Page 52

CHAPTER 52

Charlie

“Cami, Charlie! Sophie is calling!”

I pull her down from the counter and she practically shoves me out of the bathroom. We rush to the living room and Mia meets me in the hallway with my phone, handing it over. I slide my thumb across to answer the call and put it up to my ear.

“Hey, Soph,” I say, breathless.

“Hey, Charlie. Are you doing okay?”

“As well as is to be expected, I guess. Do you have news for me?”

“Yeah. Can you come into the office to meet with me?”

“Now?”

“I figured you’d want answers now, unless you want to wait until the morning.”

“No, now is fine. You can’t tell me over the phone?”

“I’d just rather we discuss it in person,” she says and my stomach sinks.

“Come on, just tell me if I’m getting traded. I’d rather not drag it out.” Cami places her hand on my arm and squeezes in support.

“You know I wouldn’t drag it out if I didn’t need to. Just come to the office and I’ll explain everything.”

I hang up the phone and the room is silent, waiting for me to speak. Cami looks up at me nervously and the rest of the faces surrounding me aren’t much different.

I’ve held it together pretty well today, but if I’m being honest I am an absolute wreck inside. When Cami showed me the news article this morning, I felt like I was going to be sick. Everything I was afraid was going to happen seemed like it was happening despite all the work we put in to prevent it.

She has been a solid rock all day, making lunch for me and offering herself up to hear any thoughts I need to get out, but I haven’t really taken her up on her offer. It felt like if I let any of my doubts or fears out, the fragile facade I had in place would shatter. I was on my way to a small breakdown when Sophie called, and considering the fact that she didn’t give me much reassurance, I don’t feel far off from one right now.

“She wants me to come to the office,” I say directly to Cami, even though the rest of them can hear me.

“Did she say why?”

“No, just said she wants to discuss it in person.”

“Okay,” she says quietly.

“It’s going to be okay,” I say as I reach my hand out and slip it behind her neck, pulling her towards me and placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Do you want me to go with you?” she asks.

“No, I’ve got this. I’ll come right back.”

I hug her and the guys, then squeeze my sister tight before jumping in the car and driving to Sophie’s office. The sun is setting outside and I start to think about what my life will be like if I get traded. No more New York City sunsets, no more busy traffic, no more loud streets in the middle of the night—all things someone might complain about, but have become like home to me.

No more Cami, no more Alana, no more Alex or Soren or Theo or Mia. That’s the biggest gut punch. After sharing some of my anxiety about my past with Cami, I have felt like I can breathe a little easier. I know that, even if I had to go to another team, that feeling would follow me there.

I’m not saying it wouldn’t take me a while to warm up, but I don’t think I would be as closed off as I was when I started with the Rangers. I have grown a lot in the last few months, and I feel proud of myself for it. The thing that I was most afraid of, being traded, doesn’t seem like nearly as big of a giant as it did back in December.

I remind myself of these things as I enter the building and walk up to Sophie’s office. She’s already there, sitting behind her desk, but stands and crosses the room to pull me into a hug.

“I am so sorry about all of this. I can’t imagine the day you’ve had.”

“It’s been pretty sucky, but it happens.”

Someone clears their throat behind me and I turn, shocked to see Coach Smith and Michael Montgomery, the owner of the Rangers, at the door to the office. My heart starts beating fast at the sight, because if they’re here then this is official. I can’t help but think this means they are certainly trading me, and it just got leaked early, but I try not to jump the gun.

“Cade, Sophie,” Coach says as he shakes our hands. Michael follows and they both sit down next to me.

“Well, I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re all here together,” Coach starts.

“I am, sir.”

“Sophie, why don’t you tell him what we’ve discovered today.”

“I’m happy to. This morning, right after you called, I got on the phone with my source at The New York Post and asked them where they got their information. They were, of course, reluctant to share with me, but eventually broke and told me the name.”

“Is it someone I know?”

“Troy.”

“You’re kidding. I can’t believe he’d do something like that.”

“I know. He’s an angry guy, but I didn’t think he would stoop this low. Anyways, once I learned who it was I was pretty sure I knew it wasn’t the truth, but I had to reach out to Coach Smith to be certain. He and I then met with Michael, and we determined that it was absolutely not true.”

The breath leaves my lungs in one big whoosh and I must look visibly relieved, because Coach laughs.

“Boy, do you really think we’d trade you? After the fantastic year you’ve had so far?”

“I-I wasn’t sure,” I say, mind reeling and trying to take in everything they’re saying.

“Charlie, we really value you as a player and as a person on our team,” Coach says. “I would fight for you if they came to me and told me they wanted to trade, but I didn’t need to because Michael sees the value in you that I do.”

“He’s right. Not only are you a beast on the ice, but we’ve been seeing the work you’re putting in with the team. You belong here.”

The words settle something within me that I didn’t know was out of place. Feeling like I belong on a team is not something I’ve experienced since that day in high school, and I hadn’t even realized that I had started to feel that again with the Rangers until he said it.

I do feel like I belong, and I know those guys are my family. They would stick up for me if I ever needed it, and if I had an emergency I know they’d be by my side in an instant. They have my back and they want good things for me, and I know that with certainty. It feels so good to be able to feel that again with a group of guys.

“We let the Hurricanes’ owner know. I’m not sure what they’re going to do about it, if anything.”

“Thank you all for investigating and figuring out what happened so quickly. It’s been eating Cami and I up all day,” I say.

“I wish we could have figured it all out faster, but you know how these things go,” Sophie says.

“This is all fantastic news, but why did we need to do this in person? Sophie probably could have explained this to me over the phone.”

“That’s where I come in,” Michael says.