Page 93 of A Whole New Trick

And why should he? We just started dating. Our lives aren’t intertwined.

I ignore how much that admission hurts.

But it’s the truth. No matter how close I feel to Dane, neither of us has invested a significant amount of time into this relationship. It will suck, but it won’t be hard to go our separate ways.

“What would you tell me?” Joshua interrupts my spiraling thoughts. “If I were in your shoes, what would be your advice if I was crazy about a girl but her job was forcing her to move away?”

I pinch my lips together and think. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“On how you feel about her.”

“Let’s say she’s the first woman I’ve had feelings for in years. We get each other. And I’ve been thinking she might be my wife one day.”

I sputter. “I never said I thought about marrying Dane.”

That would be crazy…

“We’re not talking about you.” Joshua grins knowingly. “Taking all that into consideration, as my friend, what would be your advice?”

I blow out a breath and slump against the couch.

What would be my advice?

I’d like to say I’d stick to logic and probability, but if I truly considered Joshua’s situation, I wouldn’t want him to be so quick to let go of the happiness that has taken him so long to find. He and I bond over our disdain for the online dating scene, but neither of us has had any luck meeting someone out in the wild.

Not until Dane.

“Damnit,” I mutter, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose.

“I’m sorry. Is that an answer?” Joshua asks with a laugh.

I drop my hand and level a weak glare on my friend. “Don’t gloat.”

He smirks. “I won’t, not as long as you promise not to break up with Dane when you know he doesn’t want to be traded or move, either.”

The final buzzer sounds on the TV. My eyes snap to the screen. The camera zooms in on Dane’s face. He smiles as histeammates crash together in a celebratory huddle, but I know his smiles. This one doesn’t reach his eyes.

Guilt washes over me.

Dane is going through a hard time, and I’ve been more worried about what it means for our relationship than trying to help him through it. Sure, I’ve delivered the required platitudes to try and reassure him, but I haven’t attempted to actually help him through it.

I’ve been bracing myself for a breakup that I’m pretty sure Dane wouldn’t want. I thought I was being smart. But the truth is, I was motivated by fear.

Fear of the unknown.

Fear of heartbreak.

I don’t know what will happen between me and Dane if we are forced to date long distance. I have ideas, of course, but I can’t know for sure.

While I don’t want to live so far from the incredible man, I also don’t want him to give up his dream career. And I absolutely don’t want to lose him.

30

DANE

“Conference Champions, Baby!”Cam shouts in the visitor’s locker room at the Knights’ arena. The team erupts into a roar of cheers when he and Gavin pop bottles of champagne. The sticky liquid sprays over everyone in the room. “Next stop, the Stanley Cup!”

---