Page 109 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
“Work around them?” I repeat.
Tracy nods and shrugs. “That’s just kind of how it goes. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”
“I would know,” Kendra says with a sigh, though she’s still smiling. “I put off getting my master’s because I just can’t do it right now. Not with having our kid and my husband traveling so much to play. Someone’s gotta be the parent who stays home and holds down the fort, you know?”
“Right…” I murmur.
My mom flashes in my mind. A million memories follow, of her alone with us when my brothers and I were little while my dad was off traveling for months at a time, of her arguing with him on the phone, of her looking sad and exhausted as she took care of us by herself, day after day…
That’s what life will be like with Theo. I know we’ve barely started a relationship, but if we get serious, this is a glimpse of what I’m in store for. Now that he’s back on the team, he’ll be traveling for away games. If we want to see each other regularly, I’ll probably have to follow him around and put my own needs and goals on the backburner.
I think of Sadie Skinner and the earring designs I’ve been working on ever since she approached me at the Rocky Mountain Winter Festival. If I’m following Theo around like some lovesick girlfriend, when will I have the time to establish my own career?
Probably never. If I choose to prioritize my career, that means I won’t see him very often. He’ll be traveling and training for a huge chunk of the NHL season, while I’ll be in Denver trying to get my earring line off the ground. I’ll probably be traveling too, depending on how things with work go. We’ll hardly ever see each other. As much as I care about him…as much as I love him…that’s not the kind of relationship I want. That’s not the kind of life I want.
Dread pools in the pit of my stomach. My relationship with Theo is doomed, and it’s barely even started.
Tracy pulls me into a side hug, jerking me out of my thoughts and back to the present moment.
“Okay, enough of us married ladies complaining. We don’t mean to scare you off,” she jokes.
I force a smile. I tell them it’s all fine, despite the panic spiral churning inside of me.
I say it was great chatting with them and walk back to Tyler and Tori, who are still flirting and laughing. I set their drinks down and sit as they talk, thankful that they don’t seem to notice how quiet I’m being.
A lump lodges in my throat and I sip water to try and soothe it. It doesn’t work. I still feel like crying at the thought of what I’m about to lose.
Chapter37
Theo
“Hey. Everything okay?” I lean over and ask Maya in a quiet voice as she sits next to me in the lounge.
She smiles and nods, but I can tell something’s bothering her. She’s been quiet ever since I got here a half-hour ago. Even when I hugged her and kissed her, something felt off. Like she wasn’t into it.
I’m so confused. She seemed so happy up until now.
I let out a breath and try to focus back on the conversation. Tyler and Tori don’t seem to notice anything’s off judging by the fact that they’re both chatting and laughing with each other. Damn, is the flirty vibe strong with these two. Maya says they’re not a couple, but you could have fooled me.
Tyler keeps winking and smiling at Tori, and she keeps laughing at everything he says and touching his arm.
A few minutes later, the two of them stand up and announce they’re taking off.
I shake Tyler’s hand and hug Tori. Maya gets up and hugs them bye. When they leave, we sit back down and I focus on her once more.
She stares at the tabletop, her glass of water, the floor, pretty much everywhere except me. My stomach twists. What happened?
I reach over and gently grab her hand in mine. When she finally looks at me, I see a flash of pain in those gorgeous deep brown eyes. My chest throbs.
“Maya. What’s wrong?”
She opens her mouth but hesitates before quickly shutting it. And then she sighs. “Not here.”
She stands up and I follow her as she walks out of the lounge down the darkened hallway near where a utility closet is.
When she stops near the stairwell exit, I reach over and grab her hand.
“Are you okay? I’m worried about you.”
