Page 28 of Summer with a Player

Suddenly, a loud banging on my door jolts me upright. "Asher! Get your ass up!" Ryder's gruff voice booms from the other side. As one of my closest friends and teammates, he's never been one to mince words.

"Alright, I'm up," I mutter, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing on unsteady feet. I yank the door open, revealing Ryder's imposing figure. His ice-blue eyes are narrowed in concern, his tattooed arms crossed over his broad chest.

"About time," he scoffs, pushing past me into my room. "You've been MIA for days, Jet. What's going on with you?"

I hesitate, suddenly feeling exposed under his scrutiny. "Just... struggling with some stuff," I admit, running a hand through my messy hair.

"Spill it," Ryder demands, cracking his knuckles impatiently.

"Elle and I... we're not in a good place right now. I've been avoiding her, thinking it would help me focus on hockey." The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Ryder snorts. "And how's that working out for you?"

"Terribly," I confess, chewing on my lower lip. "But what if being with her means losing everything else that matters? What if I can't have both?"

He shakes his head, his expression softening. "Listen, Asher, I know you're scared. We all are. But love and hockey can coexist. You just need to find the right balance."

His words resonate within me, forcing me to confront the fears I've been running from. Can I truly have it all? Is it possible to find happiness with Elle without jeopardizing my hockey career?

"Look at it this way," Ryder continues, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "You're not giving your best out there when you're constantly worried about this. You need to face your fears, man. Figure it out with Elle. Trust me, you'll be a better player for it."

As he leaves, his words echo in my mind, stirring up a flurry of emotions and doubts. Maybe he's right – maybe my fear of losing my hockey family is holding me back from experiencing true intimacy and happiness with Elle.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest, and grab my phone. It's time to face my fears and fight for what truly matters.

My heart feels heavy, the weight of Ryder's words still lingering in my thoughts. As I sit on the edge of my bed, my fingers tremble, hovering above my phone's screen. It's now or never.

"Elle," I start, my voice betraying my nerves as she answers the call. "I'm so sorry for everything. For leaving you hanging and not being there when I promised I would be."

I hear her take a sharp breath, and my chest tightens. "Asher, where have you been? I've been worried sick."

"Elle, listen," I choke out, forcing myself to face the truth head-on. "I've been struggling with balancing my love for hockey and my feelings for you. I let fear get the best of me, and I... I messed up."

Silence stretches over time, making my pulse race. Finally, Elle replies, her voice soft but steady. "You did, Asher. You ghosted me, and it hurt like hell. You made me feel all alone in this world again, just when I thought we were on the same page."

My throat constricts, and I fight back the tears threatening to spill. "Elle, I want to make things right. I want to work through our issues and find a way to balance my life with both you and hockey. Please, give me a chance to prove that I can be better."

She hesitates, the silence weighing heavily on my shoulders. "I don't know, Asher. You broke my trust, and I'm scared to risk getting hurt again."

"Elle, I understand. I'm scared too. But I can't bear the thought of losing you over this. We can take it slow, one step at a time."

My heart leaps as I hear a faint sigh on the other end of the line. But then, her response shatters my hope like fragile glass.

"Asher, it's over."

The words cut through me, leaving me breathless. I blink back tears, trying to comprehend the finality in her voice.

"Elle...please."

"Goodbye, Asher," she whispers, and with that, the line goes dead.

I slump back onto my bed, the phone slipping from my grasp. My heart feels raw, exposed, as I stare at the ceiling. The feeling of loss wraps around my chest like a vice.

I'm left to face the stark reality of losing Elle. And as much as it hurts, I know I have no one to blame but myself.

Chapter 18

Elle

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