I typed quickly,And the other team knows that. You’re neglecting your defensiveend
Moments passed before his next text came.Can I callyou?
Was I ready? I’d hated how things had ended, but I’d honestly thought I would never hear from him again. If I said yes, what did that mean?
It’s just a phone call, I reminded myself. Nothing more.
Then my mind went racing back to the winter solstice. It had felt like more back then. Had I imagined our connection?
My fingers hovered over the letters. I typed,Yes,and hit send before I had the chance to regret it.
Moments stretched. Was he reconsidering?
And then it rang.
I put my phone to my ear and answered. “Hello.”
“Hello, Elizabeth.”
I hadn’t imagined our connection. It came washing back like a tidal wave, surging through the phone, and wrapping itself around me. That voice.
“Congratulations again on the win,” I said.
“Have you been watching the games?”
“Honestly? No.”
He laughed. “Ouch! I’m hurt.”
“Doubtful.” The line was quiet. “Brett?”
“I’m here.”
“Are you at the arena?”
“No. Home.”
I closed my eyes. An inexplicable pull to him washed over me through the phone. I wanted him to be next to me, if only to feel another person. Someone to love me and tell me I was perfect. Just for them. I couldn’t tell him that. I didn’t really know him. I kept my question surface level. Opening my eyes, I asked, “Where do you live?”
“Bainbridge Island. On the water. It’s beautiful. Have you been to Seattle?”
“Once. For a conference. It rained the entire time.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, it does that. But the summers are beautiful.”
I kept up the small talk. “You were traded pretty recently. How did you find a house so fast?”
I realized my mistake as soon as he laughed. “Doing research?”
“When you were here.” I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them to stare at the ceiling. “For, you know, the medical stuff.”
Medical stuff. That was dumb. Elizabeth, stop talking.
He ignored me. “Elizabeth, I owe you an apology.”
My heart fractured just a little at his words. I closed my eyes again, thinking, please don’t be nice, please don’t be nice.
“For what?” I asked tentatively.