They're not paying attention to me anymore. No one is questioning my name. That's precisely my intent.
I slip back a few steps, unnoticed. My smile fades as I turn toward the stairs and make my getaway.
I'll probably regret this later, but it's too late now. I'm already easing the bedroom door closed behind me, glad to be out of the spotlight that always follows the mention of my dad's name. At least it's not the kind of reaction I would've gotten if my husband's name had come up.
Bash
Laughing, I stand here among my friends and family while everyone geeks out over Amelia's dad.
Right there with them, my dad is regaling everyone with the story of the time Gord Smith took a puck to the face and went right back out on the ice, refusing to quit and helping lead his team to victory.
“The PR team denied it,” he states excitedly. “Because it could've led to a lawsuit, I'm sure. But his jaw had to be broken. By the game's end, his face was so swollen he was unrecognizable.”
“I remember that night, Chaz,” my uncle Ryan agrees. “When the final buzzer sounded, he just lay right there, pressing his face on the ice, trying to ease the pain and swelling.”
“Man, he's a legend,” Dad sighs nostalgically.
The noise level drops, and my cousin pulls me aside.
“Bash, you do know who your girlfriend is, don't you?”
“She's not my girlfriend,” I roll my eyes and laugh. “She's just a friend.”
“Okay, beside the point,” Rudy pushes. “You know who she is, right?”
“Yes, I know she's a famous figure skater and headed for the Olympics,” I confirm proudly. “I also know she was hurt at the last Olympics and had to withdraw. I know her.”
“So, you know she's married.”
“Yes, I know she's married, and it's complicated,” I snap irritably.
“Her last name isn't Smith, Bash, it's Kingston,” he announces dramatically, eyeing me warily.
“Well, that does make sense. Her maiden name is Smith, since her dad is Gord Smith,” I admit, nodding a few times. “So, Kingston is her married name. Hmm. Well, she skates under Amelia Smith.”
“She's Amelia Smith Kingston,”Rudy presses, continuing to eye me like I'm missing an important detail. “Jaxson Kingston's wife.”
“Jaxson Kingston?” I stop short, staggering back against the wall.
Rudy's eyes widen. “You really didn't know… did you?”
“Defenseman for the Thunder Bay Titans.That Jaxson Kingston?” I ask, forcing the words out.
Rudy nods and starts clicking on his phone. Finding what he's looking for, he brings up a webpage for Amelia, showing a photo of her and Jaxson. The caption reads:Amelia Smith Kingston and her husband, Jaxson.
Feeling nauseous, I bend over, placing my hands on my knees and gulp deep breaths.
“Is Kingston screwing with you?”
“I… I don't know…” I shake my head, trying to suppress the roar in my ears.
“Does she know who you are?”
“I didn't think so,” I huff, my heart racing at the implications. “We met at a bar, and we've kept our personal lives separate. I haven't told her much about myself, and she hasn't shared much either—aside from a few intimate details about her marriage.”
I press the heels of my palms into my eyes. Knowing who her husband is casts everything in a completely different light. Every smile, every text, each moment spent together.
Was any of it real?
