Page 83 of Hat Trick
This is your home. You are my home. I love you more than words could ever say. All I'm asking is that you give me the chance to prove it.
Yours now and forever,
Carter.
PS. I've included a ticket for tonight's game. If you come, I'll take that to mean you're willing to give us a second chance. If not, I'll give you your space. I can't say the same for Gabe, though.
Tears flow freely now, but the sobs wracking my chest have stilled. Carter made a mistake, a wrong choice, and sure, it hurt my feelings and fed my insecurities, but I still love him. I love all three of them somuch my heart aches without them. They're not the only ones suffering from the distance I was so certain I needed.
His knee-jerk reaction to a stressful situation was to remove me from the equation. But my knee-jerk reaction was to get my feelings hurt. I had assumed that 'leave' meant 'leave forever' and not just for the moment. I'm still carrying wounds from Chad, that that's completely unfair to them.
I totally understand why he sent me away. If Chad randomly showed up to our house, I wouldn't want him and my boys in the same room. I should have been patient and understanding, not taken it personally.
In all three letters, all three of my men apologized and explained what had happened from their point of view. They didn't make excuses or try to cast blame on someone else.
And really, isn't that all I can ask for? We were going to make mistakes, people are going to get their feelings hurt, but what matters is that we put love and respect first and try to make things right as quickly as possible.
I didn't let them do that. I ran away and blocked their numbers so that they couldn't.
Shame and regret sicken me, and I look at the clock.
I have an hour to make things right.
Chapter forty-eight
Emily
Irun-walk through the crowds at the arena, my bag bouncing against my hip. I have fifteen minutes until they lower the lights for the pre-game show. I push through the staff doors and sprint to the locker room.
I didn't want to just go to my seat. I have so much I want to say that can't be shouted through a plexiglass, surrounded by thousands of people, while they're supposed to be working.
But as I burst through the locker room doors, seeing two dozen big, suited up hockey players lined up near the furthest door, bouncing and flexing and stretching, my bravery suddenly leaves me. Their backs are to me, but my eyes instantly find my guys.
"Em?" Ben asks. He must have turned his head enough to see me. He's still a rookie, but he's suited up for today's game just in case.
I swallow the lump in my throat, my face heated, and edge backwards, ready to escape. This was a bad idea. They're busy. They're playing game four of seven. They need to win to have any chance at the Stanley. I'll just go...
"I'm sorry..."
But all three of my guys have already turned and seen me. Gabe's face is dark, serious, his brows pinched together and his eyes dark, but he stalks towards me. Luca is hesitantly hopeful. But it's Carter's face that has the tears threatening to reappear. His face showed pure joy and elation with a hint of regret.
In a matter of seconds, they're surrounding me.
"I'm so sorry, I know you have to go. I just wanted you to know that I'm here, and that I love you all, and that I'm so so sorry I've been gone." I rush out. I don't want to mess with their gameday rituals, but I need them to know I love them.
Gabe presses a gloved hand against my lips to shush me, but I bat it aside. He chuckles.
"No. I need you to know. I'm sorry and I'm coming back home, if you want me, and we can figure everything out after you win tonight."
I give each of them a kiss on the cheek and push them back to the lineup, where apparently, we have an audience. All 30-something hockey players whoop and cheer and clap with their gloved hands, and my blush deepens.
I go to leave, but Gabe grabs my upper arm and spins me back around. He glares at my body, his hot gaze grazing up and down my body.
"Why are you wearing his jersey?" He growls. I look down at Carter's jersey over my sweatshirt. I laugh and shake my head, patting at my bag.
"Just wait."
"I love you, Em. We all do." Carter says, dipping down to catch my eye.
