I slid my beautiful ring off my finger and laid it on the bureau. Then, I curled into a ball and cried myself to sleep. All I had left now was my pride. Fierce thankfulness settled over me as I realized I’d never had the chance tonight to tell him I loved him.
Thankfully, Maxim had another away game, and the team traveled there on Saturday afternoon. I refused to come downstairs Saturday while he was hovering in the main part of the house. Once he realized that, he disappeared into his gym. I’d heard him on the stairs when I came down to grab some food and water, but I ignored him when he tried to talk.
I should engage. I should listen. But I couldn’t. My mind spun too fast, too hard, and my emotions pinged everywhere from despondent to so angry I wanted to break things. Being so out of control scared me. I needed…security.
And Stella stole that. Maxim, too, with his lies of omission. Now, I wasn’t emotionally safe. I was…a hot fucking mess.
The day was long, tortuous. Lance sent both Maxim and me updates on the libel case he was building against Stella and Dillon. I ignored the messages. Maxim departed for the airport around noon, having delayed leaving for as long as possible.
He left me a note, written in his careful scrawl. I ignored that too. By the time I climbed into bed that night, I was so exhausted, tears leaked from my eyes.
Sunday dawned hot and sharp. Much as I didn’t want to get out of bed, the girls and I were watching the game at Maxim’s—my—our home. We had a rotation, so I showered and made up a bunch of snacks, including my apple butter, which I planned to eat it all. At least the house smelled nice.
Naomi, Mimi, and Keelie arrived, trepidation stamped into their features.
“Nicole couldn’t come,” Naomi said after she’d hugged me. “Her youngest is sick.”
I nodded. “Wine’s in the fridge.”
“Paloma wanted to be here,” Keelie said. That was Coach Whittaker’s wife. I shook my head, hating the idea. I loved Paloma as a person, but I wasn’t ready to deal with the fallout from the gala.
“Don’t worry, she can’t. She and Trix had already planned to go to the game and spend some time in San Diego for Trix’s spring break.”
I let out a relieved sigh. Blade rose from his bed and asked to go out.
“Want me to pour you a glass?” Naomi asked, holding a bottle of Chardonnay. It was my favorite. Maxim stockpiled it for me.
“Yeah. A big one.”
“I love those leggings,” Mimi said. She was quieter than normal, too. And my leggings were an old pair that had been in the suitcase Keelie had packed for me all those months ago. I’d left them in the upstairs bureau, along with a few other items. I’d yet to return to Maxim’s bedroom. I wasn’t ready for that.
“Thanks.” I frowned, noting Keelie had her putter on her shoulder. “Why do you have that?”
“To practice my putt,” she said, as if that were the most normal thing anyone would do at a hockey-watching gathering.
“Why?” I asked.
Blade barked, loud and incessant. He’d been unhappy, no doubt sensing how off things were between Maxim and me.
“Because I keep pulling the ball to the left, and I want to get my strokes on the green down before Cormac and I play in that charity tournament next week.”
Naomi wrinkled her nose. “Did that make sense to you? It didn’t to me.”
I scooped apple butter onto a cracker and shoved the whole thing in my mouth, then guzzled down a good bit of my wine. “That’s sweet that you play together.” I offered her a smile.
“So…how are things?” Naomi asked. She was about as delicate as a bulldozer.
“Shitty.” I took another sip of wine.
“Right.”
They all turned to the big screen. By the time the game started, Naomi and Mimi were deep into the bottle of wine. Exfoliants and facial masques were applied. Keelie was behind the couch, practicing her putting, which we heard thump into a plastic cup.
Blade continued to be antsy, pacing the length of the living room before coming back to me and leaning against my leg. “I think something’s wrong with him,” I said, setting my wine glass aside. “I’m going to take him out for a little walk. He didn’t get one earlier.”
“Want me to come with you?” Keelie asked.
“I’m staying here. I just put on this avocado masque, and I want it to soothe me,” Naomi said. Mimi was sprawled out next to her, both of them with vivid green faces.
