Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Miles:
Thought you would want to see this.
I click the link and see a picture of Vivienne and me from last night walking down the red carpet. It’s on page six of the New York paper, but it’s the headline that says it all.
Hockey Princess with Hockey Washed-up Has-been.
CHAPTER 31
VIVIENNE
I open my eyes and look over, smiling at Xavier but find the bed empty. I sit up in bed, listening for the water from the bathroom, only to hear nothing. I slip out of bed, picking up one shoe that he threw over his shoulder. “Xavier,” I call his name, expecting him to answer me right away. But all I get is radio silence. “Xavier,” I call him again. This time, I pick up his dress shirt from last night, slipping it on. I button down the front as I walk out of the bedroom, seeing the kitchen empty. “Xavier?” I look around, trying not to panic, when I see him sitting outside on the patio.
I walk over and slide open the door. “Hey.” I smile at him, and he looks up at me. I can tell right away something is wrong. His eyes are darker than they have ever been, and his face doesn’t go into a smile. “I was looking for you.” Usually, he would open his arms for me to sit on his lap, but this time he just looks ahead.
“I was just sitting here thinking,” he replies. His voice is very monotone.
“I’m going to go make myself a coffee.” I try not to panic. “Do you want one?” He shakes his head, his eyes never leaving the horizon. I walk back into the house and shake out the jitters that are in my hands now. My heart, which was so full all last night, is now feeling like it’s being crushed. “It’s all in your head,” I tell myself as my hands shake, putting the pod in the coffee machine. “It was just a busy day yesterday.” I look over to the window, seeing him sitting there in the same position he was before. “Maybe it was too much for him.” I walk over to the fridge, taking the milk out. I grab my cup of coffee, trying not to let the stinging of tears win out. “Maybe this is the beginning of the end.” I close my eyes and take a deep inhale before exhaling. A single tear escapes and I brush it away as fast as it came.
I walk out into the warm air and sit in the chair beside him. “I think it’s going to be a nice day,” I say, trying to get him to talk to me, but all I can feel is he’s not even here. “How long have you been up?”
“Maybe a couple of hours,” he answers, not once looking at me, and my leg starts to move up and down. I don’t say anything, waiting for him to talk to me, but he says nothing. The two of us sit side by side as he looks out into the distance. Every single minute that goes by makes my chest get tighter and tighter. Every single minute that goes by makes me feel more and more like I’m losing him.
“It’s going to be a nice day,” I repeat, trying to get him to say something, but instead, he just nods. It takes me back to the beginning when we met. “What’s going on?” I can’t not ask him, and he looks at me. I can see the turmoil that he’s going through. I have no idea if this is going to be the last day we wake up together. I have no idea if this is going to be the last time I get to sit with him and share this. I have no idea what the fuck is going on. However, I know the only man I have ever wanted in my life might walk away from me without knowing how I feel about him. “I have no idea what is wrong with you.” I try not to let my voice quiver, and I have this feeling I’m going to be sick all over the patio. “But I thought you should know.” I swallow down the big lump in my throat. “I’m in love with you.” His head whips to look at me. I can’t help the tears now. “I’m so in love with you, and I’m here for you.” I wipe the tears off my face with the back of my hand. “But I don’t know how to be all up in your business. But if you give me a chance, I can try to learn. So I’m going to need you to meet me halfway.” I can’t believe I just laid it all out for him like this. In my head, it was going to be romantic with us on the boat watching the sunset. Or when we were in bed with each other. What I didn’t think would happen would be us sitting on a patio, with me wearing his shirt from last night and my face probably with makeup still lingering under my eyes.