“I’m sorry,” I say, “but do I need to move?”
“What?” The woman in front blinks a few times. “No, sorry. And forgive me, I should have introduced myself. I’m Auden, Reed Hutchinson’s wife.” She smiles. “Well, technically not yet, but I will be soon.”
Hutchinson.The captain of the Seattle Serpents. Whenever Callum got traded to a new team, I used to memorize the rosters.I never wanted to come off as a hockey wife who had no idea what was happening in her partner’s life. That didn’t change when I left.
“No, you aren’t seeing double. Yes, we are twins,” the one who looks like Auden says. “I’m Rory.”
“Are you married to one of the players, too?”
“Um, no.” She laughs. “But I am dating one. Lucas Lawson.”
When I first left for London, Callum and I kept in touch. Sometimes we’d talk for whatever five minutes either of us could spare, but there were a lot of days when we went without speaking at all. At first, I missed him. How could I not? But then the not talking got easier, especially the more time I spent away. I was having some big feelings, and I couldn’t hide them if he was there prying all the time.
Even still, I remember him mentioning a Lucas Lawson.
“He’s annoying, Clover. Likely the most annoying person on the planet.”
“You say that about everyone.”
“I don’t say it about you.” A long pause. “Anyway, I’m telling you, I’m not sure I’ll last a whole year with the guy.”
“Just give him a chance. Maybe he’ll grow on you.”
“Oh, how I doubt that.”
I never really got the chance to find out if it happened, but I assume that if they know who I am, Callum must know Lucas better than he did back then.
“Hi,” I say, sounding like a total dork. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The woman dressed up and wearing sky-high heels that would kill my ankles waves. “I’m Lilah. I’m here for goalie stretches.” She smiles. “And I guess the goalie, too.”
“Vanessa,” the blonde says. “I’m with the old guy.”
“You weren’t calling him old earlier when you wouldn’t stop talking about how he went down on—” Lilah’s words are cut off as Vanessa puts her hand over her mouth.
Auden chuckles at her friends, then turns back to me. “I’m sorry. You can ignore them.” She sits down, and I follow her lead for some reason. Maybe it’s because even though she looks about the same age, she seems lightyears older than me. Wiser, that’s for certain. “You’re Chloe, aren’t you?”
This must be the other wives and girlfriends. Callum failed to mention I’d be sitting among them, and I really wish he had. My experiences with WAGs over the years haven’t always been positive. Some of it was my fault, but it didn’t change the truth—I never felt like I belonged, no matter how much I tried. Many of the women had kids they were wrangling—something I was never interested in—or were busy posting on social media and cultivating brand deals.
I wasn’t anything like that. I was the girl who worked in a lab analyzing blood samples and hating every minute of it. And my parents hated it just as much as I did.
“You could do so much more with your degree, Chloe. Your father and I did. It feels like a waste of four years.”
I wanted to remind my mother that it was actually nearly a six-year program after taking time off when Callum’s hockey career turned professional, but I didn’t think it would be beneficial for me. So I said nothing and kept plugging away in the lab.
Callum told me repeatedly that I didn’t need to work—he was making good money at that point—but I couldn’t imagine sitting around doing nothing all day. I wanted more, and that feeling is exactly what led us to where we are now.
“I’m sorry,” Auden says, pulling me back to the arena. “I didn’t mean to scare you and sound like a total stalker, it’s just…” She slides a piece of hair behind her ear, the bedazzled Serpents jersey catching one of the lights and shining brightly. “Well, I could say it’s because we’ve heard a lot about you, but that’s not really the case. We didn’t find out you even existed until NewYear’s Eve. Keller isn’t exactly forthcoming with information, but I’m sure you know that already.”
She laughs lightly, and so do I, even though I have no firsthand experience with that. He’s never been guarded with me. He was always an open book, and it’s one of the things I’ve always loved about him. It’s why seeing him now is so hard because heisguarded, and I don’t know how to handle it.
“It’s nice to meet you all.” I send a wave to the other girls, and they all grin—well, minus Rory. “Did you need me to move?”
“What? No!” Auden almost looks offended that I suggested it. “You belong here with us.”
Except I don’t.
“Come on, let’s sit. We havesomuch catching up to do,” she says, like we’re old friends.
