I really didn’t know what to say to that. I went for deflection and learning more about her.
“Have you dated much since?”
“On and off. At first people told me I needed to get back out there. They set me up with brothers and friends. Then I tried online dating, but that was mostly just casual hookups.” She stopped talking and looked up with concerned eyes. “Oh God – was that an over-share?”
I chuckled. “No, I appreciate the honesty. No judgment here. I think I probably would have fallen into the casual hookup scene too if it weren’t for—” An image of Adele flashed before me. Hands crossed at her waist and eyes fire. God, she’d been so sexy and strong – so exactly what I’d needed. “A friend looked out for me.”
“That’s good that you had someone to do that for you. Most of my friends laid low for a while. They called and tried to say and do the right things, but I was pretty unpleasant to be around.”
She was right. It’d been the same for me. If it hadn’t been for Adele, I’d probably still be drinking myself into a stupor. She’d looked out for me when I needed it. I had a feeling she did that for people a lot.
Who did it for her?
I stood, totally unsure of just about everything except one single thing. I needed to be that person for Adele. The person that looked out for her even when she maybe didn’t realize she needed it. New York was all wrong for her. I felt that down to my core, and if there was even a slight chance that she was as miserable as I was, I needed to help her.
“I’m so sorry, but I need to be somewhere.”
I’d go to New York and I’d… fuck, I didn’t know. Call her? If I saw with my own eyes that she was happy, and she had everything she ever wanted in New York then I would move on. I just needed to be sure she was okay first.
I gave a shit apology to Foster and Lauren, thanked Olivia, made excuses, and got the hell out of there. It was all hurried and chaotic and probably a little nuts, but I was afraid if I waited even another day, I’d talk myself out of it.
Being a pussy was a far saner option.
I took off toward Chance’s place. I couldn’t see Adele until I’d come clean with him. I hated the idea of telling Adele’s secrets, but I needed his nod of approval. If he thought she was better off with Richard and in New York then I’d turn around and go back home.
Chance and Aubrey had moved into a new house shortly after Adele left, but I found the place without any trouble. CJ was already in bed, so Chance and I went out on the back porch.
He was quiet as I told him a rough version of events, how I’d fallen for her while I’d been living with her those two weeks, how I’d been unable to stop thinking about her since.
“There’s one more thing,” I told him, running a hand over my jaw, wondering if he was going to break it when I finished. “I kissed her.”
“You and my sister?” His dark brows raised. “You kissed Adele?”
“She stopped it straight away. It was all me.”
“And that was it?”
“She left for New York an hour later and the next time I saw her she was getting engaged.”
Aubrey joined us outside, sliding into a chair next to Chance and holding a mug in both hands. “You haven’t talked to her at all since she left?”
Chance and I gave her a confused look.
“What, I was standing at the door eavesdropping, okay?”
“I’ve been emailing her, but she hasn’t responded.”
They were quiet as I finally took a breath and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.
Chance and Aubrey shared some sort of non-verbal look that must have said a million things because suddenly Chance’s eyes widened and then he looked to me. “Oh fuck, you’re not here just to come clean, are you? You really like her.” He shook his head and muttered something under his breath. Aubrey placed her hand over his and he shook his head. “You’re sweating and you look like you’re going to toss your cookies. You’re nervous, which means you’re worried what I’m going to say. If I’m going to give you my blessing or not. Because I know you won’t go after her without it.”
He was right. Of course, he was right. I wish he weren’t. I wanted to chase after her with reckless abandon. Screw the consequences.
“Yeah, mate, I really like her. She’s beautiful and considerate and stubborn. Loyal… she’s just good. And I know I didn’t spend that much time with her, but I just feel it… deep down. We belong together.”
Aubrey smiled big, but Chance wasn’t so easily won over with my proclamation.
He crossed both arms over his chest. “Tell me this, if you and Adele were flying somewhere together and you got upgraded to first class and she didn’t, what would you do?”
“I don’t understand how that’s relevant.”
“Just humor me.”
“I’d upgrade her as well so we could sit together.”
“What if that wasn’t an option. Only one seat in first class. Would you take the upgrade or rough it with her in economy?”
“I don’t know.”
“No wrong answer. It’s just a hypothetical what-if.”
I ran a hand through my hair. God, I hated economy seats. My legs were too long, and someone always recognized me and then stared at me or snapped sleeping, mouth hanging open, pics of me. “I’d give her the first-class ticket and I’d sit in the back by myself.”
He and Aubrey exchanged another secret look and then she squealed and clapped excitedly. I had no clue what it meant.
“That was the perfect answer and you know it,” Aubrey said to her husband.
“I thought there was no wrong answer.”
“I lied.” Chance grimaced. “Look, I like you Finn. You might even be the guy for Adele, but I don’t know if I can give my blessing for you to storm the castle. If you’ve been trying to contact her and she’s ignored you, that must be for a reason.”
I deflated. He’d hit on something I’d thought, but hearing someone else say it made it real. No matter what I believed was best for Adele it was biased and there’d been no real indication she wanted to hear from me.
All I had to go on was gut instinct.
“We’re leaving in the morning. Let me see her and get a feel for the situation. She’s been through too much. I don’t want to wreck the life she’s building.”
I nodded and swallowed around the lump in my throat. Taking action was so much easier than sitting around, but I respected him too damn much to go against his wishes.
“Will you just tell her I said hello?”
“Of course.”
We stood and he walked me back through the house and to the front door.
“I’ll call you when we get back.”
“Yeah, alright.” I waved to Aubrey. She stood in the kitchen biting her lip and looking worried. I didn’t have a read on her, but the expression on her face had me leaning toward worried I’d blow up Adele’s life. “Have a safe trip.”
Finn
The following week, I was finally cleared to workout with the team. I had to take it easy and I wasn’t ready for games, but I was getting there. I threw myself into recovery as a distraction. On Thursday, the day the team flew to Seattle for another away game, I spent the whole day at the practice facility. I worked myself to exhaustion. That night I slept like the dead. Ten hours straight. My body ached like I hadn’t moved since my head hit the pillow.