He hit the button, and when the car arrived and we stepped inside, I could barely breathe.
What the hell was I doing here?This was such a mistake.He clearly didn’t want to see me.Didn’t want anything to do with me, and now I was on my way up to his apartment to get officially dumped by the first man I’ve ever dared to love.
The only thing worse would be if the elevator suddenly stopped between floors and we got trapped in here.
At that point, I think I would actually die from embarrassment.
I could think of worse ways to go.Not many though.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Maverick
Therideuptomy condo felt like an eternity.I understood her need for speaking privately, particularly since when I chased after her and spun her around, her face was a shade of red I’d never seen before.Gabrielle Campbell did not like having attention on her, or people knowing her business.So while I was still hurt, I agreed that we needed to talk, and I could give her that.
I hated the tension that hung heavy between us, but I also didn’t want to say the wrong thing.However, I had no intention of letting her off the hook either.The elevator finally dinged when we reached the penthouse, and we both sighed in relief.I stepped to the side so she could exit first, and so I could close my eyes and pull her cherry and almond scent deep into my lungs.The last several weeks had been rough.Not seeing or speaking to her put me through the emotional wringer.
Damon and Laurel weren’t shy about telling me their mom screwed up and that I should come back, but after the way we left things, I couldn’t.
Not without an apology.
Not without Gabrielle asking me to come back herself.
I punched in the code for my front door and opened it, allowing her to walk ahead of me again.
She paused and removed her practical black loafers, stowing them neatly on my shoe rack beside my runners.Then she ventured deeper into my condo, pausing in the kitchen and knitting her fingers together in front of her.
I flicked on the pendant lights over my granite island and went to the cupboard, bringing down two glasses and filling them with water from the fridge door dispenser.
Sliding one across the island to her, I took a sip of mine, then leaned back against the galley-style counter and shrugged.“We’re alone now.Say what you came here to say.”
She blinked several times.“I … um …”
The woman wasn’t used to being in the wrong, or having to apologize.Well, tough shit.We all had to learn how to deal with it at some point.She was just learning a little later in life than the rest of us.
“Fine,” the word sighed out of me.“I’ll start.I knew I needed to make the decision to retire on my own, but since coming to the island, you’ve been a sounding board for me.And I thought I was one for you.I thought we had a strong enough relationship and wererealenough with each other that we could talk about the hard stuff.We shared a lot with each other and grew close enough in a short amount of time that I knew … Ithoughtyou were the person I needed to help me work through this big decision.Then you pulled the rug out from under me and refused to listen or help me figure things out.”
She swallowed and nodded softly.
“I’ve been nothing but patient and understanding with you.I agreed to take things at your pace, to keep it temporary and casual.I rolled with your hang ups about not wanting to go public on the island, and stay quiet.Keep our relationship a secret.All I asked of you in return was respect, and to help me talk through something aboutmylife,myjob,myfuture, and you shut me down.You told me not to come back to the island.Said that you and the kids were always my ‘plan B.’”
A single tear slid down the side of her cheek and she quickly swiped it away.
“Do you have any idea how much that hurt?”I asked her, my voice cracking.“How insulting that was?”
She nodded again, and another tear fell as her chin trembled.“I do.”
“I’m in love with you.I know we didn’t plan for it, but some of the best things in life aren’t planned.I fell in love with you, the kids, the island—all of it.And I didn’t leave hockey because of that.I left hockey because being with all of you helped me see that there is so much more to life thanjusthockey.And I want more.I played the best game of my life and retired on my terms.I’m happy.I’m content with my decision.”
“I was so scared,” she whispered, suddenly looking so small and lost standing there in front of me.“I’ve never been in love before, and it felt like I was giving up control.Th-then your dad—”
Hang on.Wait, what?
“My dad?What the fuck did he say?”
“He, um …” She chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment, hesitating.“He confronted me at the grocery store and said you’d regret staying here.You’d regret leaving hockey and resent me for making you stay.For ruining your future.”
A white-hot burning rage filled my belly and traveled up into my chest until breathing became a challenge.“What … else?”Because there was always something else with Kirby Roy.A threat of some kind, an ultimatum.Possibly even a bribe.Back in high school, when Rebel wasn’t made first string of his hockey team during his junior year, my dad flashed his NHL money around and paid the coach to move Rebel up.Then he paid off the better player’s family so they wouldn’t squawk.And they took the money because, why wouldn’t they?
