Andrew stands his ground where he is, but I feel Easton immediately move with me. He follows me through the doors into the parking lot before he grabs my hand. “Slow your roll, princess.”
“Slow my what?” I spin around and shove him away. “Listen, hockey boy. Fighting is your thing, not mine. I don’t like confrontation. I don’t like arguments. And I really, really don’t like violence. I’ve dealt with all three today. Now, I’m not saying they’re all your fault, but they’ve all centered around you and our marriage, and if that doesn’t scream something is seriously wrong, I don’t know what will.” I close my eyes, refusing to cry. Not now. Not in front of him.
Have I mentioned confrontation makes me cry? Because it does. And it’s not pretty.
Easton’s big, fat feet take two steps my way, but I throw my hands up. “Don’t. Do not touch me.”
“Lindy . . .” he whispers, and I feel horrible for the way those words just came out. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Tell me why I married you? Tell me why you married me. Please,” I plead. “Tell me why I’ve been fighting with almost everyone I know for a week, E. Tell me something. Make me understand what you’re doing here in Kroydon Hills? Why take the trade to the Revolution? They’ve been trying to get you for years. Why take it now?”
Easton’s steps are slow. Cautious. Like he’s scared I’ll bolt at any second. With one hand, he reaches up and cups my cheek. “Do you really not know, princess?”
I swallow down what little pride I feel like I have left and lift my eyes to his, blinking back the tears, and shake my head.
“It’s always been you. The answer to all those questions is you, Madeline Kingston. It was you when we were too young for me to admit it was you. It was still you when I wasn’t a good enough man for it to be you. It’s been you every night in my dreams, when I’m not strong enough to save you. When you slip through my fingers and I lose you before I wake up in a cold sweat, unable to shake the image of you dying in front of me from my brain.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “And for one night, it wasn’t just you. It was us.”
“Easton. I . . .” It might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I force myself to take a step back. “I don’t know what to say. It’s hard to think when you’re everywhere.”
E shrugs. “Well I’ll be gone for an away-game stretch over the next week. I leave the day after tomorrow. So I guess you’ll have some time to figure it out.”
Yeah. I guess I will.
“So when does he leave?” Everly asks as she pours herself a glass of wine. She and Brynlee just got back from the sushi place. Luckily for me, they grabbed me a California roll because I’m starving.
“I don’t know,” I tell them over a mouthful of food. “In two days, I guess.”
Brynlee pulls her phone out and looks at something before looking back at me. “The team flies out at noon. We play in Atlanta that night, then have two more games before we fly home. Our next home game is in a week. I think it’s our only stretch this bad all season.”
“Oh.” I push my food around on my plate with my chopsticks, not liking the sinking feeling this gives me. “Guys, what the hell am I going to do?”
“Girl, you’ve got to figure out what you want before we can try to figure out what you need to do,” Everly tells me as she grabs Bryn’s phone out of her hand and studies the screen. “Your man’s games are on the other side of the country for a week. The man who just got himself traded. For. You. The one who just moved his whole life how many thousands of miles away. For. You. He knows what he wants. What do you want?”
I run my fingers through my hair and cringe. “I don’t know what I want.”
“Yes, you do,” Bryn says sternly. “You’re not some wishy-washy little girl, Lindy. You’ve wanted Easton for years. We’re not blind. Everyone knows it, even if you’re not sure. And guess what? You’ve got him. Now what are you gonna do with him?”
“How much sake did you guys drink at the sushi place?”
Everly laughs. “I told you the bartender was hot.”
“Yeah well, it makes you mean,” I tell them.
“Not mean. Direct,” Bryn corrects me. “Listen, we love you. But it’s not like we don’t know Easton. It’s not like we haven’t watched the two of you together. You’ve danced around this for a long time. It’s almost like what everyone says about your mom and Brandon. Don’t wait as long as they did to figure it out. If you’ve got feelings for him, figure out what you want now. And if you don’t . . .”
My head snaps up. “If I don’t, what?”
Everly cocks her head. “If you don’t, then set the man free, and don’t come crying when someone else snatches him up. Because drunken wedding aside, that man is a keeper. He’s gorgeous and tall with big hands and big feet, so my money’s on a big—”
“Don’t,” I snap. “Don’t go there.”
“Fine,” She sips her wine and attempts to hide her smile. “But I’m just saying, if you let him go, you better be sure that’s what you really want because you won’t get a second chance.”
I know she’s right. I’ve hated knowing he was hooking up with women over the years.
I always dreaded the thought of him bringing someone home to meet the family.
“I hate you both,” I tell them, and Brynlee laughs while Everly just shakes her head.
“No, you don’t. You love us,” Bryn says.
“Whatever. I’m not ready to let him go,” I admit and stuff another piece of California roll in my mouth, completely unwilling to say anything else.
“Oh, Lindy. That’s not good enough.” Everly snatches a piece off my plate.
“Hey, you ate already.” I poke her with a chopstick.
“Hot bartender, remember?” she argues. “We don’t eat in front of the hot bartenders. I’m starving.” She stands and looks down at me. “Do you want him? Or do you just not want anyone else to have him, Linds? Because if it’s the second, you’re a better person than that.”
I grab her glass of wine and finish off what’s left of it. “Fine. I want him. I’ve always wanted him. But not like this.”
“Then how do you want it, princess?”
Everly, Brynlee, and I all shriek, and Easton looks at the three of us like we’re absolutely insane.
Everly snorts. “Jesus Christ, man. Make some fucking noise when you walk in the house.”
“We’re just gonna . . .” Bryn grabs Everly’s hand and tugs her out of the kitchen but not before Everly manages to grab the black to-go container from the table.
I watch them both run away to hide and silently wish they could take me with them. “How much did you hear?”
He looks so damn good in worn blue jeans and a white thermal shirt stretched tight across his chest. Strong and sexy. This man is every fantasy I’ve ever had, and he’s standing right in front of me. But I don’t handle being trapped all that well, and I’m feeling cornered right now.