“Millie?” I call out, my voice hoarse. No answer. I sit up, scanning the room. Her shoes and dress are gone. So is my shirt.
On the table, next to the halfway-full champagne bottle, there’s a note. I pick it up, my heart pounding.
Finn, I am sorry I had to leave like this. Yesterday was fun, but I had to go back to real life. You were my favorite distraction. I miss you already. I am sorry and I hope you forgive me!
She’s gone. Just like that. I don’t have her address or phone number. She can’t be gone.
Then I spot her black thong on the floor.Did she leave it behind in a hurry, or did she want me to have it as a souvenir?I pick it up, bringing it to my nose and inhaling deeply. I miss her so much already.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. I rush to check the time. It’s nine a.m. The message is fromCoach:
>>Practice has been moved to eleven.
Fuck! I have to get going soon.
I call reception. “The woman I came with, when did she leave?”
“She left around six,” the receptionist says.
“Thanks,” I mutter, hanging up. I rush to the bathroom. My blonde hair is a mess, and my green eyes look sunken. I feel heartbroken, which is dumb since I hardly knew Millie. But it still hurts to think she’s gone.
I splash water on my face, trying to wake up fully. Staring at my reflection, I can’t help but feel like an idiot. How did I let her slip away?
Back in the bedroom, I see her thong again. I pick it up, feeling a strange mix of frustration and longing. I need to find her. But where do I start?
I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the note. She’s out there somewhere, probably thinking this was just a fun night to forget. But for me, it was more.
My phone buzzes again. It’s another message from Coach reminding everyone about the practice time. I have to pull myself together. I have to get to practice. But all I can think about is Millie. The way she looked, the way she felt in my arms, her laugh, her hazel eyes, her moans…
I grab my wallet and phone, stuffing her thong into my back pocket. It’s crazy, but I can’t leave it behind.
It’s the only piece of her I have left.
Chapter Two
Millie
Three Years Later
I’m standing in line for a hot chocolate again. It’s like my fifth one this week.
“Hey, where you at?” Jade’s voice crackles through my Bluetooth.
“Getting hot chocolate,” I reply, trying to sound casual.
“Again?” she teases.
“Leave me alone,” I say, rolling my eyes. “It’s helping.”
Jade just grunts. We’ve had this conversation so many times this week. She doesn’t get it. She’s never gone through a publicbreakup this bad. And when your whole career is being an influencer, it’s hard to avoid seeing Ryan Blake, star player of the Blackhawks, all over the internet with his new girl.
It’s everywhere—buses, billboards, even chairs. Ryan and Star, the coach’s daughter and team PR guide. Their faces are in the Blackhawks’ black and green uniforms, plastered all over the city. I hate it.
“Want to come over for dinner tonight?” Jade offers. “We can watch a movie and eat pasta.”
I know she’s trying to make me feel better, but Jade’s knee-deep in her PT classes. She can’t spare a whole night to chill.
“It’s fine, babe. I swear I’m fine,” I say.