But it all feels hollow tonight. There’s an emptiness in my chest, and this win doesn’t hit the same way it usually does.
I can’t pretend I don’t know why.
Things between Heather and me have gone back to “normal,” just like she wanted. We’re polite and cordial. We make small talk about April’s day or what groceries we need, but it doesn’t feel normal. It feels like she’s avoiding me, like there’s an invisible wall between us now that wasn’t there before.
She doesn’t linger in the kitchen when I’m making breakfast, and barely makes eye contact when we pass each other in the hallway. She hasn’t joined me in the sauna since that night I fucked everything up between us.
Normally, that kind of shit wouldn’t bother me. I’m not the type who has ever wanted to get close to people. I’m fine keeping to myself. Hell, I preferred it that way.
My routine, my career—my whole life has been built around maintaining distance, staying focused, and not letting anyone get too close or distract me from what matters.
But now she’s come into my life, and everything is different. My priorities have shifted. And I think that’s why this new “normal” bothers the hell out of me.
I shower and change into some clean clothes, all while trying to figure out what I’m going to say when I see her. By the time I walk into the friends and family lounge and spot her against theback wall with April and Margo, I’m still not sure where I stand with her or how to even bring it up.
This isn’t the right time or place, but nothing else is right lately either.
Heather looks effortlessly lovely in jeans and an Aces jersey that I’m pretty sure came from April’s closet. She manages a smile as I get closer, but I can see how tired she is, just at a glance.
“That was a great game, Grant.” Her tone is nice enough, but there’s a distance that shouldn’t be there. Almost professional, similar to the way Margo congratulates all the players aside from her husband.
“Thanks.” I nod and shove my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “I’m glad you and April could make it.”
April bounces up between us at the sound of her name. “Are you kidding? We wouldn’t have missed it for the world, would we, Mom? And you were so good out there! You didn’t even let them score once.”
Her energy is infectious, and I wish like hell that Heather and I could borrow just a tiny fraction of it right now. Maybe then, this whole thing wouldn’t be so damned awkward.
“That’s the goal,” I say, offering a grin. Everything else might feel like a fucking train wreck right now, but I can always count on my number one fan to make me crack a smile.
“Hey, Parker!” Reese’s voice cuts across the noise of the room. “We’re heading to The Hideout in a few. Are you coming?”
The Hideout is the team’s normal spot for a post-game celebration, but I’m not really feeling it tonight. Half-bar, half-restaurant, and just a few blocks from the arena, they don’t mind staying open late and partying with us when we feel like getting rowdy.
Before I can answer, I catch April giving Heather the biggest set of puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Mom, can we go, too? Please?” She bats her eyelashes shamelessly, but I can tell by Heather’s expression that she’s trying to find a graceful way to say no.
“Sweetheart, I don’t know if tonight is the best time for that. It’s already pretty late.”
“Please, just this once? We can celebrate Grant’s shutout! And we do have to eat something for dinner, don’t we? If we go to The Hideout, you won’t have to cook anything when we get home.”
Damn, the kid is good.
I’m literally watching Heather’s resolve crumble in real time. “Okay, but only for a little while. We’ll eat some dinner and then we’re going straight home for bed.”
“Yes!” April pumps her fist in the air. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“What about you, Parker?” Reese calls out again. “Are you in? Or are you gonna do your usual disappearing act?”
That’s exactly what I was planning to do before Heather and April got involved. I’m not big on the post-game bar scene. It’s too loud, too crowded, and there are too many people who want to talk when all I want is to go home and decompress with my nightly routine.
But the thought of going back to that big, empty house alone while Heather and April go out and have fun with the team is even worse than the prospect of dealing with the noisy crowd.
“Yeah.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal, as if I haven’t been standing here over-analyzing the situation for the past five minutes. “I’ll be there.”
It feels like the whole lounge has gone quiet, and everyone is looking at me. Noah and Theo stop mid-conversation and stare over here with their mouths hanging open.
“Did Parker just say yes to going out?” Sawyer asks, looking around like he’s checking to make sure everyone else heard it too.
