Page 95 of Stick Fight

No.

Just Gabby.PureGabby. The woman I fell in love with.

I reach for the nearest piece of fabric, soft, textured, unique, just like her. My fingers trace the stitches, each line a mark of her dedication. She hasn’t given up. She hasn’t abandoned her dreams. No. What I’m holding in my hands is something even more incredible: the pivot. The turn she made to step into a new reality. Her reality.

Tears well up in my eyes.I hold the jacket up, letting the fabric drape over my arm.This is all Gabby.And as I stare at it, as I see the effort, the love, something shifts inside me. The fog clears. I know what I need to do.

I grab my phone, hands trembling as I hit Maeve’s number. The second she answers, I don’t waste time. “Can you help me?”

26

Gabby

Ihonestly can’t believe I’m back in Boston. The weight of it hits me all over again. When Maeve called, practically begging for someone to watch Stella because the nanny bailed, I couldn’t just leave her hanging. I love that little girl, and Maeve and Tanner have become real friends to me, but damn, this feels like a gut punch. Walking away from everything I built with Roman...God, the tears start to well up again, but I’ve cried enough over the last two weeks.

“I really appreciate you doing this for me,” Maeve says, leading me down the hallway to the room I’ll be staying in until they find a new nanny. I follow her into the room, feeling like a stranger in my own skin. The floral bedspread, the soft matching curtains, everything looks so... normal. I set my bag down with a quiet thud. I didn’t come with much. Hell, everything I own is still at Roman’s. I was practically living out of a suitcase at my parents' house. And now, here I am. In a room that’s temporary, but in some strange way, it’s the most peaceful thing I’ve felt in days. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents, but staying at their place made me feel like I was failing at life.

Maeve’s voice brings me back. “Is it okay?” she asks, her tone soft.

I force a smile, brushing away the lump in my throat. “It’s perfect.”

But it’s not. Nothing is perfect right now. The tears press against my eyelids as I walk toward the window, trying to push them back. I don’t want Maeve seeing me like this. Everyone knows about what happened in Vegas. But Maeve’s kindness has been a quiet refuge, the only thing that’s kept me from sinking deeper into this pit of despair.

I pinch my eyes shut, my back to her, then turn slowly. “Is Tanner still going to get my things from Roman’s?” The words feel like they’re choking me.

She smiles softly, but there’s a sadness in her eyes. “If that’s what you want.”

It’s not what I want.What I want is a life with Roman. A future I never thought would slip through my fingers like this. But I ran away once, with nothing but the clothes on my back, and now... now I want the things that remind me of everything I left behind. Even though they’re just things.

The work I put into those designs. The hours, the sweat, the late nights. It feels like a lifetime ago. I might as well leave it all there, with him. With the Bucks. I thought I could build something here, carve out a place for myself. But now, after Vegas, I’m not sure what my future holds.

Maeve glances at her watch, her gaze flicking around the room as if she’s searching for something, anything, to focus on other than me. Something’s off.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she answers, but the word doesn’t feel true. “I just... I was thinking about taking Stella to the rink. They’re doing skate lessons for kids.”

But why the hell is Maeve looking everywhere but at me?

“I know you just got here, and it was a long flight,” Maeve says gently, “But we’d love it if you came.”

My answer rises in my throat, automatic and firm. No. Honestly, the thought of walking into that rink feels like willingly plunging into a fire.

“It would mean a lot to Stella,” Maeve adds, her voice dipping soft. “She’s missed you.” That one sentence lands like a punch. My heart tightens, twisted in guilt and longing.

“…Okay,” I hear myself say.

Maeve’s face lights up with relief. “I’ll go get her ready.”

“I’ll just… unpack.”

My suitcase is embarrassingly small. I unzip it and mechanically begin folding and putting things away, anything to delay the whirl of emotions rising inside me. Hopefully Tanner gathers my things from Roman’s and brings them home tonight. Through the thin wall, I hear Maeve’s voice and the rustling of blankets.

“Guess what?” she says, her voice full of excitement. “Aunt Gaga is here to see you.”

Stella squeals. It’s a sound of such joy that it nearly knocks me off my feet. I press a hand to my chest, trying to breathe through the sudden swell of emotion. I’ve missed her. God, I’ve missed her so much. Why should Stella suffer for Roman’s choices? She’s just a little girl, too small to understand why I vanished. Why does love always get so messy and complicated?

I step into the hallway and move to her door. The second she spots me, she barrels forward on tiny feet, arms outstretched.

---