“Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. He could still be busy or, I don’t know, out with friends.”
“Really?” Mav asks with a chuckle. “No can do. I’ve gotta be north of the city for dinner. I have just enough time to drop you, say hey to Rhett, and get back on the road.”
“You’re leaving me?”
“Relax. I’ll be back later tonight.”
“What’s north of the city?”
“The Wildcats. My team.” He taps the Wildcats hat resting on the dash. “Forgot I was a big shot pro hockey player, didn’t you?” He winks.
“I don’t think you get to call yourself a big shot pro hockey player until you play an actual pro game.”
He grins.
“Do they let you drop in and practice during the Valley off-season?”
“Nah, just have a meeting with the coach and my agent.”
I’m too worried about seeing Rhett to pry, but a few minutes later Mav asks, “Wanna know a secret?”
I nod.
“I’m not going back to Valley next year.”
“Why not?”
He shrugs a big shoulder. “It’s time. We won a national championship. There’s no topping that.”
“Wow. Does anyone else know?”
He shakes his head. “It’s our little secret.”
I blow out a shaky breath as he exits the freeway.
He takes his eyes off the road for a second to look at me. “You’re gonna be fine.”
“What if he isn’t excited to see me?”
“That’s what you’re worried about?”
“I hate surprises. They never go as planned.” Something Elias said earlier keeps replaying in my mind. “Stop. Pull over.”
Mav’s brow furrows but he pulls into a coffeehouse parking lot just off the freeway. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I can’t do this.”
“Sie—”
“Not because I’m afraid he doesn’t want to see me.” I turn to face him. “I’m a motherfucking badass.”
Mav’s body shakes with laughter. “Yeah, you are.”
“He asked this one thing of me. I can’t roll up and try to convince him not to do it.”
“What about telling him you love him?”
“I will, but for now, I think I have to believe in what we have. If I show up there, I’m basically proving that I can’t handle whatever life throws at us. I can. I’m strong enough. If he wants to run, that’s on him. But I’m here or I was there. I was strong enough but he wasn’t.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Mav says.
I open the door, phone in the other hand. “Give me five?”
“Stay. I’ll grab some coffee.”
“Thanks.” I shut the door and Maverick gets out of the vehicle.
I have no idea what I’m going to say, but my finger hovers over Rhett’s number when a text pops up.
Rhett: Hey, angel. Back in MN and have a new phone.
A second one pops up while I’m rereading the first for a third time.
Rhett: This is just something I have to do. I can’t explain it. I know it’s the worst possible timing with school ending, but I can’t come back until I’m sure… Fuck, I don’t even know what I need to be sure of.
Rhett: I’m sure that I miss you.
I type out a dozen responses. I want to tell him how I feel and beg him to come back. Of course, I do. I miss him. But if he doesn’t want to lean on me right now, I can’t force him to.
Me: I miss you too. I get it. Do what you have to do, but I’m here if you need anything.
I power off my phone so I don’t crack and tell him I love him over text message. He’ll come back. He has to.
Mav climbs back into the driver’s seat, hands me a cup, and sets his in the middle console. “Well?”
“I’m sorry that I dragged you fifteen hundred miles from school for nothing, but I have to let him do this his way.”
He nods slowly. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“All right.” He slides on his sunglasses. “Wanna meet my new team?”
34
Sienna
Mav and I get back to Valley Wednesday night and the rest of the week I’m playing catch up on my classes. It has been a crazy month but luckily my professors are as eager for the semester to be over as I am and I didn’t miss any quizzes or major assignments.
And without Rhett or skating to occupy my time, by Friday evening I’m caught up and bored. I finally meet up with the girls at the dining hall. I knew they’d have a million questions and I’m not disappointed. The second we sit down at a table, they start asking me questions about Rhett.
“You went all that way there and then didn’t even go see him?” Ginny asks.
“I couldn’t. I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.”
“Have you heard from him?” Reagan smiles sadly.
“Just a couple texts.” I shake my head. “Hopefully he’s dealing or doing whatever he needs to.”
“It’s only been a week,” Dakota says.
A week that has felt like an eternity. I hoped that from afar maybe he’d open up more, but it’s been radio silence while he deals with this on his own.
“Yeah.” I sit taller. “I know. I just miss him.”
“I can’t believe you drove all that way,” Reagan says.
“It wasn’t a total loss. I got to meet Elias finally, and the Wildcats roster. I’m not sure which was more exciting.”
Dakota leans forward. “I know Elias is your best friend and all, but the locker room of men. One man is never better than a hockey roster full of them.”
“Except when it’s the right one,” Reagan says.
With a roll of her eyes, Dakota says, “Well, until then…” She waves her hand. “I need details.”
I tell them everything I can remember about Maverick’s new team and the giant arena where they practice. I leave out that he’s going to be playing for them sooner rather than later. As far as I know, Maverick hasn’t told anyone else about his decision to leave Valley and go pro next year.
Eventually Reagan and Ginny leave us to sit with their boyfriends.
“Are you aware that Mav thinks you were sexting him while we were gone,” I tell Dakota as we leave the dining hall.
“Umm… what?”
“The picture you sent him with Charli. He has this whole theory on how sending a picture with his dog is better than sending dick pics.”
She stares blankly.
“As in, more effective at getting him laid.”
“So that’s why he keeps sending me photos of him and Charli.”
We both laugh.
“What’s your night like?” Dakota asks. “Wanna hang out?”
“I’d love to, but I had to trade some classes while I was gone. Tonight I’m teaching two beginner-level yoga classes.”
“I’ll come with you. I was going to run at the track, but the last class I took with you kicked my ass. How long have you been doing it?”