27. Eric
Chapter twenty-seven
Eric
I ’m sprawled out on the couch, flipping through channels aimlessly. Nothing holds my attention for more than a minute, but I’m not really looking to watch anything, anyway. It’s one of those rare, quiet moments where I’m not at the rink or being pulled in a hundred different directions by the team or PR. We’ve got three days off for the New Year, and all I want to do is relax. Jessica’s in the kitchen, making what smells like an incredible pot roast, and the warmth of the house feels like a cocoon. It’s peaceful. For once, things feel… settled.
My phone buzzes, pulling me out of my haze. I glance at the screen and see Jake’s name. I swipe to answer, bringing the phone to my ear.
“Hey, man,” I say, leaning back against the couch cushions. “What’s up?”
“Not much,” Jake replies, his voice bright. “Just checking in. How’s it going over there? How was Christmas with the Stantons? Heard you had a full house.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, it was… something. It was good, though. A lot better than I expected, to be honest.”
Jake laughs. “Yeah, I figured it would be. Glad you weren’t alone, Gator.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “It was nice to have a sort of normal holiday, you know?”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and I can hear Jake’s tone soften when he speaks again. “Yeah, man. I get that. Holidays can be tough when you’re not with your own family. But it sounds like you had a solid stand-in with the Stantons.”
“More than solid,” I admit. “It was good to be around people who care.”
“Glad to hear it,” Jake says. Then his tone shifts, like he’s gearing up for something. “So, listen. Allie and I were talking, and we had this idea… super last minute, but damn will it be fun! What are you and Jessica doing for New Year’s?”
I sit up a little straighter, curious. “Uh, no plans yet. Just enjoying the time off, I guess. Why?”
“Well,” Jake begins, dragging the word out, “how about you two come out to Vegas? We’re going to be there, and it’d be fun to ring in the New Year together.”
Vegas. Of all places. My heart skips a beat at the suggestion, and not because of the glitz and glamor. Vegas means one thing to me: my mom. The woman I haven’t seen since I was a toddler. The woman who walked out on me all those years ago.
“Vegas, huh?” I say, trying to keep my voice casual.
“Yeah,” Jake says. “Come on, man, it’ll be a blast. We’re staying at a great hotel, and we’ll hit up a few shows, maybe gamble a bit. What do you say? New Year’s in Sin City?”
I glance toward the kitchen, where I can hear Jessica moving around, the sound of pots clinking softly. Something about Jake’s offer gnaws at me. Is this just a coincidence, or is this some kind of… setup?
“I don’t know, Jake,” I say slowly. “Vegas, though?”
“Why not Vegas?” he asks, and I can almost hear the grin in his voice. “You guys need a break, and it’s not like there’s anything to do in Denver. You’ve got a few days off, right? Come on, man. It’ll be fun.”
I feel my stomach twist. Vegas. So close to Linda. I don’t know if I want to do this.
“I’ll think about it,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck. “I gotta talk to Jessica.”
“You do that,” Jake says, not missing a beat. “But seriously, we’d love to have you both there. I think it could be good for all of us to totally unplug from work.”
“Yeah,” I say, though I’m not sure if I mean it. “We’ll see.”
We wrap up the call after a few more minutes of catching up, and I toss my phone on the couch beside me. I stare at it for a moment, letting Jake’s words sink in. He means well, I know that. But Vegas means being close to my mom. I’ve never been able to shake off the deep wells of anger toward her abandonment of me, the resentment I bite back when I think of her. Part of me doesn’t even want to try to find her. She left. She walked away, and she never looked back.
I stand up, stretching out the tension in my shoulders, and wander into the kitchen. Jessica’s at the stove, stirring something in a big pot, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. The smell of pot roast fills the room, rich and savory, making my mouth water.
She glances up as I enter, offering me a small smile. “Hey, dinner’s almost ready.”
I lean against the counter, watching her for a moment. She looks so calm, so at ease, and I almost hate myself for what I’m about to say. But the thought’s been nagging at me since Jake’s call, and I can’t shake it.
“So,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “I just got off the phone with Jake.”
Jessica raises an eyebrow, curious. “Oh yeah? How’s he doing?”
“Good,” I say, crossing my arms. “He and Allie are heading to Vegas for New Year’s.”
Jessica pauses, glancing at me over her shoulder. “Vegas, huh?”
“Yeah,” I say slowly, watching her reaction. “And they want us to come with them. Spend New Year’s together. What do you think?”
She shrugs, turning back to the stove. “Sounds fun. We don’t have any plans, right?”
I hesitate, then push forward. “Yeah, but… Vegas? Really? You didn’t set this up, did you? I know you and Allie text, right?”
She stops, her hand frozen on the spoon, and looks at me like I’ve just slapped her across the face. “What?”
I immediately regret saying it. I was half-joking, trying to lighten the mood while digging for the truth, but the hurt in her eyes hits me like a punch to the gut.
“You think I set this up?” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Eric, are you serious?”
“Jess, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” I say quickly, stepping closer. “I just… I don’t know. Jake mentioned going to Vegas… the exact place my mom supposedly is, and I thought maybe you—” It sounds pathetic, now that I am saying it. It’s a huge leap to make and not reasonable.
“I would never do that—tell your friends to coerce you to going to the same city Linda is in? No way,” she says, cutting me off, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Her emotions on the topic make me feel terrible.
I feel like an absolute idiot. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. I just… I don’t know what to think.”
She sets the spoon down and crosses her arms, clearly hurt. “Eric, I get that this is hard for you, but I’m not your enemy. I want to help you. And if that means going to Vegas and supporting you through whatever happens, then I’m here for you. But don’t accuse me of setting you up. That’s not fair.”
I reach out, pulling her into my arms, and she doesn’t resist. I hold her close, burying my face in her hair, inhaling the familiar scent of her shampoo. “I’m sorry,” I murmur into her hair. “I’m an idiot. I didn’t mean it.”
She relaxes against me, her arms wrapping around my waist. “You’re not an idiot,” she says softly. “You’re just scared. And that’s okay. But don’t push me away because of it.”
I pull back just enough to look into her eyes, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I don’t want to push you away. I mean… Vegas? Yikes.”
She gives me a laugh when I make a freaked out face. “You don’t have to decide right now. But maybe it’s time.”
I stare at her for a moment, my chest tight with emotions I can’t even begin to name. She’s right. I won’t tell her how right she is, how many nights I’ve stared at the ceiling in my bedroom trying to remember my mom, trying to remember every time my grandparents had told me a story about her when I was a kid. How much of it was true? How many of those stories about her were just make believe? There’s only one way to find out now. I’ve been running from this for so long, and maybe it’s time to stop. Maybe it’s time to face it.
I groan, resting my forehead against hers. “Alright,” I say. “Let’s go to Vegas.”
Jessica’s eyes light up, and she smiles, a real, genuine smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, brushing my lips against hers. “Let’s do it. And maybe…” I look at her sternly. “Just maybe I’ll see Linda.”
Her smile softens, and she pulls me in for a kiss, slow and tender. I lose myself in the warmth of her lips, the way she makes me feel safe, grounded. When we finally pull apart, I can see the depth of understanding in her eyes, and it makes me want to be better. For her. For us.
I slide my hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer.
And then we’re kissing again, deeper this time, and the weight of everything else falls away. The uncertainty about Linda and the angst from Bart’s trade to the team are all drowned out by the feel of her in my arms, the way she fits against me like she’s always belonged there.
We move together, slow and unhurried, our hands exploring, our breaths mingling. By the time we make it to the bedroom, naked and aroused, the world outside doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is this moment, this connection, and the belief that this woman I’m making love to in the quiet of our borrowed house will have my back, no matter what comes.