Chapter 24
Zoe
The lack of anxiety as I entered the bistro to meet Carter for lunch was a welcomed change.
It was only fair, since I felt as though I’d used up a year’s worth of it yesterday—if anxiety was nice enough to work like that.
After texting Miah, I’d knocked out and didn’t move until my alarm went off.
Who knows how long I could have slept. However, I was actually looking for-ward to properly catching up with Carter today.
Last night’s breakdown was exactly what I needed; a release of all the pent-up anger and sadness I’d held onto for so long. While it didn’t mean I was fully over my accident and what it’d cost me, I was a hell of a lot further than I’d been before.
Carter was waiting by the door, the complete opposite of last night with her makeup done and long hair hanging loose in waves. Her smile was more timid now, confirming my suspicion that I hadn’t been as good at hiding my feelings last night as I’d tried to be. I was an athlete, not an actress.
So I took it upon myself to be the one to pull her into a firm hug this time.
“Congratulations on the win last night. That was a tight game.”
She blew out a breath. “You’re telling me.”
When we pulled back, her smile was genuine, and I knew mine was as well. Stepping inside, we claimed a table near the windows where we could soak up the warmth of the sun streaming in.
“I can’t thank you enough for last night. Charlie wouldn’t stop raving the entire drive home.”
“Oh, she was absolutely darling! I’m so happy we could do that for her.”
I instinctively reached across the table for her hand. “And thank you from me, too.”—I swallowed—“I needed that push.”
Her expression grew somber, and she gave my hand an encouraging squeeze in return.
“I’m so sorry I shut you out.” She shook her head, but I continued on. I needed to get this out. Hell, I’d needed to get it out years ago. “It was really shitty of me, no matter how much I was hurting. You were just trying to be there for me.”
“I get it, Danny. I always have, and I’ve never held it against you. God knows I would have done the same thing.”
My eyes stung and I blinked away the threat of tears. How I had any left after last night, I had no clue.
“Still. I hate that we lost all of those years.”
Carter shrugged. “We’ve got now.”
She smiled gently, and I smiled back.
“Then catch me up.”
We easily lost track of time, only pausing our conversation long enough to order our food.
Carter told me about her debut game and how she’d botched a shot on goal, but how encouraging her team had been.
She got a hat trick the very next game. I showed her pictures of Bash, and she gushed over how much he looked like Jada.
It felt like no time had passed at all. We were just as comfortable with each other as we had been in college, spouting out our innermost thoughts without any filters.
“Okay, now tell me about Charlie’s dad.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I covered my face so I didn’t have to witness it.
“Please never make that face again.”
“Fine, fine. Just spill the tea.”
I sighed and let my hands drop, my dopey smile exposed for everyone to see. “He retired from the Seattle Cascades a few years ago.”
“Position?”
“Goalie.”
“So he’s a freak. Okay, continue.”
I barked out a laugh and had to slap my hand over my mouth when a nearby table shot me dirty looks. Carter just snickered across the table from me.
“What? All goalies are weirdos. If you don’t think he is, he must be really good at hiding it. I’m sure it’ll slip out eventually.”
She wasn’t lying; goalies typically had a few screws loose in the best way and were considered the oddballs in the hockey world. And here I’d welcomed not one, but two of them into my life. Best decision I’d ever made.
“Anyway. We met when I took over coaching Charlie’s hockey team for my uncle. Then we teamed up to create a women’s rec league at his rink and well…” I trailed off, letting her fill in the blanks.
Carter smiled knowingly.
“Honestly, he’s amazing. He’s got such a big heart.” I shook my head, not sure how to put into words my thoughts and feelings in regards to Miah. “I’ve never been with someone like him, and half the time it doesn’t feel real. Too good to be true, you know?”
I’d been with my ex, Blake, for a couple years before I had my accident and chased him away like I did everyone else. Not that it had been that hard. I think we’d both been looking for an excuse to end it, and my attitude after the accident gave him the perfect out.
He’d been a good boyfriend. He was fun to hang out with when I had the free time and he got along with my friends, but we would have never worked long term.
Blake just wasn’t someone I could consistently count on.
There were times he’d skip out on a date, because there was fresh powder on the mountains or miss one of my games, because his frat was throwing a party.
Miah, though? Miah was a quiet and steady kind of love.
He’d shown me time and time again that he’d be there for me, and, most importantly, when I was ready.
I suppose it was because of his patience that I opened up so willingly to him.
And he did the same. In just a few months, we’d built a solid foundation of trust and respect that I hadn’t known outside of family and my friendship with Jada.
“You deserve good things, Danny. You know that, right?”
My bottom lip wobbled as I met Carter’s earnest gaze, and I gave a small nod. “I’m working on it.”
I’d spent years hating myself, hating the universe for the cards I’d been dealt, and in doing so, I’d wasted precious years grieving the life I was supposed to have and not enjoying the life I did have.
An aunt and uncle who cherished me, a best friend who fought for me, and a job that I genuinely enjoyed.
Life had placed me on a different path than I’d dreamed of, but that didn’t make it inferior by default.
No, I’d say this path was pretty damn wonderful.
Especially since it brought me to Miah and Charlie.
They made me happier than I’d been in a long time, and I was finally realizing that I deserved happiness just as much as anyone else.