Page 41 of Pucking Fate

“That might be my fault,” Preston admits with a frown.

“What do you mean?”

“I may have urged him to try to fix things with you so you and Finley would move to Greensboro.”

“Why…how could you do that?” I snap at him.

“Because I miss you and Finley! I worry about you two up here alone. I’m glad Christian has been around during the summer, but once training starts, you’ll be alone.”

“I don’t need a man to come check on me and Finley,” I assure him. “But I am going to consider dating…”

“Yeah? So that’s another reason you put a stop to things with Christian?”

“Not really, but it doesn’t help. At Finley’s birthday party, Spencer Williams sort of asked me out.”

“Really?” Preston says, his eyes widening in surprise. I nod, then tap my fingernails on my coffee mug, waiting for his barrage of angry curses about how I should stay away from the goalie, but they don’t come.

“What? You’re not going to tell me to avoid him or go warn him to keep his hands to himself?”

“Nah, Spencer’s a good guy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He’s young, about your age. Since he’s not a starter, he doesn’t have the same ego and shit as the other players. I approve.”

“I wasn’t asking for your approval, Preston. Although it is infinitely better than your adamant objection.”

“You told Christian about Spencer asking you out?” my brother asks.

“Yes.”

“How did he react?”

“Not great. He accused me of bailing on him.”

“Can you blame him? How would you feel if the roles were reversed and last night he told you he agreed to a date with some mom he met at Finley’s party?”

“I didn’t agree to go on a date with Spencer. He’s going to give Finley a jersey, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I would hate it if Christian was with someone else. That’s why ending things is the right decision,” I explain. “I’ll have to see that man for the rest of my life. It’s better to end as friends than to break-up hurt and end up hating each other.”

I don’t ever want to be as vulnerable as I felt when he left me alone in that hotel room, or left me alone to handle our unexpected pregnancy.

“I need to try to move on, Preston. It’s been almost six years now since Christian and I gave dating a try and it failed. He’s the only man I’ve ever been with because I couldn’t bear to let him go yet. But I have to give up on a happily ever after for us, for Finley’s sake.”

“I’m sorry,” Preston says quietly. “I hate that things are so complicated between you two.”

“Same,” I agree as I blink away tears as I finally admit that last night was about finally letting go of him for good.

Preston sets his coffee down on the table, then gets up to come over to my chair. When he wraps me in a tight hug, the dam breaks. I give up trying to keep it all bottled inside.

Burying my face in his chest, I let go of the frustration, the confusion, the fear I’ve been holding inside. But worst of all, I let go of that tiny little smidgen of hope I still had left for us.

“It’s okay,” Preston whispers, stroking my hair. “You’re going to be okay, Maya.”

I sob against him, my whole body shaking. “I hate it,” I choke out. “But I don’t know what else to do.”

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