Page 123 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
He peers around the space, which is outfitted with a river rock wall, earth-toned carpet, and retro dining chairs.
He nods at the small potted cactus in the corner of the restaurant. “Hey, you think if I asked them to chop that up and put it in a salad, they would?” He chuckles. I roll my eyes.
“The more important question is why in the world did you text me and say that you were having an emergency and needed to see me? I missed a private chef’s tasting with Ingrid for this, you know.”
He takes a drink of his white wine. “Have you ever had to blow off your long weekend plans to go to the most boring teacher’s conference in the world? If that’s not an emergency, I don’t know what is.”
I let out an exasperated noise and focus my gaze on my cousin. “Seriously, Austin. What’s going on with you? You don’t even tell me that you’re coming to Phoenix till your plane lands and say that you need to meet me for dinner ASAP. Why are you really here?”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Because you need someone to try and talk some sense into you, Maya.”
He crosses his arms and I instantly go on the defensive. I straighten up in my chair and cross my arms. He’s got that disappointed teacher expression down pat.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
My cousin tilts his head at me. “I overheard you talking to Tyler at your going away party. About breaking things off with Theo.”
I pause mid-slip. I set my glass of water down. “Thanks for ditching your conference to let me know that you eavesdropped on me”
A heavy sigh rockets from Austin. He pulls at the collar of his dress shirt, then tugs a hand through his perfectly combed ink-black hair. I lean back in my chair, surprised. My flawlessly styled cousin never, ever messes with his hairstyle unless he’s really, really upset.
“I heard you tell Tyler why you ended things with Theo. And I came here to tell you that I think you’re making a huge mistake.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’re family, but we’re friends too. And I’m not the kind of friend who’s just going to sit back and watch you get in the way of your own happiness.”
“Austin, what are you talking about?”
“I’ve never seen you happier than when you were with Theo. I’ve never seen you smile that much. We all noticed it.”
I’m quiet. I can’t argue with him there. That’s all true.
“But then you just call it quits?”
“It’s not that simple, Austin.”
He throws up his hand like he’s frustrated. “Explain it to me then.”
I huff out a breath. “Theo is amazing. And you’re right, being with him made me happy. Really happy.”
My throat aches. I pause to sip my water to keep from breaking.
“But being in a relationship with a pro hockey player isn’t a walk in the park. I’d have to put a lot of my life on the back burner, Austin.”
He frowns. “How do you figure that?”
I tell him about running into a couple of the Bashers players’ wives and hearing them joke about how they’ve had to put their interests and goals on hold for their husbands.
“I’m not going to give up my dreams and goals for anyone,” I say. “I’m not going to sit and wait around for a partner who’s hardly ever there.”
Austin looks at me for a long moment. His deep brown eyes study me, like he’s taking in everything I’ve said. He’s quiet as he looks off to the side and through the nearby window that overlooks the resort patio and pool. And then he turns back to me.
“God, Maya. You’re hell-bent on sabotaging your own happiness aren’t you?”
I frown at him, taken aback at how disappointed and irritated he sounds. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I don’t know where this all stems from? I know your hesitation to be in a serious relationship comes from your parents. Seeing how your dad ditched your mom growing up made you skittish to ever let your guard down and get emotionally invested in anyone,” he says. “And okay, yeah, I get. All of us do that to a point. We’re all affected by our parents’ relationships in some way. But you’re a coward to use your parents’ failed marriage as an excuse to dump the guy you’re clearly in love with.”
