Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Caroline looks grim. “That’s not what he said?”
My laugh is dry and humorless. “He said I’m his favorite.” Now the emotion threatening to come finally breaks free. A tear rolls down my cheek and I wipe it away, feeling angry and stupid.
Caroline comes over and squishes into the chair beside me, hugging me tight. “I’m sorry, Mia.” There’s a long pause. “God,” she sighs. “That man is so fucking stupid.”
“It’s not his fault,” I say weakly.
Caroline pulls back, face screwed up. “Don’t defend his dumb ass. Please.”
“He never once said we would be exclusive. It’s not like he promised he wouldn’t sleep around. I’m the stupid one for thinking maybe he wouldn’t.”
“You weren’t stupid. You were using common sense–something Nolan apparently lacks.”
I force a cheerful smile. “I’m okay. It’s okay,” I say, wiping at my eyes. “I’m going to be head chef at Taste. It’s more than I could’ve even dreamed of. So what if I have a little boy trouble? I’ll move on. I’ll get over it.”
Caroline looks doubtful, but I can tell she doesn’t want to go back to the part where I was crying again. She gives me another hug. “I might still kill him,” she says, almost to herself.
35
NOLAN
Wind cuts through my jacket, but I don’t go back inside. I’m on the roof of our hotel, eyes glazed as I watch cars below crawl through traffic lights. It’s night out, but the city lights are turning the sky into a sickly green smear. It makes me homesick for a place that isn’t even my home. It makes me wish I was in Frosty Harbor, looking at the mountains and stars there–maybe even with Mia by my side.
I lean my elbows on the half-height wall, thoughts drifting back to earlier. We played our first game in the Stanley Cup series tonight. It was a fucking disaster, thanks to me.
I’ve known my head isn’t in the right place ever since my conversation with Mia, but I assumed I’d be able to pull it together for the match. Instead, I gave up five goals and lost us the first game. I got out of the locker room as quickly as I could and came back to my hotel and snuck up to the roof. The last thing I want right now is the guys laying into me, or worse, trying to cheer me up.
The heavy roof access door squeals from behind me. I turn in surprise and see the guys coming through. It’s Jake, Jesse, Carter, Maddox, and Liam. They’re all changed and cleaned up from the game–dressed like they were planning to go hit a bar or club.
“There he is,” Jake says. “Told you.”
A few of the guys grumble and exchange money. They must’ve placed bets on where I’d be.
I turn my back to them, wishing they’d just let me be tonight.
“I’m not in the mood,” I say.
“That’s the thing,” Carter says, coming up and squeezing both my shoulders from behind. He brings his mouth close to my ear, whispering. “Nobody is ever in the mood for an intervention.”
I scoff, turning now to face all of them. They’re surrounding me in a semi-circle like they think I’m about to make a run for it.
“We’re not mad,” Jake says.
“We’re just disappointed,” Carter says.
Jesse punches him. “We’re not disappointed, either. Carter is a dumbass.”
Carter shrugs. “Sorry. We didn’t really gameplan this conversation. I didn’t realize we weren’t supposed to be disappointed.”
“Come here, baby,” Maddox says, beckoning me closer.
I squint at him. “What?”
“You need a hug,” Maddox says, still reaching for me. “Come on. Just let it happen.”
I shake my head. “I’m not hugging you, Maddox.”
“Yet,” he says, raising a finger and stepping back.
“Really,” I say. “I don’t need an intervention. I fucked up tonight. I know I did. But I’m handling it. It’s not going to happen again.”
“We’re not mad about the game,” Jesse says.
“We’re not?” Carter asks. “Damn. I really wish we talked a little more about what this was going to be about. I had a whole speech ready.”
“We’re worried about you,” Jake says. “Caroline, Andi and Paisley told us what’s going on. I mean, it was pretty damn obvious, either way. But they filled in the gaps for us.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say.
Jesse rolls his eyes. “You and Mia sleeping together every chance you could get for the past year? You guys have basically been long distance dating but neither of you have the balls to call it what it is. And now you’re letting her think you’ve been sleeping around this season?”
“Yeah, dude,” Carter says. “I personally watched you put like three girls straight into a cab after walking out of the stadium with them. I thought it was just some kind of baller move, at first. Like you make them go back to your place, get in bed, and wait for you while you pre-game. I was even planning to work that into my rotation, but Jesse filled me in. Said you’re just making it look like you’re sleeping with them.”