Page 73 of Checking Mr. Wrong
What I wish she had texted me was different. I want to believe Mabel’s sitting on the edge of her bed right now, staring at her packed suitcase, her heart racing as she debates telling me the truth. She’s decided. She’s not going to New York, at least not yet. Not until she knows what this is, what we are. But she’s not ready to say that in a text.
Sigh. A man can dream, can’t he? A man who has been told to scratch the grand gesture. The thought makes me chuckle. Not many women out there would halt a grand gesture before it happened…only Mabel.
This victory should feel good. The kind of good that sinks deep into your bones and stays there. The crowd is electric, the sound of cheers bouncing off the rafters, and I let myself soak it all in. Another win for Maple Falls. Another step closer to the playoffs.
But the high of the game isn’t quite hitting like it usually does. My eyes scan the stands, a habit I’ve picked up in recent weeks. I’m looking for her. I know it’s stupid. She said she had things to do, that she couldn’t make it tonight—but I can’t help it.
I wish I could manifest her in the crowd right now, wearingone of those sarcastic smirks that makes my stomach flip. Or catch her laughing at some goofy sign someone’s holding up. I’d take her scowling at me, arms crossed, ready to give me a hard time about something. I know I’m going to see her now the game is over, but I guess this is also giving me a taste of life here without Mabel around.
I look at the seats again, taking it all in. What a whirlwind it’s been since I met her. Life’s funny. Yet, me pausing to savor being here needs to happen. This arena, my new life, and being an Ice Breaker. This team is the family I did not know I needed, and even though Canada is home, well, Maple Falls quickly stepped up and wormed its way into my heart.
“Asher!”
A voice snaps me out of my trance. I look around but don’t see anyone trying to get my attention, so I take a second to look and cast another glance at the stands. The crowd is a blur of faces and colors, but then…
“I said, ASHER!” I know that voice. “I’m here. Look over here!”
Theresheis.
She’s standing in the middle of the stands, a few rows back from the glass, not bothering to hide. Her eyes lock on mine, and everything else fades. It’s like the volume in the arena drops out, leaving only the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Mabel’s wearing a sweatshirt. Not just any sweatshirt though. This one hasmy faceon it, with the words “Forget the jersey!” written in bold across the front.
What the––? I blink, thinking maybe I’m imagining things, but no. She’s there, real and grinning like she just pulled off the best prank in the world. Not wearing an Ice Breakers jersey with my name on it, which is a problem I foresee for future Asher, but in a homemade one that’s even better.
“What are you doing?” I shout, the words carrying more exasperation than I intend.
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she puts her finger in the air,telling me to hold on, and bends over, picking something up that’s on the ground beside her. A second later, she’s back and holding up a series of poster boards.
The first one reads: “I TURNED THE JOB DOWN.”
My chest tightens.
The next: “I WANT TO TELL YOU…”
And another: “…THAT I AM FALLING HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH YOU, ASHER TREMBLAY.”
I’m rooted to the ice, unable to move, unable to think. The crowd around her catches on, a wave of cheers and gasps rippling through the stands. But all I can focus on is her and the ridiculous sweatshirt, the sparkle in her eyes, and the way she’s looking at me like I’m the only person in the world.
“What about New York?” I yell, my voice cracking as my heart tries to claw its way out of my chest.
She holds up the last board: “A WOMAN LIKES TO HAVE HER OPTIONS. I CHANGED MY MIND.”
She tosses the cards to the side, spreading her arms wide, a triumphant grin on her face as she starts the descent toward the edge of the rink.
I’m skating before I realize what I’m doing, stopping just below her in the stands. My teammates are yelling something—probably teasing me—but I don’t care. I can hear Cade’s and Carson’s voices above the fray, cheering me on, and that’s all I need right now.
“Are you really the same woman I asked out? You know…the woman who told me no in multiple ways?” I ask, my grin matching hers.
“Yes, and no.” She crosses her arms, leaning slightly forward as she steps closer. “Look, even I have to admit I’ve changed. I don’t know if it happened since I got back here, or if it started while I was on the East Coast, but I need you to understand I’m a woman who’s always going to be me, got it?”
“Even if it makes no sense, yes,” I reply, my voice soft but steady, “I’ll support you. Every step of the way.”
Her grin softens into something warmer, something that wraps around my chest and squeezes. “Good,” she says, her voice quieter. “Because I’m dead serious. I told the network no, I won’t be returning to their television station to work.”
“You’re serious?”
“Deadly. The whole thing wasn’t sitting right, never mind that they kept him after the whole dumping water over his head,” she begins, laughing. “But I couldn’t go back to work for someone who decided I could come back now because my old partner left and, apparently, I became popular. I’d be helping their agenda, not mine.”
