Page 59 of The Love Comeback
“Well,youwere mine…” Her voice comes out so small, and the way her eyes lose their vibrance at the admission has my heart sinking. “But life doesn’t always go according to plan.”
“I’m so sorry, El,” I breathe out, raking my fingers through my hair. “I let you down, and I really wish I could go back and do it all over again and make the right choice. Because the truth is—I lost more than I gained when I let you go. And all I can do is promise to be better moving forward.”
“Well, it’s not just about me anymore. And Colton’s heart matters a whole lot more than mine. I don’t want to subject him to any more heartbreak.”
“I understand,” I say softly, feeling the weight of my past mistakes pressing down on me. “Colton is the priority, always. And I will do whatever it takes to ensure he doesn’t have to go through any more pain or heartbreak.”
Ella’s eyes search mine, sadness flickering in their depths. “I appreciate that, Kade. I truly do. And I want to believe you. I want to trust you. I’m just not sure I’m ready to completely let my guard down.”
I swallow hard. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that this feels like a lot right now. And I think I need some time to process everything. Some space to breathe. To think. To make sure that we’re not just falling into old patterns because it feels familiar.”
“Okay.” I nod, understanding the gravity of her words. “Take all the time you need.”
“But I won’t stop you from coming to Colton’s games or practices,” she says quietly.
“I’ll be there.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ella
“Are you having first-game jitters?” Valerie nudges me as the first whistle blows and the skaters line up in their starting positions.
I take a deep breath and nod, my heart pounding with anxiety as I pick out Colton standing front and center. “I’m just worried he’s going to get hurt…” I hate that I sound like a wimp, but after years of watching Kade play hockey through high school, I know good and well how common it is to take a blow—and that’s already happened to Colton once.
“It’ll be fine,” Valerie reassures me. “And besides, kids bounce back fast at this age. It’s not like it’d be if one of us were outthere trying to play. I mean, my goodness, if I fell out on the ice, I might not be able to get up for a whole week.”
I can’t help but giggle, even though I feel uneasy. “I don’t think I’d make it more than five feet of skating before I fell. I didn’t get any of the athleticism my sister got. I only got the brains.”
“And the looks.” She shoots me a playful wink.
A few moments later, Valerie nudges me with her elbow. But my eyes are glued on Colton’s every move. I wince as another kid brushes against his shoulder as he skates by.
Ugh, please leave my baby alone!
“Ella,” Valerie urges, elbowing me again. “Look!”
Annoyance grows in the pit of my chest, but I swallow it, forcing my protective eyes from Colton to Valerie. “What is it?”
She points over to the entrance of the rink, and that’s when I see it. Kade and his teammate, who I recognize to be Dylan Williamston, carrying signs with Colton’s number and team colors. And to make it even worse…
Kade is wearing a mock jersey.
It’s so freaking endearing that it makes my stomach swirl.
My mind races as I stare at Kade, a bright smile on his face, fist pumping and waving at Colton. My gaze jumps to the rink where I see Colton suddenly skating with a renewed sense of energy.
“You okay?” Valerie whispers. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”
I shake it off, clearing my throat and tossing my hair over my shoulder. “No, I’m totally fine. I just had a moment where I was starting to worry about Colton getting hurt. You know, he got that black eye at practice. It seems like itjustcleared up. I don’t want him to get another one.”
“He’s not going to get another black eye, silly. Well, at least not today.” She laughs, tipping her head of red hair back.
“You’re not making me feel better,” I sulk, shaking my head.
“Oh c’mon, Ella. You’ve gotta have some faith. That was a freak accident anyway. He’s got this—look at him go!” Valerie bounces beside me, cheering on Colton as Aaron guards him and he skates across the rink with precision, headed right for the goal.
