She gives me a delighted grin when I draw back. “Liar.”
“Never enoughof you.”
She searches my expression before saying, “I believe that.”
“Good. It’s the truth.”
“Logan,” Gage says from across the table. “Hockey gossip says there might be a trade. Give us the inside scoop.”
“You know as much as me,” I say, raising my glass of water and taking a sip. “Rumors every year.”
“Rumors about who?” Sawyer asks, her expression still amused.
“Your boy,” Gage says. “If the team trades him, Bellerive can have more than one functioning line. They definitely don’t have that now.”
“What?” Sawyer turns to look at me, and her expression is curious, but there’s something in her eyes that tells me she might be hurt. “Whywould they trade you? Where would you go?”
“They’d trade me because I take up a lot of the team’s salary cap. If I’m gone, they can get more players and draft picks to deepen the bench.”
“Where would you go?” she asks again, her voice tight.
“Wherever they tell me to go. That’s how I ended up here.” I say it like the trade wouldn’t be a big deal.
“Did I step in it?” Gage asks, angling his glass between me and Sawyer.
“I just didn’t know,” Sawyer says, and her tone is stiff.
“At this point, it’s unlikely to happen until afterthisseason is over.”
We stare at each other for a beat because this isn’t the time or the place to be having this conversation, and I can’t read how much, if at all, she cares that I could be off the island at the end of the season.
“Okay,” Ember says with false enthusiasm. “Who wants dessert?”
I’ve gotten the silent treatment before, but this is the first time I’ve cared. As soon as we’re alone in the car at the end of the evening, I’m tempted to call her on it. It’s kind of bullshit. She’s the one who’s said all along that we’re done at the end of this season. If that’s not what she wants, she needs to tell me. If it is what she wants, she’s got zero reason to be pissed at me or anyone else for seeking a trade.
“You’re mad because…” I start when the silence is only makingmemad in response.
“I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t have told me.”
“I don’t understand why you’d care, since the trade would happen at theendof the season.”
“Of course I wouldcare, Logan,” she says, and as soon as I hear the tears in her voice, the tension in me eases.
“You were the one who wanted us over at the end of the season, doc. That was never me.” But this time, I keep the bite out of my tone.
“We’re at different stages in our lives.”
“Not drastically different.”
“I want a healthy relationship with marriage and kids sooner rather than later.”
“Are you implying our relationship isn’t healthy? Because that’d be news to me.”
“No, I just…” She lets out a deep sigh. “Do youwantto be traded?”
“Doyouwant me to be traded?”
“Oh my god. Can we not? Can you just give me a straight answer?”
