Page 68 of The Change Up

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“Thanks, Hudson. It’ll be your turn to come visit me.”

The sound of soft feet padding against the floor interrupts our conversation, and I look over my shoulder to find my Wildflower—looking like an absolute hot mess. Her blond hair is all over the place, creases mar her forehead where she’s squinting from the light, and her body sags as if she’s in pain.

“Good morning, princess,” Hudson greets Chloe with a chuckle.

“You look like shit,” Leah adds.

Chloe tosses her middle finger over her shoulder as she beelines straight to the coffee. Getting up from my chair, I follow her.

Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her to my front and trail soft kisses down her neck. “Morning, beautiful.”

She groans at my greeting, and I chuckle. Chloe Mariano is not a drinker, and she definitely doesn’t do hangovers. Stepping out of my embrace, she makes her way over to the table, plops in a chair, and rests her head on the table. Hudson and Leah both laugh at her pain.

“What time is your flight?” I ask my sister as I take my seat again.

“Four. I have an Uber scheduled to pick me up at two.”

“I can take you.”

She shakes her head. “Nope, I’ve got this. We can say our awkward goodbye here and not at the airport. Plus, you can’t even go back with me.”

I nod, resigned to the fact that she’s right.

“I’m going to go grab a shower in your room,” she says, standing and patting me on the shoulder as she heads past me. She stops and kisses Chloe on her head. “Feel better, my cuddle bug.”

My heart warms at the gesture and the words that come out of her mouth. Those are the same words I would whisper to my sister when she wasn’t feeling good.

I don’t think there’s anything better in the world than seeing your sister and girlfriend get along so seamlessly.

Chloe and I have been wrapped up under the covers in my bed for over an hour since my sister left. She’s dozed on and off since taking pain relievers and electrolyte drinks while I’ve watched highlights on ESPN.

I’ve been checking my phone sporadically as I wait for my sister’s text letting me know she’s boarding her flight.

Fingers trace my stomach causing a chill to spread through my body. Glancing down, I meet Chloe’s gaze as she stares up at me.

“I can’t believe you’re mine again,” I murmur against the top of her head as her lips find my side.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about your dad?” My body freezes at his mention because I’ve wanted to keep her away from thoughts of him. He hasn’t earned the right to meet this sweet, caring, incredible girl.

“And before you panic,” Chloe continues, “Leah filled me in on how problematic he is. Cody, he verbally abuses you and threatens you with our future. Is that why you never answered my texts?”

Leah and her big mouth, but in her defense, these are conversations I should’ve been having with Chloe. I just didn’t want her to feel guilty.

“Yes, he’s part of the reason.” Sitting up, I lean my back against my headboard as Chloe shifts so that we are both facing each other. “I honestly thought we’d never see each other again, but while he was in the hospital he saw my phone and your name flash. He used you to twist things in my head telling me that I’d never amount to anything, that I’d always let yoube a distraction, that I couldn’t have you and have a future in baseball.

“Was it absolutely bullshit to listen to a word he said? Abso-fucking-lutely, but I was eighteen years old and thought he was still looking out for me. I thought that if I chose you, I couldn’t have baseball. But it was just his way of twisting the truth in his form of fun. He loves playing mind games, and once he feels he’s planted an inkling of doubt, he uses it and manipulates the situation.”

Taking a breath, I find her watching me. She doesn’t say anything, and I’m afraid I’m losing her all over again. “I realized what he was doing halfway through my freshman year here when the texts started rolling in after every game. I could pitch the best game, but he’d always find a way to criticize me. Things as little as how I chose the wrong pitch. One time he called to recite statistics of opposing hitters, just so he could get in my head by psyching me out on how good the batters I would be facing were. It was then I realized he wanted me to fail. He couldn’t make it so he didn’t want me to make it. I’m his son, and he’s jealous of me. He wants me to fail like he did.”

“I’m sorry, Cody. I’m sorry you’ve had to live with this.” She leans forward and flings her arms around me as she crawls into my lap. “But it’s time to let him go. You are incredible. You are going to do great things. The pros are looking at you, and that’s something to be proud of. You did it. He had nothing to do with where you are today.”

“I just need to keep taking it until Leah is out.”

“I’m really glad I got to meet her,” Chloe says, a smile spreading across her face.

Leaning forward, I gently brush my lips against hers. “I’m glad you two got to meet. I loved having both of my girls in the stands watching me play.”

Chloe slides off my lap, and I fight the groan that wants to escape. “Speaking of baseball,” she starts, and I can sense her energy change. “What’s your-um-your future look like with baseball?”