Page 14

Fourteen

Henry

Three sets of eyes are laser-focused on me standing in the middle of the bridal shop as the woman I love runs away. I can’t be the only one who sees the irony here.

“Why are you still standing there?” Rowan asks.

And he’s right. I’m just letting her go. Whatever is happening here, we need to talk this out. See where we stand. Clear the air at the very least.

“I’m out for the game,” I say, jogging by them.

“No shit,” Rowan says.

Alara and Kyleigh’s laughter dies when the door shuts behind me. I stop and look right and left, spotting her down by the corner, waiting for the light to change. I weave through the heavy weekend foot traffic, but the walk sign appears, and Jade starts across the street.

Oh fuck no.

I increase my speed, dodging people and mumbling my apologies. Thank goodness for all that extra cardio I’ve been doing to build my endurance.

“Jade,” I say, reaching her on the other side of the curb.

“Henry.” She looks around.

Most people are in their own worlds, but a few guys stop and linger before catching up to their wives or girlfriends ahead of them.

“Just lunch.” I wait for her to answer, which feels like the same torture as waiting for Bodhi to eat his peas.

Her phone is in her hand. “Eloise isn’t answering me.”

For a long time, I resented Eloise. She took Jade from me. Or at least that’s how I thought about it back then, but years later, I realized that I left Jade for hockey. Eloise was always supportive of our relationship, never gave Jade shit for coming to Minnesota with me like some other people did, and I hope for these past few years that she’s been a good friend to Jade when I haven’t.

“Maybe she’s just getting nervous.”

She exhales and purses her lips. “It’s not like her. She was so happy on the way to the shop. Like, beaming, and then she put on that dress and just froze.”

I run my hand over her arm. Jade’s always been one to worry about her friends. Hell, I think she worried more than I did if I would get drafted into the professional hockey league I’m in now. “Give it an hour and call her back. In the meantime, you can eat lunch with me to kill time.”

A slow smile creeps up on her perfect pink lips. “Found your angle, huh?”

“Well, you don’t want to go all the way home just to come back here. With Saturday traffic, you’ll be in the car forever.”

“You don’t even know where Eloise lives.”

“I do. I ran into her a couple years ago. She’s still got that same apartment she’s had since graduating from Loyola. I even met her boyfriend at the time, Tristan.”

She laughs. “You say that like you have an opinion about him.”

I do, but I’m not sure I’m going to share it. I shrug. “Come to lunch, and maybe I’ll tell you what I think.”

“Fine. Let’s go. But just something quick.”

My heart rate picks up now that she’s agreed. “Hot dogs?”

Her smile says she hasn’t had one since she got back. I nod to walk down the street, deciding to take her to one of Bodhi’s and my favorite places.

She’s quiet during the five-block walk, and I let her have the time to process the fact that she’s going to share a meal with me. If I’m lucky, maybe I can swindle an ice cream afterward. Jade can become hyper-focused on her fears and never take the time to sit back and let her emotions cool.

I open the door for her, and we step inside.

“God, it smells so good.” She stops and inhales a second time, something she often did when she enjoyed the smell of the simplest things. Things people take for granted. Like the smell of a hot dog joint that I’ve definitely taken for granted every time I’ve been here. Her eyes slowly open and meet my gaze. “Don’t look at me like I’m weird.”

If she was mine, I’d grab her and kiss her right now. Whisper that I fucking love just staring at her soaking in the world around her. How many nights have I wished I’d been with her when she took the pictures she has on her socials, just to see that spark in her eye right before she pointed her camera and clicked.

“I’m not.” I smile at her, and we move up in line. I push my hand closest to her in my pocket so I don’t place it on her lower back.

“Hensley,” a guy says from a booth across from where we stand.

I nod. “Hey.” I give him a small wave.

“That goal the other night in the third… Jesus, that was something,” he says, and his buddies all nod in agreement.

“Your whole line is what we’ve been needing for years. Landry’s great, but he needs you and Sorenson to make him look as good as he does,” the friend next to him says.

It’s a backhanded compliment for Rowan and a full-on compliment for me. I could tell him that Rowan is the best damn center in the league, and the Falcons are lucky as shit to have him, but I learned early in my career not to argue with the fans. Just nod, thank them, and move on. Everyone has their opinions.

“Pinkie’s a real game-changer.” I only bring up Conor because I always feel like goalies don’t get the glory they deserve when they’re playing well. Conor has saved so many games this year, and people need to be looking at him for the asset he is.

“For sure.” The guy who started the conversation sips his soda.

“Keep it up, and the Cup is ours,” his friend says.

I nod, and this time I do press my hand to Jade’s back to get us moving so we’re not standing here all day. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the support.”

The conversation with them spurs whispers and more finger-pointing from the other people here. I worry that soon my lunch with Jade is going to turn into a signing and selfie event.

“Do you mind if we don’t eat here?” I whisper in her ear.

Her gaze coasts around the room, and she must notice what I do. “Since someone just took a picture, not at all.”

“Really?” I cringe. “Sorry. It probably won’t end up anywhere.”

“Henry, you forget, I was in your orbit a long time ago when you were the hot jock on campus. I’m used to being your…” She stops and turns her head toward the assembly line across the glass.

“Finish what you were saying,” I practically beg, closing my eyes for a moment, wanting to hear her say it.

“Don’t, Henry.” She shakes her head.

“My girl,” I say in a soft voice. “You will always be my girl.”

“I’m not sure I can do this.” She turns completely away from me, but she doesn’t run this time. And I’m so thankful because I’m fucking this up.

We order hot dogs and drinks. I pay, and once our order is filled, the guys in the booth who would probably love if I joined them and we talked hockey for the rest of the day, raise their hands. “See you, Hensley, kick Colorado’s ass Monday.”

“Will do. Thanks again, guys. Have a great day.”

Jade is already on the sidewalk, having walked away from the line that’s forming outside. When I get to her, I clench the greasy bag in my hand.

“What should I have done? Just ignored what you were going to say?” I ask, unsure how to handle this new us. This is why I haven’t messaged her in three years, and even before that, I only saw her when she came home. Who am I to her now? I have no clue.

“I don’t know. I really don’t, but I think it’s too easy for us to fall back into who we were. I told you, Henry, I’m not here permanently.”

I place my hand in hers, guiding her across the street to a park bench. We both sit, and I place the bag of food and my drink at my side. “You might not agree with me, but I can’t know you’re in Chicago without wanting to be with you. Not wanting to see you. I’m usually at your house a lot, but I’ve been trying to stay away out of respect for you. But most of all, you’re all I think about. And if I don’t get my shit together, I’ll never help the team win the Cup. We have a real shot this year with Rowan and Conor.”

“I can’t leave yet, Henry.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Not even close. “I’m saying let’s just talk. Have lunch and a conversation and see where it goes. I promise I won’t say anything like that again. It was wrong, but God, having you here has made me kind of crazy, and I’m really not myself lately.”

She stares at me for a moment, and I’m shocked when she nods. “Okay. After all, I am your son’s teacher, so… we have to try something before he feels the awkwardness between us.”

“Especially since I’m volunteering in a few weeks.” I raise my eyebrows.

“Really? That’s… awesome.”

I chuckle and grab the bag and hand her her hot dog. “So, lunch?”

“Lunch.” She opens up her paper where the hot dog is covered with fries. Then she ruins everything I just said when she moans around her first bite. “Nothing like it,” she says when she finishes chewing, going in for a second bite immediately.

I watch her, and I have no idea what I was thinking. We’re going to try to be friends? I can’t be her friend. Especially since there’s only one question I want her to answer.

“Tell me about the guy,” I say.

Yeah, I really suck at taking my own advice.