky sound of a wooden door opening above has me quickly hitting the like button on her photo. Hitting the lock button on the side of my phone, I reach down and gather up my bags, breakfast, and keys before sneaking out the door.
The boys are in for a real treat.
