Nerves assailed me as I stepped into the lobby of the hotel. It was gorgeous, modern, and one of the nicest hotels in Chicago. I’d been there before for work conferences, the occasional after work drink or dinner meeting when other managing financial advisers came from out of town.
Tonight, I barely took in the elegance of the lobby as I tore off my mittens and stuffed them into my coat pockets. I scooted around tourists and men and women dressed like they were preparing for a late night, black-tie event until I reached the hotel’s lobby restaurant.
Lit only by chandeliers and tabletop candles, the room cast a soothing and sensual glow over its modern, straight-lined furniture. I moved to one of the booths there, stripping out of my coat and tucking it next to me on the bench. Once settled, I pulled out my phone.
I’d debated whether to have the front desk call up to his room, but there was always the chance they’d refuse, or wouldn’t admit the team was staying there. The benefit would be if he chose not to come talk to me, I wouldn’t have to hear the rejection.
Pull on your big girl panties and just do it.
Before I could talk myself out of it and catch the El back to my condo a few miles away, I pulled up his contact. With a trembling finger, I tapped his name and brought the phone to my ear.
The steak I ate earlier threatened to revolt as I waited for the phone to connect, or for him to ignore it.
It rang three times and I whispered a “thank you” to the server who delivered a glass of water and menu in front of me.
And then Garrett’s voice, rich and low as always, rumbled through the phone. “I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
As far as hellos went, it wasn’t great. “It’s been a while. Good game tonight.”
“You watched?”
I tapped my fingers on the table. This was awkward and Garrett and I were never awkward. “You’re playing great. Vegas is lucky to have you.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and pain slashed my chest in a breath. “That’s what your note said. Listen, Lizzie… I’m not sure why you’re calling, but I don’t know if it’s smart.”
“I’m downstairs.” I powered through tears and the rattling in my chest. I’d expected distance. I hadn’t expected the space between us through a phone call to feel like we were on opposite sides of Lake Michigan. “I’d like to see you. To talk.”
Seconds passed. Long enough I imagined him scraping his fingers with his beard. Run a hand through his hair. He might be pacing. It was long enough I could take a long drink of my ice-cold water.
“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?” He said it with a chuckle. My nerves released like a valve, making it easier to breathe.
He’d said the same words to me last time I saw him. He’d gotten a seat next to me in first class for our flight to North Carolina. I not only hated flying but usually ending up throwing up while I did it, so even though we hadn’t spoken in over a year, I was focused on trying not to lose my mimosas all over his lap. Even then, pissed at me, he’d helped me.
“I know. Please?”
“Give me ten. We just checked in.”
“Thank you.” My voice wobbled and I hung up before he could tell.
Now, I had to wait.
Ten more minutes until I threw Garrett’s life into a tailspin.
2
Garrett
I didn’t need ten minutes. I’d already spent the last twenty pacing our small hotel room that my teammate, André, was threatening to kick me out of the room. Pacing because I’d had my phone in my hand, debating whether or not I was going to call Lizzie.
Three months ago, after one crazy weekend and one incredible, unforgettable night, she asked me for space in a note, sneaking out before I woke up and catching a different flight back to Chicago. Since what I’d asked for was a lot, and I knew she needed time, I waited a few days to reach out. By then it was the day after Christmas and I was moved into my new home in Las Vegas.
She never called back. Never answered a text I sent.
A guy could only take so much rejection before he moved on. I hadn’t expected the brutal silence from Lizzie, not with how we’d left things, not with the night we spent together, but I’d told myself maybe she’d made the right choice. If she wasn’t going to give us a shot at being together the way I knew we both wanted, perhaps a clean break was better than small slices over a handful of years.
A pillow flew through the air and smacked me in the face. “Get the hell out of here and go see her.”
I grabbed it before it could fall and tossed it back toward André, our backup goalie and all-around decent guy. He was on the bed, back against the headboard, feet crossed at the ankles, scrolling through TikTok on his phone. Probably trying to find the most inappropriate TikTok to send to the team at three in the morning because he was an asshole like that.
“I don’t know what to say to her.”
He gave me two arched brows in response, followed by an eye roll. “You could start with letting her know there’s nothing going on with you and my sister in case she’s seen the pictures. Then you could throw yourself on your knees and beg her for one more chance. Or better yet, be a caveman and throw her over your shoulder and haul her ass back up here.” He pointed a finger at me. “Warning, if that’s your decision, I can’t guarantee I’m leaving.”
“Fuck off,” I muttered. Suddenly, I was a thirteen-year-old with zits and their first crush at an eighth-grade dance terrified to go get the girl I wanted. Not that I was speaking from personal experience on that one.
Lizzie had the power to shred my heart into useless pieces and she hadn’t exactly sounded happy when she called.
“Fine. But if I crawl into your bed and cry on your shoulder and need lots of cuddles, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”
“Call Nadia for the cuddles.”
“Asshole.”
André was the only one on the team who knew there was nothing going on between us. Nadia needed help getting a jealous, clueless ex-boyfriend out of her life. I needed someone to accompany me to my first fundraising event in Vegas. I didn’t want to go alone or be the third wheel with all my new teammates and their wives or girlfriends. André told me to take her. She and I got to talking. I told her straight-up we’d only ever be friends, mostly because I was in love with Lizzie, but I’d told her I’d help her out if she needed it. Nadia agreed, hoping it’d reinforce what she was trying to get across to Toby—they were over.
So far, it hadn’t worked.
“I’ll be back.” I grabbed our room key and slid both it and my phone into my pocket. “Don’t forget I warned you about the cuddles.”
The door slammed shut behind me. On the way downstairs, I was a mess. Lizzie could be here for a multitude of reasons. Only one would be what I wanted, for her to come to me, say she’d had the space she needed and wanted to try something.
But even then… it’d been three months and not a single call or text. I was already torn between wanting to give her everything she wanted and anger she’d screwed up our friendship. We’d never been so complicated, but that didn’t mean her silence didn’t gut me.