Page 76 of Tripped Up

And when we meet up at the restaurant a few hours later, Elsy by my side, I’m surprised when, after he hugs her, Mitchell offers me his hand.

“Whitney,” he says evenly.

“Good to see you again,” I tell him, because it’s actually not a lie.

Henry approaches us, a simple grin on his face. “Elsy,” he says, embracing her like he hasn’t seen her in years. “You look fabulous.”

“Thanks,” she says, her eyes bright with happiness. She takes my hand and I squeeze hers in reassurance. “You know Nick Mitchell, right?”

“Right. We’ve met.” Henry sticks his hand out and Mitchell shakes it. “Nice to see you off the ice, man.”

The host shows us to our table. It’s in an out of the way corner where we won’t be disturbed. Most of the time, I don’t have too many problems with people recognizing me, but after a few scary incidents back in Philly, I can never be too careful.

And considering three of us are hockey players… we attract a lot of attention.

“It’s weird that I’m crashing your party. It’s weird, right?” Henry asks, surprisingly self-aware. “I thought there’d be more people here. I wasn’t expecting… this.” He waves a hand at the intimate setting.

“Nah. You’re like my annoying little brother,” Elsy says, winking at him. “I know I give you a hard time, but⁠—”

“I like it,” he says quietly. Almost… shy? “I don’t have any sisters. I mean, Audrey’s dating Seb, but I don’t get to see her every day. None of my other brothers have steady girlfriends.”

She reaches across the table, taking his hand. A growl rumbles through me, but she just pats my chest and smiles at me before meeting his eyes.

“I’d love to be your sister.”

Settling back in my seat, my hand on her leg, I look up to meet Mitchell’s gaze. He nods at me, approval in his eyes.

Elsy asks after his dad, and as Mitchell talks, the tension in my shoulders relaxes. I’ve never doubted her; she says it’s not romantic between them, that they’ve never gone there, and I believe her. It didn’t keep something from gnawing at me about their friendship. I don’t have any female friends. Sure, I’m friends with the girls my buddies date, but I’ve never had a genuine friendship with a woman I didn’t want to get into bed with. I never thought that was a bad thing. Now I’m wondering how much I’ve missed out on.

Henry’s made it clear he respects our relationship. Once I shut down the sharing idea—which I don’t think he was really all that interested in to begin with—he’s been exactly the same person with her. A little flirty, but not inappropriate. And it’s clear now that she likes him, at least enough to want to be his pretend sibling.

Speaking of siblings, I owe Bex a call. I haven’t checked in on her in nearly a week. Even though she’s a grown woman and can take care of herself, a part of me feels responsible for her. She’s my baby sister. If I don’t look out for her, who will?

Conversation flows easily throughout dinner. Most of it is Elsy and Mitchell, but when I contribute, it feels natural. Like they want me there; like he respects my place in her life.

It must be tough, living in different cities. All of my friends are from the hockey world or tangentially related to it, so I’m used to the distance separating us because there’s never been any other option. Guys get traded or sign with new teams. I don’t have a lot of friends from high school, and the ones I kept in touch with, I don’t see more than once a year, if that. My summer breaks are mostly spent working out by myself or with any of the guys hanging around.

I spent nine years with Philadelphia. I had a house there; I lived there year-round. My parents wouldn’t let me pay off their house when I signed my first big contract, and they both still work, so I don’t see the need to spend more than a week or two with them. When Bex could get away from school, I’d take her on a trip somewhere to hang out. Now that she’s finished her doctoral program and isn’t writing her dissertation, she has a little more flexibility, but she still only gets two weeks of vacation time a year, so she’s careful about how she takes the time off.

Mostly, I spend a lot of time on my own. I’ve never thought there was anything wrong with that.

Until now. Until Elsy.

She lights a fire in me. She’s the one I want to spend my time with. When we’re apart, I’m already cataloging all the ways we can be reunited again.

And not in a creepy stalker, I’m obsessed with you way. More like… I finally realize what it means to want to be with another person and just breathe them in. Her presence soothes me. It doesn’t matter if we’re in two separate rooms, or if we’re sitting on the couch and she’s reading a book, or if we’re curled up together talking. I feel a calmness in my soul from being around her.

I love her.

And it absolutely fucking terrifies me.

What if she’s not there yet? What if she never gets there? She may have forgiven me for being a complete and utter asshole, but I know I still have a way to go to earn her heart. What if she decides I’m not worth it? My own parents don’t think I’m worth anything. What if she agrees with them?

Burning pain ripples through my chest as my breathing turns quick and choppy. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get a full, deep breath in. Sweat dots my hairline, and black dots dance in my periphery as my heart races. My food tastes chalky, and I have to work to swallow.

Elsy sets her hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”

I shake my head, then nod. “I’m fine,” I tell her.