Page 39 of Rookie’s Redemption (Iron Ridge Icehawks #5)

"I understand perfectly. What I don't understand is why you're acting like what we have here isn't enough.

" My jaw clenches so hard I think I might crack a tooth.

"The shelter renovations, our house, the life we're building together.

.. apparently none of that matters to you when corporate America comes calling. "

"That's not what I said, and you know it!"

"Isn't it though?" I feel my voice getting louder, more desperate.

Logan shifts uncomfortably while Blake stares at the ceiling. Connor's phone suddenly becomes the most interesting thing in the world. The tension thickens until it feels like we're all drowning in it.

"You know what's really fucked up about this, Mia? The entire town just donated over a hundred thousand dollars to YOUR shelter. Because of YOUR fundraiser night that I organized. For YOU ."

Her face goes pale.

"Every person in Iron Ridge opened their wallets because they believed in what you were building here.

And now you want to hand it all over to some strangers who see nothing but dollar signs.

Everyone in this room, everyone at Ridgeview that night, everyone in that arena…

you know what they see when they look at your shelter? They see family ."

"I know that. And this isn't about abandoning anyone," she says, her voice breaking slightly. "It's about doing more, helping more. Why can't you see that this could be incredible?"

I bite my lip but the admission tears out of my throat before I can stop it.

"Because it means you'd be leaving!" I fight back the tears in my eyes. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually you'd have to choose between managing five locations across the country and staying here with me. And we both know which one wins."

Her eyes widen like I've slapped her. "You think I'd choose work over you ?"

"I think you're considering it." My chest feels like it's caving in. "I can see it in your eyes, Mia. The same look you used to get in high school when you'd talk about all the places you wanted to go, all the things you wanted to do that were bigger than Iron Ridge."

"And yet you're the one who left!" Mia fires back, her voice cracking with eight years of buried hurt.

Behind us, I hear Connor whisper "Oh shit" under his breath. Blake is slowly moving toward the door, clearly trying to usher the guys out, but they're all frozen like they're watching a car crash they can't look away from.

"You're standing there talking about family and community, but you're the one who walked away from all of it the second you got a better offer!"

Fuck . She's right.

I did exactly what I'm accusing her of doing.

I left her behind for my own dreams. The hypocrisy burns in my chest, but I know that deep down, every day since I made that foolish choice, I've done everything I can to make up for that mistake.

"I know I left. But I came back, Mia… I saw the mistake I made." My voice breaks. "I thought I'd proved that this could be enough. That I could be enough. That what we're building together could compete with whatever dreams you've been carrying around since we were seventeen."

The room is dead silent except for our heavy breathing and the uncomfortable shifting of one too many professional athletes who clearly wish they were anywhere else.

"I never said you weren't enough," Mia whispers, tears in her voice now.

"You didn't have to say it. You're holding those contracts like they're the answer to all your prayers. While I'm standing here realizing that everything I've done, everything I've given you, still doesn't measure up to what you really want."

Blake clears his throat. "Guys, maybe we should—"

"No. Stay," I snap, my eyes never leaving Mia's face. "You don't need to leave."

Because I'm about to do something monumentally stupid, and I want them to see what happens when everything you've fought for still isn't enough.

"Ryder, please," Mia says, wiping at her eyes. "You're being unfair. I haven't made any decisions. I'm just trying to figure out what's right."

"What's right?" The words come out hollow and I shake my head. "What's right is remembering that we used to dream about building something together. Right here. In Iron Ridge. You used to say this town was big enough for everything we wanted."

"I still believe that—"

"Then prove it."

My hand goes to my jacket pocket, fingers closing around the small velvet box that was supposed to represent our future.

The ring that was supposed to seal the promise I made to myself when I bought this house, when I organized the fundraiser, when I spent six days on the road missing her so much I could barely think straight.

But looking at her now, holding those contracts while tears stream down her face, I realize the timing couldn't be more fucked.

How do you propose to someone who's considering whether the life you're offering is big enough for her dreams?

I pull out the Tiffany box and slam it down on the coffee table so hard the barely-hidden champagne glasses jump.

"Here. Maybe this will help you decide what's really important."

The room goes dead silent.

Mia stares at the small blue box like it might explode, her face cycling through shock, confusion, and what might look like heartbreak if I wasn't so annoyed.

Connor's mouth falls open. Jackson stops breathing entirely. Even Logan looks stunned.

"Ryder," Blake says carefully, moving toward me, "maybe you should—"

But I'm already heading for the door, my chest so tight I can barely breathe.

"What, Blake?" The words are thrown over my shoulder as I reach for the handle. "Maybe I should wait around to see if she chooses me or them? Maybe I should pretend like the fact that she's even considering this doesn't feel like a knife in my fucking chest?"

"Ryder, wait—" Mia starts, finally finding her voice through the tears that are now streaming down her face, but I'm done.

I'm done waiting for someone to choose me. Done believing that all the effort I put into proving I'd changed would be enough to make her want to stay and build something with me.

Done hoping that the boy who left her wouldn't be replaced by the woman who leaves me.

"Everyone out," Blake orders quietly "Now."

"Ryder, man, wait—" Connor calls after me, but I'm already slamming the door behind me.

I stride toward my truck, not trusting myself to look back at the house where the woman I love is probably staring at that ring box, trying to figure out if a life with me is worth more than selling out.

Because if I look back and see her still holding those contracts...

I might do something even more stupid than walking away.