Page 16 of Buzzer Beater

A complete understatement.

Elena’s eyebrows pulled together. “Your one what?”

“He’s my one serious relationship. The one I thought I was going to end up with. The one that shattered my heart.”

“He’s your ex?”

I nodded.

Understanding dawned in her crystal blue eyes. “So that’s why you said you were engaged. You are sly, lady.”

I nodded again. “It seemed like a better option than saying I’ve been single since the day he broke my heart. That would have been so lame.”

She cringed. “I’m so sorry, Lucy. If I had known it was this…”

“Bad?”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t have pushed you so hard to tell me.” She looked out to the ocean. “What are the chances? You and that hunk of an ex being at the same resort at the same time?”

I glared at her.

“What? He’s gorgeous. You can’t deny that, plus I could tell you’re still hot for him. It was written all over your face.”

I shook my head. “That’s not true.”

She pulled me until I was sitting next to her, facing each other. “Tell me what happened?”

I really didn’t want to do this, not out in the open where Colin could find us. Elena didn’t look like she was going to move until she had answers though. I sighed and thought back to my college years.

“We met at the beginning of our freshman year and fell in love by Christmas. We met each other’s families, and spent the holidays alternating between the two. We talked about getting married as soon as he was drafted, and I graduated. We had everything planned out.”

I stopped and took a deep breath. Memories I had long repressed were coming up. “He got me through the worst finals week of my life. I got pneumonia and he took care of me, risked getting sick himself to make sure I was okay. We were each other’s cheerleaders. He was on the hockey team and I went to every home game. My classes kicked my butt and I almost changed majors, but he spent all his free time quizzing me and helping me pass.”

I smiled at Elena. “We could talk to each other about everything and nothing. Sometimes just being together was all we needed. Just knowing the other person was there. I never felt like I had to try around him. We never felt forced. We accepted and loved each other. Faults and all.”

I stopped when my voice caught.

“Then what happened?” Elena’s voice was cautious.

“He got onto the Olympic team.”

Her eyes went wide, and I smiled at the memory.

“I was so proud of him. I don’t think I cried so much in my life than the day we found out he made it.” Then I hung my head. “But that was the beginning of the end.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “Why?”

“He left to train with the team. His calls grew fewer and farther apart until I didn’t hear from him for a week or so at a time.”

“So, it was the distance?”

I laughed. “No, if that was all, I could have stuck it out.”

“Then what happened?”

“The attention got to him, I guess.” She didn’t say anything, so I kept going. “He became a mini-celebrity overnight. At least in that world. I tried to give him space. I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wanted him to enjoy every second.” I closed my eyes. “When the team got to the Olympic Village, I started to hear things. Girlfriends of the other players reached out to me. I saw stories in the news.”

I felt something on my arm and looked down to see her holding my wrist. “He didn’t.”