Page 95 of Match Penalty

"He's gone," Angelica cuts me off gently. "He took the transfer to Canada. His flight is boarding right now."

The words feel like ice in my veins. "No," I shake my head. "He can't be..."

I rush past her, out of my office and through the arena halls. I'm grateful that I changed already as my flats slap against the concrete floors of the stadium as I run for my car— praying I'm not too late.

I make it to The Commons. Maybe Angelica was wrong and he changed his flight. I unlock the door with the key he left me. Inside, the space is empty except for standard furniture. On the coffee table, a PlayStation 3 sits with a note:For Aleksi.

My eyes blur with tears as I spot another note on the kitchen island. With trembling hands, I unfold it:

Cammy,

You are the most incredible person I've ever met. You're smart, talented, and so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. You're going to do amazing things, and I don't want to be the reason you don't.

You deserve someone who makes your life easier, not harder. But I'm not strong enough to stay away on my own, not with you only three floors above me. The best thing I can do for you is give you space to move forward with your life.

Je t'aime,

JP

I clutch the note to my chest, tears falling freely now. All this time, I thought he was running away. But he was trying to run toward something better for everyone else, no matter what it cost him.

My phone buzzes—

Unknown:This is Angelica. His phone is off, but he’s headed to the farm team.

I wipe my eyes, determination replacing despair.

Me:Text me the details. All of them.

Unknown:What are you going to do?

I look down at JP's note, at the words "Je t'aime" written in his messy scrawl. The same words he whispered before skating away.

Me:I'm going to find him. And then I'm going to bring him home.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

JP

The cold night air bites at my face as I step out of the arena, the distant echoes of cheers and laughter still drifting from inside. Under the glow of the streetlights, my rideshare idles at the curb, its tailpipe sending wisps of smoke into the crisp November night.

I don't know what I expected. Maybe a part of me hoped that Cammy would have chased after me. At least leaving me with a kiss goodbye. Something… Anything, to let me know that what happened between us over the last six weeks meant something to her, too. But her voice isn't echoing through the parking lot of the stadium. There's no clap of her flats behind me as she runs towards me.

She's letting me go.

Like I made it easy for her to do.

I tighten my grip on my bag as I head toward the waiting cab, the slap of my boots on the concrete ringing in my ears. It’s done. The puck she made past me is in my pocket, and her smile—bright but edged with confusion—is burned into my memory.

She doesn’t understand yet, but she will. This is for her. It has to be.

The cab driver leans out his window. “You the guy heading to the airport?”

“Yeah,” I say, tossing my bag into the trunk. I slide into the backseat and slam the door shut. “Sea-Tac, departures.”

The driver nods, and the car rumbles to life. I glance out the window as the arena fades into the distance, keeping her with it.

The city lights blur as the cab weaves through the streets. My phone sits heavy in my pocket, off since I walked out of the auction. If I turn it on, I know it’ll be lit up with messages. Slade’s angry texts, Penelope’s demands for an explanation, Angelica’s calm but firm instructions to rethink everything. And maybe... maybe a text from Cammy.

---