“Yeah, well, a lot can change in three years.”
The words come out sharper than intended, but that doesn’t make them any less true. I think she knows it, too, if the way her smile fades and her eyes darken with sadness is any indication. A wave of awkwardness falls over the room, and I don’t know what to say to her. We’ve never had this before, not even when she used to pretend to hate me. Things have always been so easy between us, but it doesn’t feel that way now.
Air gets stuck in my lungs, trying to claw its way out, and it takes all I have in me to mutter, “Bathroom,” before marching out of the room. I’m sure she’s confused as I close the bedroomdoor behind me, but that’s okay, because I’m confused too. About so many things.
How am I supposed to behave right now? How am I supposed to stand across from her and act like the last three years never happened? Is that what she expects? It must be, because she showed up here out of the blue and hasn’t offered even a lick of reasoning for what she’s doing in Seattle.
I march into my bathroom and turn on the faucet. I splash water over my face, needing something to cool me off since I’m suddenly feeling hot. It works, and when I’m feeling marginally better, I grab my toothbrush and get to cleaning.
Honestly, I’m stalling. For what, I don’t know. Time maybe? A chance to figure out what to say to her? But I’ve had a long damn time to do that. Three years, actually, and I still don’t fucking know. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I do know I’ve been in the bathroom too long, leaving Chloe unsupervised in my apartment. I finish up and change into something I haven’t been lounging around in for the last two days, then make my way back out to face my wife.
She’s standing in front of the windows that give me a beautiful view of the city. As pretty as it is, it’s nothing compared to having her standing here, especially since I never thought she would be. The glow of the late-morning sun radiates around her, embracing her with its warmth and giving her rich red hair an almost golden touch. She’s gorgeous, even from behind.
I’m so distracted by admiring her that it takes me a moment to realize she’s not alone.
Sensing me, she peeks over her shoulder. “You got a cat.”
I nod, closing the distance between us until I’m standing next to her and looking at my snow-white cat cradled in her arms.Traitor, I think to myself, then instantly feel bad about it. He’s not a traitor. I’m sure he’s just as enraptured by her as I am.
“What’s his name?” she asks as she runs the tip of her finger over his head. “He’s adorable.”
“Percy. He’s a rescue.”
“And his leg? What happened to him?”
“An accident when he was only a few months old. He had to have it amputated, and his original owner couldn’t handle it. I adopted him about a month after surgery.”
She smiles down at the cat. “That sounds about right for you. A knight in shining armor.”
I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia at her words. She hasn’t called me that since college. It was an inside joke between us when we began dating, after I came to her aid when she had a period mishap in the lunchroom. It only got worse when she realized I not only helped her that day but also gave my own teammate matching black eyes for making fun of her.
Outside of the ice, that was the last time I spoke to Shawn. Since he’s also in the league, it’s hard to avoid him completely, but whenever we play each other, I check a little harder than necessary. He’s never questioned it. He knows what he did.
“When did you get him?” Chloe asks, dragging me back to the present.
“Uh…” I scratch at the stubble on my face that I should probably do something with. “Around two years ago now, I believe.”
I wasn’t looking for a cat, but after the Serpents had done a calendar photo shoot to raise money for charity, I didn’t hate the idea of having someone else around. It was better than sitting in my apartment alone all the time. So I stopped by Rory’s clinic, and Percy had just happened to come in for surgery. It felt like kismet, and he’s been mine since.
Percy wiggles in her arms, and she lets him down, watching as the cat sprints through the apartment, back to the spare bedroom. She then drags her gaze over me, and for the firsttime, maybe ever, I feel self-conscious standing in front of her. As much as she’s changed over the years, I wonder if I have too, other than the new tattoos, of course. With how hard she’s looking at me, I think it might be more than that.
When she gets to my eyes and realizes I’m staring at her too, she averts her gaze and clears her throat. That same awkwardness from before permeates the room again, and I say the first thing that comes to mind to erase it.
“What are you doing here, Chloe?”
She sighs, then shakes her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks out at the Emerald City. “Honestly? I’m not sure.”
I try not to let my aggravation show becauseof courseshe’s not sure. That’s what she told me three years ago, too, when I asked when she was coming back.
It was the worst phone call of my life, and it’s been etched into my mind ever since. Though I have more questions now than I’ve ever had before, I try a different approach.
“Does yourdateknow you’re here?”
She whips her head my way, her dark brows pulled in tight. “It wasn’t a date, Callum.”
I snort. “That’s not what it looked like to me when you walked in with your arm around his.”
For a moment, she looks surprised, like she had no idea I was watching her, then she shakes her head. “I told you last night it wasn’t what it looked like.”
