Chapter 19
NINETEEN
ADDIE
TWENTY-ONE YEARS OLD
The moment I get the news, there’s only one person I want to call. I’m pacing my dorm as I pull out my phone, trying to remember where he is tonight. Does he have a game?
JJ signed with the Bolts last year and this is his first full season on the team.
Their veteran goalie, Sidney Howe, gets far more ice time, but JJ still plays, and getting any time during his first year is a huge deal.
And he’s playing for our hometown team. Honestly, that’s just about every hockey player’s dream.
I was there the day he got drafted, and like we always do, we celebrated with pizza from Antonio’s. Just the two of us.
While he’s living it up, I’m still in college. Even if I was brave enough to enter the draft, my parents were adamant that I wait until after I graduate. I’ve been telling myself that when that time comes, maybe I’ll be ready. After the news I just got, I’m starting to believe it.
I’m pretty sure the Bolts are in Michigan, so Antonio’s is likely out of the question. But I still need to hear his voice.
I pull up his contact info and put the phone on speaker, then drop it onto my bed and pace.
“Hello?” A female voice crackles through my room, stealing the air from my lungs. “Hello, JJ’s phone. Is someone there?”
I work to clear my throat and snatch the device off the mattress. “Yeah, um, hi. It’s Adeline. He can just call me back.”
“JJ, baby, someone’s on the phone,” the woman coos.
There’s a jostling and then another hello. This time the voice is familiar, making my heart stutter, even as it sinks.
“Hi, uh…” I bite my lip. God, why do I want to cry right now?
“Adeline?” JJ asks. “Is that you?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay?”
“Baby, who is Adeline?” the woman asks.
He huffs. “Can you give me a minute?”
I shake my head. “Yeah, of course. Just call me another time.”
“Not you,” he says into the phone. A second later, a door clicks shut, and he murmurs, “What’s up?”
“Where are you?” I ask, unable to stop myself.
“In a hotel in Michigan?” he answers, his pitch rising at the end like it’s a question.
“Baby?” I say, my mouth really getting away from me.
“Huh?”
“She called you baby.”
He sighs. “Is that why you called? To ask about what some girl called me?”
My stomach rolls. “She’s in your hotel room.”
“And?” he asks, his tone shorter than usual. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Why should I have a problem with that? Just because we’re best friends doesn’t mean you owe it to me not to sleep with anyone else…and we’re not sleeping together so, like, yay,” I say in the fakest of squeals which ends with a stupid clap of my hands.
“Did you just clap?”
I tap my forehead with the edge of the phone a little too hard. Seriously, Addie? Could you get more embarrassing? “Maybe?”
He chuckles. “Fuck, I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” I deflate. I hate how much I mean that. And I hate that the sentiment means something completely different to him. God, I’m pathetic.
“So what’s going on?” JJ asks.
“I, um…just wanted to tell you that…” My throat tightens, making it hard to speak. Eyes closed, I take a deep breath. Why am I acting weird? Let the man get back to his random hookup. “I made the Olympic team.”
“Adeline! Holy shit that’s incredible.” He barks out a laugh. “I’m getting on a plane.”
An incredulous sound escapes me. “What?”
“We need to celebrate.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re celebrating enough for the two of us,” I mutter, that envy seeping back in.
“I’m coming home.”
“JJ.”
“Adeline. You’ve been working toward this your entire life. I need to hug you. Need to—fuck.”
“You need to play in Michigan tomorrow night,” I remind him.
He sighs like it physically pains him. “I know.”
“When will you be home?”
“Um…” He’s quiet for a minute, like he’s looking at his calendar. Then he grunts. “Not until next week.”
My heart drops. “I’ll be in Minnesota then.”
“What?”
“I have to report for Olympic training on Sunday. It’s in Minnesota.”
“Fuck it, I’m coming home.”
I roll my eyes, even as butterflies erupt in my belly. “JJ, stop.”
“Adeline, I can’t not see you for four fucking months. We need to celebrate.”
I smile, tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. “We will, when my team wins the gold medal.”
His exhale gusts over the microphone, sounding staticky. “That’s months away.”
“And you’ll be busy kicking ass during that time. We’ll talk between my training and your games,” I promise, forcing myself to sound upbeat, though I feel anything but.
It’s what we’ve been doing since we went our separate ways after graduation. For the last three years, we’ve done our best to see each other when we’re both in town, but he’s so busy that sometimes we’ll go months without anything but texts and a few FaceTime calls.
And it’s not like we’re dating. JJ does enough of that for the both of us.
“I hate this,” he mumbles.
“I know, but we’re doing what we both dreamed of…” I sigh. “JJ, I’m going to the Olympics.” When the words are out, excitement rushes through me again.
“Yeah, you are. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
I smile. “Me too. I’ll let you get back to your date.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Ew, I was trying to be PC about it.”
“I’ll have her out of here in ten. I’m ordering you a pizza, then we can FaceTime and celebrate our way. Okay?”
I hate how my heart skips a beat. I hate the stupid bout of hope I feel that maybe one day JJ will feel the same. “You sure?”
“Yeah, Adeline. I’m sure. Ten minutes.”