Page 81 of The Change Up
Jogging up the stairs to the third floor where all of the private study rooms are located, my eyes scan to the open floor plan below the steps. Long rectangles are gathered in the center while rows of books span the border of the room. A large desk sits in the center, welcoming students. It’s not the expansive woodwork that has my eyes bouncing back, it’s the messy bun of honey-blond hair and a pastel purple sweater that has my eyes pausing.
Down below amid students is my Wildflower. Even in a room filled with people, it’s like she calls out to me. My body is always aware of her presence. With one last glance, I finish climbing the flight of stairs.
Entering the beige room that feels more like a prison cell than a welcoming place to study, I take the last seat available.
“Cutting it a bit close, Mr. Jacobs,” the library attendant addresses me. Each week a member of the library staff sits in our two-hour-long session to ensure we are all using the time block to our advantage. Nothing like being a junior in college and needing a babysitter.
Without acknowledging her, I sit down, pulling out my textbooks. Hudson meets my gaze across the way. He raised an eyebrow asking me if everything was okay.
Giving him a tight nod, I start reading over the chapters for my psych class.
It’s not long before my mind starts drifting to everything it can imagine besides the material I need to be learning.
Coach Weber moved our meeting to tomorrow since we got back too late to chat before study tables. I have a feeling he’s going to give me an update on what the scouts are saying. I’ve been pitching exceptionally, especially after almost losing it all with the elbow injury last season. There’s a chance I will be given an early offer.
But I don’t think I want that. For years, the goal has always been to get to the major league. To prove to my dad that I could do it, even though he couldn’t.
I placed so much pressure on myself with his constant mind games of telling me I’m not strong enough, talented enough, or good enough. Baseball has always been my way to get out of his house, to find something productive to do with my time so that I wasn’t spending extra time under his roof with the drunken words he’d spew at us. I realized somewhere along the way that I had a natural talent for the game.
The natural progression was to aim for a scholarship at a university far enough away from Georgia. Once I was accepted at CTU, it only made sense to focus on a new goal. And that goal was playing professionally.
But now there’s Chloe to factor into the equation.
Until this year, I was never a guy to consider changing the course of my life over a girl. But that was before Chloe. Because she stole my heart. And now I can’t stand the thought of not getting to see her. It may not happen every day, but as often as I can.
There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to leave her behind. Not only with the idea of leaving college early, but there’s also the training camps and traveling for away games where I’ll be gone more often than not. And who knows where she will end up after she graduates? Chloe’s talented with her words, her cooking, hell, everything she sets her mind to. She might end up needing to be in a big city where the large magazines are headquartered. While most major cities in the United States have a major league baseball team, who’s to say I’ll end up in the same one? I could be in LA while she’s in NY. Or Toronto while she’s in Chicago. Do I really want to spend the next however many years separated?
And I know I’m jumping the gun. This relationship is fresh, but I do not doubt that Chloe and I are endgame. I don’t believe we were put in each other’s path again without being destined for something bigger.
Chloe Mariano has stolen my heart, and one day, I hope she steals my last name.
I’m lost in thought when a balled-up piece of paper smacks me in the head. Glancing up, I find Hudson smirking back at me. Creases form between my eyes as I give him a quizzical expression. He chuckles. “Dude, the session is over. Where the hell were you for the last two hours?”
Looking around the room, I see that some of the guys have already cleared out. Where the hell was I? Did I seriously just space out for two hours?
“That two hours flew by.”
“Well, yeah. Your head was in the clouds the entire session. Please tell me you were at least daydreaming about Chloe?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about her and the big leagues and everything in between.”
“Bro, you’re going to turn yourself gray with all that worrying. Stop stressing and let’s just enjoy this season. You’veshaped up to be a helluva captain. The underclassmen are thriving this year, and it has to do with you. Your energy is contagious on the field.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Now, go get your girl.” His head nods in the direction of where Chloe is still sitting at the table. I have no idea how long she’s been here, but knowing Chloe, she’s due for a break. And I’m due for some one-on-one time with my girl.
Closing the distance between her and me, I sit down opposite her. She doesn’t even acknowledge that someone is sitting across from her. Typical Chloe, lost in her head.
Clearing my throat, I try to get her attention. Her body flinches at the disruption. Slowly, she turns her head and faces me. Eyes widening, I watch as my favorite smile spreads across her beautiful face.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Hey, handsome.”
“C’mon.” I stand, rounding the table until I’m standing directly beside her. I watch her as her face scrunches in the adorable way that I’ve gotten used to watching over the years.
“Wh-what?”
