We eat and drink and laugh, and for brief moments, I almost forget the emptiness in my heart. The conversation flows from work gossip to relationship updates to plans for the upcoming season.
Then Ivory stands up and taps her glass with her fork. “I want to say something before I leave and never see any of you again.”
“You'll see us again,” Olivia says. “Seattle isn't that far.”
“Shut up and let me be dramatic,” Ivory says with a grin. “When I first met you all, I'll admit I misjudged you. I thought you were going to be a bunch of snobby WAGs who only cared about designer bags and Instagram followers.”
“I mean, we do care about those things,” Harper interjects, and we all laugh.
“Let me finish.” Ivory takes a deep breath. “But you proved me wrong. You welcomed me into your circle without hesitation. You invited me to brunches and girls' nights even though I was just the physical therapist. You made me feel like I belonged.”Her voice wobbles slightly. “And a lot of that is thanks to Natalie. She's the one who dragged me to my first cocktail night and insisted I stay even when I tried to make excuses.”
All eyes turn to me, and my cheeks heat.
Ivory raises her glass. “To the best group of women I've ever known. I'm going to miss you all so much.”
We raise our glasses and drink, and I have to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay. The evening continues, but the teasing eventually turns to me.
“So,” Harper says with a smile, “how are things with a certain brooding defenseman?”
“Things are fine,” I say.
“Just fine?” Ariel says. “That's not what I heard. Word around the arena is that you two are practically inseparable.”
“Word around the arena is wrong.”
“Come on, Natalie.” Olivia leans forward. “We've all seen the way he looks at you. That man is completely gone for you.”
I take a long sip of wine to buy myself time. I don't want to ruin the evening with my problems. “It's complicated. Can we talk about something else?”
They exchange glances but mercifully let it drop. The conversation shifts to other topics, and I let myself fade into the background, laughing in the right places and contributing when necessary but mostly just trying to survive until I can go home.
Later, when the others are distracted by a heated debate, Avery corners me in the kitchen.
“Okay, spill.” She crosses her arms. “What's really going on with you and Ethan?”
I set down the plate I was rinsing and grip the edge of the sink. “It's over.”
“What do you mean, it's over?”
“I mean, we're done. He ended things.”
Avery's face falls. “Oh, Natalie. What happened?”
The whole story comes pouring out. By the time I finish, Avery's face is a mask of anger. “That idiot. Give him time. He'll come around.”
I shake my head. “Not Ethan. When he makes a decision, he sticks to it. He's convinced I betrayed him, and nothing I say will change his mind.”
“But you explained what happened. You told him the truth.”
“He doesn't care about the truth. He cares that I lied. And in his mind, that's unforgivable.” I take a deep breath to compose myself. “The worst part is having to see him every day. I'm right next door to him in our building, and he won't even look at me.”
“Have you tried to talk to him again?”
“I've tried everything, Avery. I've apologized. I've tried to explain. I've given him space. Nothing works.” I pull my hands free and wrap my arms around myself. “He's shut me out completely, and I have to accept that it's over.”
“Maybe you need to give it more time.”
“I need to accept that some things can't be fixed.” I force a smile that doesn't reach my eyes. “Come on. We should get back to the others before they wonder where we went.”
