Chapter 16 Rodriguez
RODRIGUEZ
I saw the exact moment it happened.
We were standing by the windows, hot chocolate in hand, and I smiled at her. Just smiled, nothing special. And her entire face changed. Like she’d just solved a problem she’d been working on for days.
Then she stared at me with this look I’ve never seen before. Wide-eyed. Almost panicked. But underneath the panic—something else. Something that looked a lot like realization.
Why are you staring at me, JuJu?
She didn’t answer. Couldn’t.
And I knew.
She’d just figured it out. That this isn’t fake anymore. That whatever’s happening between us is real and she’s feeling it too.
And from the absolute terror on her face, she has no idea what to do about it.
I’m trying very hard not to feel smug.
Lunch is at a place down the street from the visitor center I can tell she’s spiraling by how weird she’s acting.
Not obvious weird, she’s way too good at performing for that.
But I can tell. She keeps glancing at me when she thinks I’m not looking, quick sideways looks she cuts off immediately. Her shoulders are drawn up slightly.
And I’m sitting here trying not to laugh because she’s spiraling about me. About us. About the fact that she’s falling for me and doesn’t know what to do about it while sitting across from her ex-boyfriend.
“Rodriguez,” Owen’s dad calls from down the table and launches into a discussion about the most famous fights in hockey history.
I pull my attention away from Juliette and engage. Standard stuff I can do in my sleep.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Then again. Then twice more in rapid succession.
The team group chat I’ve been ignoring for three days.
“Sorry,” I say to Owen’s dad. “I should check this. Might be team stuff.”
I pull out my phone and immediately wish I hadn’t.
PUCKANEERS CHAOS
Dex
Rodriguez has been radio silent for 72 hours
Brody
Should we file a missing persons report
Luca
Maybe he got kidnapped
Dex
By who, Canadians? They’d apologize while doing it
Almardon
He’s fine. He’s busy.
Brody
Busy with WHAT. He hasn’t posted ANYTHING. No stories. No reels. Nothing.
Dex
This is suspicious
Luca
Rodriguez are you alive
Anderson
He’s probably just enjoying his time off
Brody
Rodriguez doesn’t enjoy time off. He’s a social media addicted golden retriever. Something’s wrong.
I type out a response.
I’m alive. Relax.
Dex
PROOF OF LIFE
Brody
Where are you
Luca
What are you doing
Almardon
Leave him alone
Brody
No. He’s being weird. Rodriguez is never quiet for 3 days straight.
Dex
Send a selfie so we know you’re okay
I glance up. Juliette is talking to Olivia. No one’s paying attention to me.
I take a quick selfie and send it.
Happy now?
Brody
You look different
Dex
You look... happy?
Luca
Suspiciously happy
Almardon
I TOLD you to leave him alone
My phone buzzes with a separate text.
Almardon
What happened
Nothing
Almardon
Bullshit. You’ve been MIA for 3 days and you look like that. What happened.
It’s going great. We’re out with the wedding party
Almardon
...
...
Oh my god
What
Almardon
Did you tell the Ice Queen how you feel yet
Her name is Juliette
Almardon
Fine. Did you tell JULIETTE how you feel yet
Not yet
Almardon
Dude
What
Almardon
You flew to Toronto for a wedding. With a girl who’s been rejecting you for 5 months.
Technically she asked me to come
Almardon
Wait
Does she know your name yet???
I debate how much to tell him. Almardon’s my best friend. He’s kept worse secrets.
Me: Her ex is the groom’s best friend. She needed backup.
Almardon
So you’re fake dating her
Something like that
Almardon
Rodriguez
What
Almardon
You’re going to regret this
Maybe
Almardon
Probably
Worth it
I pocket my phone and tune back into the table conversation. The food is arriving, everyone’s talking over each other, laughing. Comfortable chaos.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” I say to Juliette. “Be right back.”
She nods, already pulled into a conversation with her mom.
The bathroom is down a narrow hallway past the kitchen. I’m washing my hands when the door opens and Melissa walks in.
She’s not surprised to be in the wrong bathroom. She’s smiling.
“Oh. Rodriguez. Hi.”
“This is the men’s room.”
“I know.” She leans against the door, blocking it. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Every alarm in my brain goes off at once.
“Okay. Talk.”
“You and Juliette. That’s... new, right?”
“Not that new.”
“But new enough that Garrett had no idea. We were both surprised when she showed up with someone.” She takes a step closer. Her hand lands on my arm. “You’re very good-looking, you know that?”
What the—absolutely not.
“I should get back to the table.” I try to step back but there’s no where to go in the tight space.
“Wait.” Her fingers tighten slightly. “I just think it’s interesting. How Juliette moved on so fast. Makes you wonder if she’s really over Garrett. Or if you’re just... convenient.”
“I don’t think—”
“I mean, showing up with a pro hockey player to make your ex jealous? Pretty transparent.” She moves closer. “But between you and me? You seem like you could do better. Juliette’s so... serious all the time. Uptight. A guy like you probably needs someone more... fun.”
Her hand slides up my arm.
I step back so fast I hip check the sink. “You need to leave.”
“Come on.” She’s still smiling like this is all a game. “I saw how you were looking around last night. At the club.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Garrett doesn’t need to know we talked. It can just be between us.” Another step closer. Her hand reaches for me again. “When things don’t work out with Juliette—and let’s be honest, a guy like you? You’ll get bored eventually—you know where to find me.”
My stomach turns.
I’ve been hit on before. Obviously. Professional athlete, the social media presence. Women flirt. Sometimes aggressively. I’ve always known how to handle it. Be charming, deflect gracefully, make everyone feel good even when the answer is no.
This isn’t that.
This is her standing between me and the door. Her hand on my arm when I’ve already stepped back. Her engaged to someone else, to Juliette’s ex, propositioning me anyway like it’s nothing.
“I said no.” I pull my arm free. “Move.”
She doesn’t. “Think about it.”
“There’s nothing to think about. Move.”
Something in my voice must finally register because she steps aside, still smiling.
The hallway feels too narrow. My hands are shaking and I don’t understand why this is hitting me so hard.
It’s not like she actually did anything. Just talked. Just suggested. I shut it down. It’s over.
Except it’s not over because my brain won’t stop spinning.
What if someone had walked in. What if Juliette had come looking for me. What if someone saw Melissa follow me, saw her corner me, saw her hand on my arm and jumped to conclusions.
All it would take is one misunderstanding. And everything I’ve been building with Juliette—five months of trying to get her attention, this entire week of her finally letting me in—it could all disappear.
I could lose her.
Not because I did anything wrong. But because someone else decided to be a nightmare and—
I lean against the wall in the hallway.
This feeling. This panic. This absolute certainty that losing her would be the worst thing that could possibly happen.
I’m in love with her.
Not falling. Not interested.
Actually, completely, terrifyingly in love with her.
The kind where nothing else matters. The kind where the thought of her getting hurt makes me feel physically sick. Where I’d do anything to keep her safe and happy and looking at me the way she did at the falls an hour ago.
Holy shit.
I’ve never felt this before. Never even been close. I’ve dated plenty. Had relationships that were fun and easy and ended without much drama.
This is different.
This is everything.
And I might blow it. Not because I’m doing anything wrong, but because the world is full of people like Melissa and—
I push off the wall and head back.
Melissa is already sitting when I get there. She gives me a satisfied little smile as I slide into my seat.
Juliette looks up. “You okay? You were gone a while.”
“Yeah. Fine. Just had to take a call.”
It’s a lie. What am I supposed to say? Your ex’s fiancée just cornered me in the bathroom and I had a complete breakdown in the hallway?
She’s watching me like she doesn’t quite believe it but she lets it go.
I pick up my water glass and try to focus. Owen’s dad is telling a story. People are laughing. Normal lunch conversation.
Then Melissa’s voice cuts through.
“So Juliette, you must be so understanding. Dating a professional athlete and all.” She pauses. “I’m sure Rodriguez has women throwing themselves at him constantly. It must be so hard to deal with.”
Our end of the table goes quiet.
Juliette’s eyebrows do this complicated little frown. Confusion, then suspicion, then something shuttering closed.
And I realize she’s waiting for me to confirm her worst fear. That I’m just like Garrett.
Absolutely not.
Every thought in my brain disappears except one: she needs to see exactly how I feel about her.
I don’t think about it. Don’t plan it.
I cup her face in both hands and kiss her.
It’s not the kind of kiss you give someone in front of their family at a restaurant in the middle of lunch.
This is desperate. This is every single feeling I don’t have words for.
This is: You. Only you. I don’t see anyone else.
This is: Whatever you’re thinking right now, you’re wrong.
This is: I’m so far gone for you that nothing else exists.
She makes this small sound of surprise against my mouth. For a second she’s completely still.
Then her hand comes up to my wrist. Fingers wrapping around it, warm and firm. Holding my hand against her face.
And she kisses me back.
Her lips part under mine, and something inside me cracks wide open. Everything else disappears. The restaurant. Her family. Melissa and Garrett and every complicated feeling I had five minutes ago.