Game Changer by Kelly Jamieson Page 0,46
“I’ll go up and get stuff.”
I’m tempted, but I should at least help her. If I run into Chucky, well, we’ll deal with it. “No, that’s okay. I’ll come up.”
We leave my vehicle in the loading zone out front and she uses her code to access the elevator then his condo. I’ve been here before, many times, but it’s weird walking into a teammate’s home with him not there.
Molly’s chin is set determinedly as she moves around gathering things up. She finds a big suitcase and fills it with clothes, toiletries from the bathroom, and a few framed pictures of her and her friends sitting on a shelf in the living room. She leaves the pictures of her and Chucky. Then she picks up a trophy and buries it among the clothes.
“What’s that?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “I was on the Top Team in high school. It’s a national trivia game show. In senior year, we won the championship.”
“I know what it is. I’m impressed.”
She stands in the middle of the living room and looks around. “I guess that’s it for now. I can get the rest of my things later.”
“What’s left in your apartment?”
“Nothing.” One corner of her mouth hitches. “I was trying to sublet it. I got rid of anything I didn’t take with me here.”
“You’re coming to my place, then.”
Her eyes expand. We haven’t discussed this. “I can’t do that.”
I sigh. “Molly. You begged me to take you there the night of the wedding.”
“I know, but…” She swallows.
We both know things are different now. We’re both not going to address that.
“Okay.” She blows out a breath. “I could go to my parents’ place, or maybe Grace’s, but…”
“We’re flying to Winnipeg on Friday morning. It’s no big deal to stay with me a few days.”
She nods, not meeting my eyes.
“It’s fine, Molly. We’re friends, right?”
Her head bobs again. “Right.”
I help her carry things down. We put some in her car, some in my SUV, then I drive home. The air feels flat and stale after ten days away. First thing I do is turn down the air conditioning, then slide open the doors onto my balcony to get some fresh air in.
Molly arrives a few minutes later with another suitcase. I carry it into the spare room she stayed in last time we were here. “I don’t have much food. We can order something in. Pizza okay?”
“Of course.”
“We’ve been eating mostly restaurant food for a while. I’d like something home-cooked, but since I’m leaving again, it’s not worth going grocery shopping. I’ll pick up a few things in the morning though.”
Molly goes into the bedroom, leaving the door open a crack, while I order a pizza. I hear her moving around in there, but I want to give her privacy. I’m sure it’s hard being back in town and back to reality.
It’s hard for me, for fuck’s sake.
Molly
I’ve been to my parents’ place and talked to them. They were worried sick about me, despite my phone calls and text messages assuring them I was fine. I feel guilty for disappearing like I did, but I don’t regret it. It was just what I needed. I apologized for that and for the scene I made at the wedding. Like Jax, they think I should have talked to Steve first, but they understand and are totally supportive of my decision. So that’s good. They also were glad that I’d been in contact with Katelyn to deal with wedding cancellation issues.
I get together with Grace and Brielle. My third bridesmaid Allison has gone home to New York.
My bridesmaids were the only ones who knew what I was going to do at the wedding. The fallout from that didn’t surprise them. What did surprise them was me disappearing.
“Okay, where did you go?” Grace demands. We’re at her house. Her fiancé has gone out, and we’re drinking cocktails and eating appies for our girls’ night in.
“I went to California.”
“Ooh, good choice.” She picks up a crab Rangoon. “Why there?”
I bite my lip and look from Grace to Brielle. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you guys have to swear secrecy about this.”
Eyes widen. They exchange glances.
“Swear,” Grace says, and Brielle nods.
“I was there with Jax.”
They both freeze, enormous eyes staring at me.
“Jax?” Grace says carefully. “Jax Wynn?”
“Yes. He came to check on me while you were all beating up on Steve. I asked him to get me out of there. We went to his place. He was leaving the next day to go