Page 72 of A Match Made In Fall

I glance at him. “Wow. I never thought I’d be getting relationship advice from Nick Ellis.”

“And I never thought I’d be giving it,” he shoots back. “So let’s keep this between us. I have a reputation I want to uphold.”

I laugh. “Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet.”

“Good.”

I stand and grab my bag. “Try not to miss me too much,” I tell him.

“I’ll do my best.”

I give him a wave, and there’s only one thing I want to do now—see Isabella.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ISABELLA

“I’m so sorry,” Sammy says softly, patting my arm.

“Yeah, it’s a real bummer that Austin isn’t a Bear anymore,” Dane adds. “Do you think we’ll still be able to get tickets?”

Sammy elbows him in the ribs. “Seriously, Dane?”

I stare at my brother in disbelief. I just found out that Austin’s trade is official and he’s leaving. Meanwhile, Dane’s biggest concern is hockey tickets.

“So when does he have to leave?” Sammy asks.

I shrug. “I don’t know. He didn’t say in the text. He just asked if I was free, and he’s coming over.”

The words feel unreal every time I think them. He’s leaving, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Ohhh,” Sammy says. “The party…?”

I frown. “I’m sure he’ll be gone before then.”

The lump in my throat grows bigger, but I refuse to start crying in front of my family.

“We could move it,” Sammy suggests, wrapping her arms around me. “I could send out a message to everyone who RSVP’d. I’m sure we could throw it together quickly.”

“I appreciate that,” I say, leaning into the hug. “But I’m guessing Austin will be leaving in the next few days. Apparently, that’s how trades usually work.”

“It is,” Dane says, sounding more serious now. “Once they get the call, sometimes they need to leave within hours. It depends, but if the teams want them to start immediately, they make it fast.”

“Hours? This is even worse.”

Sammy shoots Dane a pointed look before grabbing his arm. “Okay, we're leaving now. We finally have a night off from parent duty, and we're going to take advantage of it.”

My parents are babysitting Jude tonight, and they've already taken him next door to show him off to the neighbors. At this point, I'm convinced they're secretly competing to prove they have the cutest grandchild on the block.

“Tell Austin we said hi,” Sammy says, squeezing my hand before heading toward the door. “And if you need to talk, call me anytime. Hang in there, okay?”

I nod, forcing a smile. “Thanks.”

The door closes behind them, and suddenly the house feels too quiet.

The ache that's been building in my chest all afternoon settles heavily over me. I stare at my phone for a moment before scrolling through my contacts and tapping Elise's number.

She answers on the second ring.