I stared at her message,and then my phone rang, scaring me to pieces.I quickly answered, “Hello.”
“He kissed you, didn’t he?”
“He kissed me out of pity, because I’d been crying.”
“Woman you are impossible.This is it, Em, this is the chance you’ve been waiting for.”
“You make it sound as if I’ve been holding my breath, waiting for another chance with Colton Fox.”
“Uh, not in the literal sense, but subconsciously you have.”
“Now who is the impossible one.”
“Emma, I love you like a sister.You may not have come directly out and said it, but I’m the one who has been listening to you for years.Throughout college and most of our twenties, all you ever did was watch his games for a glimpse of him.You tracked the teams he played for, waiting for trade announcements when you knew he might be moving.”
“So what??I like hockey.”
“You like hockey?Really, the only time you ever watched was on the nights he played.”
“So, I liked his team.”
“Right, Emma, again, babe, I love you, but a hockey fan who loves the Predators, is a fan of the team regardless of the players who play on it.They don’t switch being the fan of a team because a player leaves.Sure, they may still enjoy watching them when their team plays against the team they moved to, but they don’t change teams.”
“What are you saying?”I questioned, afraid that what she was going to say was something I’d only thought to myself.
“Go after him, say goodbye to the fake life you’re living, and say hello to finding the real you again, with the man you’ve wanted forever.”
“Yeah, but what about working things out with the relationship I just lost?Don’t you think that is worth a try?”
“Emma, I’m going to be very honest with you here.I never liked Mark from the day I met him.My best friend changed when she met him and turned into a person who few people liked.I stuck around only because I knew the real you, not the fake one you portrayed, and when we got together and Mark was gone, you were the real you.The message when it popped up on my screen tonight was from the real you, the one Colton brought out in you, the one I miss dearly.”
“Chantal…”
“If being around him for a week has changed you this much, I’m going to go out on a limb and say he’s the one for you.Just trust it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Colton
It wasthe end of the second period and as I made my way off the ice, I checked behind the bench for signs of Emma, but her seat was still empty.Lorelai waved at me and shrugged as she pointed to the chair that had my jersey hanging off the back of it.
Worry filled me as I made my way to the dressing room.She’d bolted from the room, and by the time I’d run after her, she was already gone.I couldn’t take the time I wanted to take and go after her because I had to get to the lobby to catch the bus for the arena.I figured she’d cool off and that she’d show up to the game tonight.
But she didn’t.
Unfortunately, after we won the game, and as much as I wanted to return to the hotel immediately, Thompkins insisted I stick around for photographs and interviews, during which both he and Pamela kept a close watch on me, no doubt wondering where the hell Emma was.
After the interview, I was brought back to the hotel and dropped off with the rest of the team.I checked my phone for messages, but there weren’t any.I made my way up to our room only to find it in darkness.
I walked back out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me, and texted her, then made my way down to the lobby.I strolled through the lobby looking for her.When I didn’t find her there, I made my way over to the restaurant.I glanced at the patrons, and then pulled my phone from my pocket, quickly pulling up the group chat with the guys.
I’d just finished typing out the message and was about to hit send when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye over in the corner booth at the back of the restaurant.I made my way to the back of the restaurant and glanced over the booth seat to find Emma sitting there alone, a half glass of what appeared to be pop in front of her.
“Well, well, there you are,” I said.
“Here I am,” she said, holding her arms out, then giggling.
What the hell?Was she drinking?
