Page 213 of While You Were Trending

“It’s fine right now because she doesn’t know yet. Ignorance is bliss. I turned her alarm off and stole her phone, so hopefully she gets a few more hours of ignorant bliss.”

“Flow—”

“I let her out to go potty and I fed her and now she’s back in bed with Ginny.”

Good.

Good.

It’s why I left my dog. So she could be there for Ginny.

Lavoie flashes me another screen.

This one’s a fucking sports gossip site.

Alex McMaren’s Best Friend Wooing the Woman Who Wrecked His Wedding

“Wooing?”I say. “Who the fuck sayswooing?”

“I think they were going for alliteration,” Lavoie replies.

“That’s not Shade,” Mabel says.

“Team captain just gave me the heads-up,” I tell her. “If Ginny wakes up, tell her I’m on my way.”

“We’ve been through far worse together,” she replies. “And we’ve got you too. Do what you need to do there. Ginny’s going to be okay.”

“That’s not the fucking point, Mabel.”

I’m grabbing my shoes and shoving my gear into my bag.

Lavoie’s not stopping me.

“You can’t drop everything and run across the country every time someone on the internet says something rude about Ginny,” Mabel says.

She’s right.

I can’t.

“Watch me,” I reply.

This hockey comeback?

It’s not happening.

I don’t evenwantit to.

Not if it keeps me from Ginny.

Hockey’s what I’ve always done.

But the man who loves Ginny above all else is who I’ve always been.

I don’t want to love her from across the country.

I want to love her where she is.

I hang up with Mabel and drop to put my shoes back on.