“What? Who?” My agent laughs, and it calms me a little.
“You’re getting called up, kid.”
Did I hear him right?
“That’s if you’d like to join us.” John chuckles.
Oh my goodness, he did say it. This is it. I’m going to the NHL. I’ve been waiting my entire career for this. The early mornings and long nights; so many hours preparing for this moment. All the training and hard work are finally paying off.
“Bodie?” Coach says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Umm, yes. Yes. Absolutely.”
“Well, why don’t we sit down and discuss your contract a little further before you decide?” My agent sends me a stern look.
The next hour is a whirlwind as we finalize the deal. When Mr. Finley lets me know when I need to be in Raleigh for training camp leading up to the new season, that’s when it dawns on me—Bryce.
What will happen when I move? It’s almost a three-hour drive. I school my face as we say our goodbyes, trying not to worry about how to tell Bryce. As soon as I walk out the door, I text the person I need to speak to most right now.
Me
You home? I’m on my way over.
Davidson
Sure. Give me 20 min please.
I have no concept of time as I rush over to his apartment and knock on his door like a madman. “Davidson, open up.”
“What the fuck is going on?” he says as he opens the door and I barge in, making my way past him.
Davidson watches me pace from one end of his living room to the other. The pounding in my ears overpowers the sound of my footsteps on his floors, and when sweat trickles down my temples, I regret running up the four flights of stairs to get here.
“Foster—”
“I got called up.”
“Shit, that’s great, man.” His response isn’t what I expected. “But why does it sound like that’s a bad thing?”
“Bryce.”
“Oh, Bryce.” Davidson drops his gaze to the floor.
“Yeah. What the fuck do I do, Emmett?”
“Do you love him?”
I stop pacing, my eyes darting to his. “Yes, of course.”
“Any chance in hell you’d give up the NHL for him?”
The answer is non-negotiable. “No.”
“Then if he loves you, he’ll understand.”
“But—”
Davidson grasps my shoulder before I can say any more. “No buts. You can make long distance work until it gets more serious—or until you get canned for sucking.” It pulls a laugh out of me, and I feel myself relax a little. He has a way of calming my anxiety, just like Bryce.
