Outscored (Rinkside in the Rockies Book 3) by Aven Ellis

Author:Aven Ellis [Ellis, Aven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Connectivity Status: Nothing is better than a good chocolate cherry mocha

“I can’t believe you leave for training camp tomorrow,” I say, gazing at Gavin from across the table. “How is that possible?”

“Because it’s September eleventh,” he says, giving me a gentle smile.

The past few weeks have flown by. August melted into a cooler September. I’ve finished my Connectivity ads class online and have started testing some. Gavin has continued to train for the start of camp, which begins tomorrow. He’s already told me how he’s got his mountain bike rental lined up—as that is how a lot of the players get around the ski resort the team rents condos at for camp—and Cade has organized a fly- fishing outing for a group of them.

I shift my attention down to the large ceramic mug in front of me, studying the autumn-leaf pattern that is artfully created in foam on the top. It’s a Wednesday night in Boulder, and we’re sitting at a table in the back of a coffee shop, spending time together before Gavin heads off to Vail in the morning.

He clears his throat. “Whitney, we need to talk.”

My head snaps up from staring at the latte art to Gavin’s face. My heart stills. His words echo through my head, causing my hands to grow cold.

Oh, God, is he about to dump me?

Panic takes over. He can’t. We’ve done nothing but grow closer since the day we met and I ca—

“No, no, I don’t mean that kind of talk,” Gavin says quickly, putting his hand firmly on my arm.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I exhaled.

“How could you even think that?” Gavin asks, his face incredulous.

“I’ve never had a good association with that phrase,” I confess.

“Well, it’s not that. But it’s something we need to talk about.”

I still have an uneasy feeling in my stomach. “About what?”

Gavin pauses for a moment. He’s absently wrinkling a napkin in his hand, wadding it up into a ball, and then he clears his throat.

“Hockey season is close,” he says quietly. He lifts his blue eyes to meet mine. “You’ve only known my life in the off-season. When I start playing, it’s going to be very different.”

I remain silent.

“You need to know what you’re getting into,” he continues. “I’m going to be playing three to four times a week. When I’m at home, I won’t be getting back until late. I have to leave for the rink on game days around four thirty. On nights after a game, I won’t get home until eleven, and I can’t fall asleep until like two in the morning. When I go on the road, I can be gone for a few days or eleven.”

“Eleven?” I ask in shock. “I knew you’d be gone, but I didn’t know the stretches could be that long.”

Gavin winces. “Yeah, sometimes it is that long. It’s going to be hard. That’s why I’m telling you this. I’m not going to be around as much as I am now.”

I feel sick.

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