Greg and Joni’s beautiful Chelsea apartment had an almost 360-degree view of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River. They lived in the exclusive 100 Eleventh Avenue building. I’d always wanted to tour one of the apartments in the modern glass building, but now that I was standing in front of the spectacular view, I felt out of place.

This kind of luxury was worlds away from the life I lived just a few miles up the street. It was the kind of life Cooper lived, and I just didn’t fit in.

I touched the opal Cooper had given me. The stone felt heavy around my neck. Our differences were never clearer. I’d been right to push him away. It had been fun playing Cinderella for a while, but this wasn’t my life. I had more important things to focus on now.

As he introduced me around the room, I smiled, falling into the role of devoted girlfriend. Everyone was nice, but I felt like a fraud. I’d never see any of these people again.

Joni, the woman from the charity auction that had started this whole thing, approached us. “I’m glad to see that you and Cooper actually had a real connection. After that bid, I knew there had to be something there.” She smiled and shook her head. “I swear, I thought Cooper was a lost cause before you came along. I’m so happy things worked out.”

“I wasn’t going to give up my freedom for just anyone,” Cooper said, pulling me a little closer.

“You make it sound as if I’m holding you captive. You’re not my prisoner. You can leave anytime you want.”

“I don’t know. I’m still not convinced Coop’s not holding her prisoner.” Ramon leaned in and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Blink twice if you’re being held against your will. Blink three times if you need help escaping.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. It worries me is that she’s free to leave anytime she wants.” Cooper picked up my hand and brought it to his lips. “That’s why I have to bring my A-game. I need to make damn sure you never want to leave.”

A few people within earshot laughed, and my stomach turned. I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or if this was still part of the act. I smiled and laughed along, continuing to play my part. To his credit, Cooper was charming and attentive all night, never leaving my side. He introduced me to everyone in the room and always made sure I was part of the conversation. If things hadn’t crashed and burned so badly the other night, I could see us working out.

It was just past eleven when his teammate Greg pulled him away.

“I’ll only be gone a minute or two,” he said and kissed my cheek. He turned to Marcela. “Try not to tell her too many terrible things about me while I’m gone.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Marcela said with a wink. “We want Emily to stay with you as much as you do. Maybe even more. My husband has a much better chance of staying out of trouble if you’re behaving, too.”

“Me? When have I ever caused trouble?” Cooper flashed her a mischievous grin.

“Coop, kiss your girl and let's go. The other guys are waiting.”

He pulled me in for another kiss, slow and heartfelt. When he touched me like that, I couldn’t help but melt. He walked away, trailing his fingers down my arm, holding on until the very last second.

“Look at you two,” Joni said, giving me a sad smile. “Can’t be apart for even a few minutes. Are you sure you’re ready to part of the New York’s wives’ club?”

“More like the New York widow’s club,” another woman whose name I couldn’t remember said, shaking her head.

“What Candi is trying to say is things might be nice now, but after the season starts, it’s like being single again.”

“Except, you don’t date other men, and you learn to have sex around the baseball schedule,” Candi grumbles.

“My son’s teacher thought I was a single mother for the longest time,” Marcela said with a laugh. “When I told her that my husband was New York’s right fielder, she thought I was joking.”

“Spring used to be my favorite season,” Marcela said. “Now when I see daffodils, I want to cry.”

“I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving and Christmas because those are the only holidays you get,” Candi said. “When’s your birthday?”

“July 19th,” I said, feeling on the spot.

“Mine’s April 20th. I’ve been married for ten years, and he’s only been in town to celebrate my birthday once.”

“I’m just glad we planned our son’s birth for November. Greg was able to be here for us this last month,” Joni said. “I was never much of a planner until after I married a professional baseball player. Now everything revolves around the season.”

“I suck at planning. Justin missed both our son and daughter’s birth,” Candi said.

The crackers I’d eaten earlier started to roil in my stomach, a mixture of nerves and the baby. I swallowed and forced a smile.

“And there’s always a chance he’ll get traded, and you’ll be forced to move,” Joni said. “Greg was traded from Phoenix right after our daughter was born. I had to uproot our family and move to a city where I didn’t know anyone. Thank God for the other wives, or I wouldn’t have made it.”

I hadn’t even thought about Cooper getting traded. He just signed a two-year contract, but still, that was only two years. I couldn’t leave New York. This was the only home I knew. I couldn’t leave the shelter or the large extended family I’d gathered over the years.

“Now, come on ladies. We want her to stick around, not scare her off,” Joni said, handing me a glass of wine. “There are plenty of great things they aren’t telling you. Like the winter. Greg has been home for over two months, and we’re planning a big trip to Florida in January.”

“And the money isn’t bad. When Justin was still in AAA, we both had to work. Between our jobs and playing baseball, I hardly saw him.”

“Yes, the travel is nice,” Marcela chimed in. “I’ll fly out to where ever the team is playing and spend the weekend. While Ramon is playing, I get to explore the city. LA, Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis, Orlando.”

That wasn't much better. I didn’t have time to take long vacations or travel around the country. The longer I talked with these women, the more I realized there were a million things I hadn’t thought about when it came to dating a Major League baseball player.

“Sorry, I took so long, Baby.” Cooper kissed my temple and draped an arm around me. “It’s almost midnight. Do you want to stand on the balcony and watch the fireworks?”

“That’d be great,” I said, setting down my untouched glass of wine. “I could use the fresh air.”

As the clock struck midnight, Cooper pulled me in for a kiss, and the realization that this could be our last kiss hit me.

“We’ll make this work,” he said, still holding me in his arms. “I thought a lot about it over the last week, and I think we should get married. I can take care of you and the baby. We can have what Greg and Joni have.”

I glanced over his shoulder to the stunning apartment filled with couples toasting the New Year. I wasn’t sure I wanted what Greg and Joni had.

“You know that’s a terrible idea. We shouldn’t get married just because I’m pregnant. We’ll both end up miserable, and I don’t want that for our child.” I pulled away, tears stinging the back of my throat and took a deep breath. “I’m not feeling well. I’d like to go home. If you want to stay—”

“If you want to go, I’ll take you.” He reached up and tucked a curl behind my ear. “Just promise me you won’t shut me out. Promise me, you’ll give us a chance.”

I wanted to, but the divide that separated us felt insurmountable.

“I think right now I just need some space to think. Can you do that for me?”