He slowly shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

  “It wasn’t enough time,” I started to say before elaborating, “being here, I mean.”

  “I know. Do you like it though?” he asked before taking a giant bite of his burger.

  “Yeah. I actually like it a lot. You?”

  “I always loved it here as a kid, but I think I like it even more now.”

  “You think you two will stay here then? You’ll never go back to Cali?” I wondered as I finally took a bite of my fish, and the flavors exploded in my mouth. “Damn, this is good.”

  He held up a finger as he finished chewing and swallowed. “We’ve talked about it. We both want a place in California, but for now and the foreseeable future, our home base will be here.”

  “Well, it makes the most sense, right?” I asked.

  The New York Mets had drafted Chance, and even though he was still playing in their farm system at the moment, we all knew he’d be in the Major Leagues within five years. Which meant that he’d have to live in the area. And Danika was working for her dad, who owned a big real estate firm here as well. The two of them being in Manhattan was logical.

  “Yeah. But I still want a place back home. Even if we never technically live there again.”

  I went to say something in response but was distracted by the silver-haired goddess walking through the door. The smile on her face the second her eyes found mine made my fucking heart melt inside my chest. She loved me. I could see it in the way she looked at me.

  I stood up from my chair to greet her, pulling her into my arms for a kiss that showed her just how much I’d missed her while she was gone. When it came to this girl, everything in my life felt right, even the fucked up parts that would have wrecked me before. All of the pieces—especially the jagged, broken ones—were less painful as long as I had her by my side.

  I only hoped I made her feel the same way.

  Back Home

  Sunny

  Our last night in New York had been magical. We’d spent the evening on top of the Empire State Building, freezing our asses off but making some incredible memories. There were still so many things we hadn’t gotten the chance to do or see, but that only made me more determined to come back again. But hopefully, when it was warmer.

  When Danika and Chance dropped us off at the airport, I had to stop myself from crying. I had no idea when I was going to see my best friend again, and this trip had been more than I ever could have expected. I’d always assumed I’d think Manhattan was cool, but I’d had no idea that I’d love it as much as I did. Not to mention, the little detour we had taken yesterday to see her office that turned into more of a sales pitch really. Danika had offered me a job and told me to think about it, but now, it was all I could envision. Working here. With her. In this city.

  But where does that leave me and Mac?

  “Can you see yourself living here?” Mac asked me once we were alone in the airport, and it rattled me, like he was reading my mind somehow.

  I wondered if Danika had mentioned something to him about the job offer, but I knew she wouldn’t do that without telling me first.

  “I don’t know that I’d be any good at it, but I’d love to try.” I laughed, and he seemed to know exactly what I meant.

  “You’d get used to it. I can totally see you here.”

  “You can?” I was so shocked. “I mean, New York is so different from California, and I’ve always been such a SoCal girl,” I overexplained, wanting to hear more about why he thought I belonged here.

  “You’ve always been a bright light, babe. But here, you’re a fucking spotlight.”

  My cheeks turned red, and I covered my mouth with my hand at his compliment.

  “I could see you here too,” I tossed back, and he grinned.

  “I like it,” he said, and that made me happy. “A lot. Hey, did Danika offer you a job yesterday?” he asked, and I almost started coughing.

  “I mean ...” I wasn’t sure what to say. “I guess, technically, she did.”

  He didn’t look surprised or upset. He looked happy. “What’d you say? Is it something you’re interested in?”

  That was the million-dollar question. “It sounds exciting, but I don’t know anything about real estate or rich people, so I’m not really sure.”

  “I bet you’d be great at it,” he said, sounding so freaking supportive that it was almost pissing me off.

  We’d just said we loved each other, and now, he was pushing me away, encouraging me to leave California and him and come here.

  “Why do you think that?” I asked with a snotty tone.

  “Because you’re honest. And people, particularly rich ones, don’t like to be jerked around. Especially when it comes to their money and investments,” he explained, but I was still frowning. “Hey, why are you mad?”

  “You want me to move here?”

  He leaned toward me and reached for my hand. “Sunny, I want you to be happy. And if coming here and working with Danika would make you happy, then yes, that’s what I want.”

  “Without you?” I asked, getting emotional because I no longer looked at my life as separate from his.

  When I saw my life down the road, I saw him next to me. I had no idea where we were, but we were together. What if he didn’t see the same thing?

  “Hell no, not without me.” He looked like I’d slapped him. “I’m just saying”—he rubbed his thumb across the top of my hand—“if you’re interested in working here with Danika, then you should say yes and at least give it a try. You and I will figure the us part out when the time comes. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you.”

  “Unless you get drafted,” I said, the words sliding right out.

  If Mac got drafted, he could end up anywhere, and I wouldn’t be able to follow him the way Danika had with Chance. They’d gotten lucky with the way things had fallen into place for them.

  “We can cross that bridge later. But don’t you dare give up on this opportunity because of me and my dreams. That’s all I’m saying.” He kissed the side of my head, and I leaned into the crook of his neck and closed my eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Mac was being supportive, and I was taking it all wrong. So, I took a deep breath instead and decided to let it go for now. There was nothing to figure out this second anyway. Danika had said my job offer was good until I died, and we wouldn’t know anything about the draft until June. There was no rush to make a decision before we landed back at LAX. I needed to chill out.

  I dropped Mac off at the baseball house, and we kissed for longer than usual as we said our good-byes. New York had been so sweet to us. I’d never forget hearing Mac say that he loved me for the first time under the falling snow, in such a hallowed place. It was funny how hard it was to hold those words inside, but once you finally said them, they came out all the time.

  And it shouldn’t have, but it felt weird, being back home. California was hot, still shorts weather, and it was such an odd thing after just being in the snow, where the atmosphere was so completely different than it was here. I felt like I finally understood what Danika had always tried to explain to me when she lived here. She’d said New York had a distinct vibe, but it’d never made sense before. My head couldn’t even comprehend how they could be so unique from one another, but they were.

  I missed it already.

  I’d never missed a place before.

  Parking my car, I pulled my suitcase out of the trunk and wheeled it toward the doors of my building. I noticed Rocky’s Mustang in the lot with the trunk open. It looked like she was either putting things in her car or taking them out. When I walked into the hallway and rounded the corner, I almost ran straight into her.

  “Oh. Sunny, you’re home,” she said, looking tired. Maybe it was because she wasn’t wearing any makeup. “How was New York?”

  “Hi.” I gave her a hug. “It was incredible. Are you coming or going?” I noticed that her hands were empty, so maybe she was unpacking after all.

  She gave me a soft smile. “I can’t stay. I just came back to get my things.”

  “You’re moving back home?” I asked, sounding sadder than I’d meant to. I didn’t want to make her feel any worse than I knew she already did.

  “I went back for Thanksgiving, and it was so nice. I didn’t realize how much I was just trying to prove a point by being here. Either to myself or everyone else.” She pursed her lips together before continuing, “But in proving how strong I was, I wasn’t dealing with what had happened. Being here alone just let me ignore it and push it away, but it didn’t help me get any better.”

  “I didn’t realize,” I said, feeling guilty. Obviously, I’d noticed that day in the quad had rattled her, but I’d wrongly assumed she’d pull out of it. That it had only been a minor setback in the grand scheme of things and she just needed a little more time. I felt stupidly naive.

  “I want to get better, Sunny. I used to be a really happy person,” she said with a laugh, like it was a silly thing to say but it wasn’t. I could see it. “I just want to be happy again.”

  “I want you to be happy too.”

  And even though I really, really, really didn’t want her to go, I did want her to be okay. Her emotional health most definitely outweighed my own selfish reasons for wanting to keep her here.

  And that was when it hit me like a ton of bricks. The stark realization of how I felt about Rocky’s state of mind and how Mac had said he felt about mine. Him wanting me to be happy, accepting this job with Danika, was more important to him than anything else. He was willing to put his feelings and wants aside for the greater good of my future and my happiness. It was the most selfless thing a person could do for another.

  “Can you tell Baseball Boy I said bye?”

  “He’s going to be devastated he missed you,” I said, tempted to pull my phone out and call Mac so he could see her in person before she took off.

  “He’ll get over it.” She looked at the floor before focusing back on me. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!”

  “What?” I wondered what had gotten her so excited.

  “Hayley’s gone,” she said with a shit-eating grin.

  “No way. What do you mean, gone?” I asked because I knew she only had to finish out this semester before she graduated. “Did you do something to her?”

  Rocky blew out a harsh breath. “I wish. No. She got into a skiing accident. Broke both of her legs. She’s finishing the semester online.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I follow that bitch on all her socials. Gotta stalk your enemies.” She gave me a nod, and I stood there in shock. “I need to go. It’s already later than I planned.”

  “You were going to leave without saying good-bye?” I asked, feeling a little hurt.

  “I wrote you a note. It’s under your door. And I was going to text you later,” she said, like that made everything better, but honestly, it kind of did. Rocky didn’t owe me anything.

  We hugged one last time, and I watched as she left before I made my way into my apartment. I sent Mac a quick text to let him know that Rocky was gone and that Hayley was broken. He called me immediately and pouted—about Rocky, not Hayley. And even though we had originally planned on staying at our own places tonight, he told me to “hurry up” when I asked if I could come over instead.

  None of the guys were at the house when I got there, and Mac and I were so tired from our bodies being three hours ahead that we got into bed early.

  I’d brought Rocky’s note with me, so Mac and I could read it together. It was short and sweet, basically thanking us both for caring about her and that she was sorry she couldn’t stay. She said she wished she’d met us sooner, but now that she had, we weren’t getting rid of her that easily, no matter where we lived. That last part made Mac happy.

  “She’s one of the fiercest people I’ve ever met,” Mac said after I folded the letter in half. I realized then that he felt connected to her somehow. “It’s her attitude and the way she doesn’t back down when life throws her a shit sandwich. She isn’t going down without a fight. I respect that, you know?”

  I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across my face. “You should have seen her that day with Hayley,” I said, and he gave me a confused look. “When Hayley called you and you told me to get away from her,” I added, and his face fell. “Rocky was amazing. If she hadn’t been there, I don’t know what I would have done, but for every crappy word that came out of Hayley’s mouth, Rocky made her choke on it.”

  Mac clapped his hands together. “You never told me that. I wish I had seen it.”

  “It was pretty epic.”

  “Sounds like it.” He seemed lost in his head for a moment, imagining the scene he’d missed out on.

  “You’re tough too, you know.” I wanted to remind him that he had also done things that required strength, albeit in a different way. It wasn’t easy, going against your parents’ wishes and carving out a life they never approved of or supported. “You defy your dad every day you stay out here and step on that field.”

  He huffed out a small breath. “It’s not the same.”

  I knew that he didn’t see his actions the way I did.

  “It still takes strength. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do it. And I respect you for it,” I added that last part at the end because I knew Mac hadn’t felt respected for most of his life.

  “If you don’t fight for yourself, who else will, right?” He gave me a small smile and a kiss before lying down, his eyes closing the second they hit the pillow.

  I woke up the next morning to the sound of dishes crashing in the other room and Mac not lying next to me. After getting dressed, I pulled open the door and peeked around the corner. Matt was standing in the kitchen.

  “I heard a rumor that you do all the cooking in the house,” I said, and he jumped about twenty feet in the air.

  “Sunny. Hey! I didn’t realize you were here.” He walked over to me and gave me a quick hug.

  “Hands off my girl, Transfer,” Mac’s voice boomed, and Matt immediately raised his hands in the air.

  “Where were you?” I asked Mac as he wrapped me in his arms and nuzzled into my neck.

  “Shower. I came out, and you were gone,” he said.

  I hadn’t even heard the water running.

  “Where’s everyone else?” I asked, meaning Colin and Dayton.

  “I’m sure they’ll be out any second,” Matt said as the toaster dinged. “They smell the food and come running.”

  “I don’t run,” Colin appeared, wiping his eyes with his hands. “Sunny.” He smiled so big.

  Out of all the guys in the house, Colin was definitely my favorite. Maybe it was because when it came to Mac, he had been on my side from the beginning, and he seemed to want us together. I always appreciated the support.

  “How was your Thanksgiving?” he asked me.

  “It was the best. How was yours?”

  Colin shrugged. “Decent. Whatever. It wasn’t New York—that’s for sure.”

  “Yeah, thanks for the invite,” Dayton added as he entered the room and pulled his baseball hat low. “I’m jealous you hung out with Carter. How is he?”

  I stayed quiet, knowing that last question wasn’t meant for me.

  As the guys caught up and talked about Chance, Matt slid a plate of food in my direction. “I kinda wish I’d been here last year, so I could have met the guy.”

  “Oh, you mean, Chance?” I asked.

  “Yeah. They all worship him, and I feel left out.”

  That made me giggle. “He’s not that great,” I said playfully.

  His brows shot up. “Really? He’s not?”

  “No. He is. I just wanted to make you feel better.”

  He snapped his fingers. “I knew it. You know what would make me feel better?” he asked.

  I got a little uncomfortable, not knowing what might come out of his mouth next even though Mac was only a few feet away. He wasn’t paying attention.

  “Whaaaat?” I asked, drawing out the word.

  “These cookies I keep hearing about. That’s the other thing they won’t shut up about. But I’ve never seen them. Are they real?”

  “They’re real. I’ll bring you some later this week.”

  “Really? That’d be great, Sunny. Thanks.” He forked food into his mouth and chewed with a smile.

  We all sat there, eating and talking, while Dayton and Mac seemed caught up in something private between them. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

  Colin moved his plate next to mine and leaned on the counter, staring at me. “I’m so glad that Operation SunnyMac worked,” he whispered like he didn’t want anyone to overhear, but I assumed that everyone had already known about it.

  “What was that all about anyway?” I asked, intrigued.

  “Just about you two getting together.”

  “That’s it?”

  “It needed to happen.”

  “So, what was the big plan then?” I asked because the last time I’d checked, no one had helped us work through our issues and figure it all out, except Mac and me.

  Colin blushed. “There wasn’t one.”

  I choked and laughed at the same time. “You had a code name for us, but there was no plan?”

  “It’s just what I called you guys. It was obvious you liked each other. And he was so mopey that I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing we worked it out, huh? Thanks for all the non-help.” I smacked his arm.

  “Hey,” he complained, and I realized that Colin wanted some of the credit. “I helped. I kicked Hayley out that one time and told her she couldn’t come back.”

  “Did you hear what happened to her?” Dayton was suddenly back in the conversation.

  “Yeah, she broke her legs in some skiing accident in Mammoth,” Colin offered nonchalantly. “She won’t be back.”

  “She did? Damn,” Matt said. Clearly, this was news to him.