Chapter 40
Jade
Although she was only in the office for a quick update meeting between herself, Will and Pippa ahead of their final venue of the US Open, it felt strange being back. Having spent so long travelling between different hotels, cities, and countries, walking into the building felt a bit disconnected.
She had taken the past week to really focus on her work, but in doing so, she’d discovered that she was enjoying being an on-scene physical therapist. She enjoyed learning about the specific injuries for a particular sport in a more in-depth way.
Possibly more so than tending to the wide variety of injuries from the various sports her current patients participated in.
Through all her training, she had never considered specializing. She had wanted to help as many people as possible, no matter how they came to find themselves injured. Yet, having had this current opportunity to try it out, she definitely felt a pull towards it.
She had put part of the appeal down to it allowing her the opportunity to see as much of April as she had. She knew that. But maybe it was something they could discuss in the future. If they had a future, she would find out this weekend.
She arrived early so that she could touch base in her office before the meeting.
Opening her office door, she took a look around as she made her way over to her desk.
She went to sit on the yoga ball she used instead of a chair and immediately decided against it when her hand sunk into it.
So, she lifted the pump off the shelf above her desk and inflated it before replacing the pump and sitting down.
It felt almost ritualistic at this point, and there was some comfort in the routine of it for her.
She switched on her computer and sorted through the large number of emails awaiting her.
Pippa had insisted that neither herself nor Will access their emails while on tour but instead stayed focused on the job at hand.
She had assured them that a client-wide email newsletter would include the announcement of their involvement with the tour, advising who should be contacted in Jade and Will’s absence for the duration.
While they had both been delighted at the time, the reality of those who would not have been included in the client's newsletter announcement hit her.
173 realities to be exact. Each one she hoped would not require a response.
What felt like hours later, when in fact it had only been 35 minutes, Will knocked on her door and came in without waiting for her response. Jade turned and smiled at the sight of her friend.
“Oh, you absolute saint!” Jade exclaimed in relief at the sight of the milkshake in his outstretched hand toward her. “Why, if you weren’t already married...”
“...and neither of us were as gay as a unicorn carrying a handbag full of rainbows?” Will added, causing them both to laugh at the regular comment made between them.
Will peered over her shoulder and recognized the email screen on her computer, “urgh, what was your number?” He asked with a cringe.
“173, I think I threw up a little in my mouth when the number finally popped up on my screen. You?” Jade asked, taking a sip of the cool and creamy chocolate drink.
“Ouch! I thought my 136 was bad, why so many?” He asked as he leaned against her treatment table.
“I have no idea, but I’m hoping it’s a mistake and I can redirect many of them to you or Pippa to deal with. Otherwise, that’s just depressing.” She took another sip of her drink and felt a new wave of sadness roll over her, lost in her thoughts of April.
She knew taking the step back was the right move to give April the space she needed to handle everything, even if neither of them wanted to. It was like carrying an added weight in her chest all day every day. One that would only be released when she got to hold her partner again.
“Ok, I’m going there,” Will said with an exasperated huff, snapping Jade out of her thoughts.
“Going where?” Jade added, confused.
“I’ve sat back for days. I’ve said nothing, which is only because Nathan insisted that I wait until you come to me, but you’re hopeless and I just can’t do this anymore.
” Will got up and closed Jade’s office door before returning to his perch against her treatment table and continuing.
“I know this has to involve the girl you’re seeing.
I still am not asking for her name, unless you want to tell me, but I also know something must have happened recently as you’ve changed from being a walking ray of sunshine to being a wet rag over the past week. ”
Jade could feel her eyes fill, partly over April, but partly over the flash of hurt she saw in her friend’s eye that she hadn’t confided in him when they had spent so much time together.
“I’m sorry, I should have told you,” Jade said regretfully. “It’s just, it wasn’t only my secret to tell, and I didn’t want to only give you half of the story.”
“Jae, we’ve known each other for what, six years now? You know you can trust me, anything you say stops right here.” Will said, before adding, “The secrets I keep from my husband are many and varied, but only because they belong to other people.” Will smirked.
Jade smiled at her friend and started, “do you remember before we headed off on our globe-trotting adventures, I had that incredible night out?”
“Ooooh, with the dream woman who you forgot to get her number from?” Will sat up on the treatment table, settling in to listen as Jade finally opened up to him.
“Exactly, well, I found her,” she let out a sigh and felt a smile grow on her face as images of blonde curls, icy blue eyes, and dancing lips of laughter filled her head. “It turns out,” Jade took a breath, “I actually ended up treating her on the first day on tour.”
“Nooooooo,” Will let out in a whisper.
“I know, right? What are the chances? Anyway, we’ve been seeing each other ever since that day, she’s met my family, I’ve met her...Dad, but that’s another part of the story...and we’ve been keeping everything quiet because she’s not out.”
“Yeah, you said when you showed me her all dressed up on your phone,” Will said. “If I remember rightly, when you told me about that very first night out walking the city together, you knew she was different than anyone else you’d hooked up with before?”
Jade took another sip of her drink and when she looked up at her friend, she knew she was ready to admit her feelings, “I love her, Will.”
He looked at her with a mix of happiness and sympathy in his eyes. “So, whatever happened must have really been bad to have you this shaken.”
“Rumors were starting to circulate around the venues about her, and her dad–who is also her manager–wanted to shut them down by making her appear to be romantically involved with her mixed-doubles partner. I told her I didn’t mind waiting for her to be ready to come out, that I’d wait a year or multiple if that’s what she needed, but that I refuse to be part of a lie. ”
“Yeah, well, I see your point there.” Jade knew Will had gone through a similar situation with his husband before they were married.
Nathan had wanted to hide their relationship as he worried it would damage his career and promotion opportunities.
He had always taken female friends with him to events, never as anything more and always ensured that people knew they were just friends, but over time he saw the hurt he was causing Will by not taking him to the events instead.
“We’re currently on radio silence until the US Open to give her space to think everything through.
She’ll let me know what decision she’s going to make about it all when we arrive this weekend.
Then we’ll know where we stand going forward.
” Jade placed her drink down and wiped a tear away from her cheek.
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Will eventually broke the silence.
“I heard those rumors,” Will said softly, as he got off the treatment table and bent down to catch her eye, placing a hand on her knee. “It's her, isn’t it?” he asked gently,
“Yeah, it’s April Walker,” Jade said with a sad smile.