“These are all positive,” I said, glancing up, but Jennie’s expression was serious, her smile gone.
“Keep going.”
I hesitated, then scrolled farther, past the game highlights, until my eyes landed on a different set of headlines. My breath caught as I saw article after article about Austin Hart caught doing cocaine off someone’s butt in a bathroom.
“This is his ex-wife,” I whispered, recognizing the details he’d shared. But the girl in the photo wasn’t identified anywhere—no one knew who she was. I looked up, panic tightening my chest. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I begged. He hadn’t told me to keep it a secret, but it felt wrong, like I was exposing a wound.
“No way. I would never.”
I believed her and nodded gratefully before I scrolled through the coverage—reports about his drug use, his short stint in rehab, and his attempt to return to the ice. There was a photo, and it felt surreal to see the guy I’d been out with caught in such a raw, vulnerable moment. I couldn’t look away from the image of him and his ex-wife, their lives on display for the world to judge.
“This feels wrong. I’m invading his privacy,” I muttered, a wave of guilt washing over me.
It wasn’t about jealousy or the photo itself—it was knowing what Austin had gone through that night. He had confided in me about his emotions, and seeing it plastered everywhere felt like betrayal.
“Just keep scrolling,” Jennie insisted.
I hesitated, telling myself I’d stop if it got too personal. I scrolled down farther and saw a video conference linked to an article titled “Rookie Quits: Divorce and Second Stint in Rehab.” My heart sank as I clicked on it.
The video started to play, and in front of me was a teary-eyed Austin who was explaining to the world why he needed to get help. He was quitting on his own terms because he was lost, down, and sad. He gave a nod to his ex, and I realized that whatever had happened between them was brief and fast and unstable.
It was almost tragic, really. I had been craving a life that was the complete opposite of the stable, predictable path that had been set for me, while he was chasing after something far from the chaos of his past—a life that was secure, warm, and steady. We were like two ships passing in the night, heading in opposite directions. I doubted we’d ever find ourselves at the same dock, at the same time.
I turned off the video and passed Jennie her phone. “That was hard.”
“It was also years ago. He was only eighteen when he got signed and started to play with the NHL,” she said.
“We were all idiots at eighteen,” I said with a laugh, remembering the time I tried sneaking out past my mom, only to be immediately caught by our security.
Jennie glanced at her phone. “One of the articles tagged his ex-wife, so I clicked on it.”
I raised an eyebrow, a bit curious. “And?”
“She’s with this guy she’s been working with for a while. Looks like he’s the assistant coach for a rugby team. They’ve got a kid and everything.” She paused, holding up her phone. “Wanna see?”
“No, not really.”
She shrugged and set it aside, and I tried to act like I didn’t care. The truth was, I didn’t need to see his ex’s new life to know she’d moved on. It was better this way. There was a strange kind of peace in knowing she was engaged, with a kid and someone who fit into her world.
Jennie shrugged and took a sip of her tea. “Fair point, but I still think you should know this about him. Whatever it is that might happen between you two?—”
“Jennie, we only had one date, and I didn’t realize it was a date until we started spilling secrets to each other.”
“Did you at least exchange numbers?”
“Nope.” I stood up and wandered over to her window. “See? That’s the sign I needed. I don’t have his number. I have no way of contacting him until I see him on Monday, so there’s no point in stressing.”
“Do youwantto see him again?” she asked.
She was wearing black sweatpants and an oversized, holey T-shirt. She adjusted the fabric, and I felt a pang of guilt. I was clearly keeping her up when she was ready for bed.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “That last question took such a turn for me.”
Why would he want to know if I had health insurance? Really?
“Was there anything he said in conversation about health insurance? I can’t believe I’m asking that.”
I sighed and plopped down on the chair. I racked my mind...
