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I had completely forgotten about the event tomorrow night, but I nod. It’s my duty as captain of the team to show up. I don’t get a choice, even if I wanted one. I have to be there.
Noah sprints off, and the second he’s out of sight, I’m changing as quickly as possible into my jeans and tee shirt. Throwing my sports bag over my shoulder, I tap out a quick message to Ellie on the way out of the locker room. I ask where she is, and when she finally replies, I’m in my car and driving towards her apartment block in heavy traffic.
It takes far too long to get there, but when I do, I see Ellie peek through the curtains of her apartment window. She buzzes me up and when I finally reach her front door, I’m panting hard.
I drum my knuckles on the wooden door, and the second I do, Ellie pulls it open.
“Sweetie…”
I lunge forward, catching Ellie in my outstretched arms. She sobs into my shoulder, and my heart aches beneath her trembling body.
She’s shaking, struggling for breath and it’s all my fault.
Idiot. You’re a fucking idiot.
“Ellie,” I pull her back and look into her blood-shot eyes. The stunning green of her gaze is overtaken by wet tears and a painful puffy redness. “Sweetheart, please… Let’s sit down.”
Ellie leads the way towards her living room. She’s pulled the curtains shut, so the room is a soft darkness. There are three empty water bottles on the floor, and an empty packet of painkillers beside them.
“Um,” I hesitate, looking around the room. “Is everything ok?” It crosses my mind that it’s only three o’clock and Ellie should still be at work. I’ve been so swarmed with everything that time has disappeared from reality. “Why aren’t you at the cafe?”
“Sick,” Ellie mumbles.
“Aw, baby… Do you need anything?”
Ellie shakes her head and snuffles a loud sniff. I guide her down to the sofa and glide my hand across her back. Looking around, I see the TV still on the news channel. The scrolling text along the bottom of the screen flashes.
Squinting, I see my name written in bold, capital letters: MILES JOHNSON ON THE MOVE TO THE BIG APPLE.
“Is it true?” Ellie says, following my gaze to the screen. “Are you really moving to New York?”
My heart races and I reach across to clutch Ellie’s hands. They’re freezing cold. She’s shaking, so I snuggle in closer and hold her tight.
“Yes… And no,” I say, and Ellie looks at me with a puzzled frown. “There have been talks. I’m approaching thirty-seven years old, and my career is nearly over, babe. My agent thinks it’s a good idea to try for one final big-money contract.” The headlines start playing on the TV and, of course, I’m the leading news story in Vancouver today. “So, as you can see, the media is going crazy.”
“You’re stealing my moment…” Ellie says, a hint of her usual bright and bubbly nature seeping into her croaky voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, that photo of us found its way to the news, too. But all anybody cares about is that you’re…” Ellie stops, and then looks to the floor. “Leaving.”
I spin and drop to the floor so I’m kneeling in front of Ellie. I clutch her hands and pull them to my lips. Smothering her hands in kisses, I trail up her arms, rising to my feet as I catch her cheeks and press a deep kiss to her mouth, before dropping back to my knees and grabbing her hands once more.
“Baby, I don’t know what is going to happen with these contract shenanigans,” I say. “It’s part of the business I’m in. One minute a big move could be on, the next, it’s gone. New York could pull out tomorrow…” I point to the TV and the news anchor is chatting to the weatherman about the heatwave due this summer. “Who knows how it’s going to play out… But what I do know, is that I promise to tell you every step of the way what is going on. I owe that to you.”
Ellie’s hands shake in mine. I grip harder and pull her gaze to mine. A tiny smile creeps at the edges of her glorious lips, sending a flutter tickling through my stomach.
“What I said this morning…” I blurt out, the words so quick they form one jumbled sentence. My heart is racing, and I need to get this off my chest quickly. “I meant them. I meant every single word.” Ellie looks at me, the tiny smile growing bigger. “Yes, Ellie. I fucking love you. And I’m just glad you’re smiling… This morning, I wasn’t so sure.”
“Why wouldn’t I smile?”
“I don’t know…” I shrug. “No ones ever said those words to me before… So why would you-”
Ellie shuffles forward on the sofa and presses her finger to my lips, cutting my words in an instant.
“Miles… I love you, too.”
“You do?” I say, my words muffled by Ellie’s firm finger.
“I do.”
“Oh. Well…” My eyes flick from side to side.
I’ve got no idea where to look or what to say now, but when I look back at Ellie and she’s just sitting there with that special sparkle slowly returning to her eyes, I know exactly what to say.
“Baby, come with me to this Charity Gala event I have to go to tomorrow night?”
“Are you asking me to be your date to a Vikings event?” Ellie’s eyes pop, and when I nod, she claps her hands in front of her chest. “Oh, yay! Hazel will be so jealous!”
Laughing, I stand up and pull Ellie with me. We kiss and only when I crunch an empty packet of painkillers with my foot does it cross my mind that Ellie is still unwell.
“So why are you home anyway? And what’s with all this mess? Are you ok?”
Ellie looks down and crosses her arms across her chest. Her brows shoot up and she’s popped a hip out.
“Well, Mister… I’ve been wanting to ask you about your bacon situation…” Ellie’s eyes change to a hard glare. “I was sick at work today. A few hours after you fed me… How old was that bacon?”
I shrug, a frown pulling my face. “I only bought it a few days ago... I always cook bacon. It’s a staple of any healthy man’s diet.”
Ellie taps her foot.
“Hmmm… I don’t know what is was then. I feel OK now, though. And if I steer clear of your cooking, hopefully…” Ellie crosses her fingers and waves them in front of my face. “I can attend this charity dinner without throwing up all over the guests.”
Shaking my head, I tackle Ellie to the sofa and smother her cackling laughter with a hard kiss.
