Page 50 of Snowed In With the PUCK

Chapter twenty-four

Jessica

Sitting at my deskat the law office, I tap my pen against the stack of papers I’ve been trying to focus on for the past hour. It’s not working. I can’t concentrate, not with the constant buzz of gossip swirling around the office about Eric and me. Ever since Christmas, it’s like the floodgates have opened. Everyone knows about our relationship, but for whatever reason, people seem to think they can talk to me about it. It feels… odd.

The worst part is, no one knows it’sfake. Except for Jason, Allison, Kip, Eric, and me, of course. But to everyone else, it looks like I’ve suddenly become the luckiest woman in Denver. Dating Eric Warren, the Avalanche star forward. It’s all over the news, all over social media, and apparently all over this office.

“Did you see the latest picture of them at the rink?” I hear someone whisper from the hallway outside my office. “They look so happy together.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know,” another voice responds, a little quieter. “Something seems off. I mean, how does a big NHL player like him end up with someone like Jessica Romano?”

I clench my jaw and try to ignore it. The comments have been coming more often lately, and no matter how hard I try to brush them off, they still sting. Especially because part of me is starting to wonder the same thing. Is Eric really happy with me? Or is this just something we’ve both gotten caught up in, unable to stop the momentum?

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m under a microscope. Like every interaction with Eric is being dissected, analyzed, and discussed by people who have no idea what’s really going on. And the more people talk, the more vulnerable I feel.

I grab my phone and open social media. The first thing I see is a picture someone tagged of us from the open ice exhibition event yesterday. Eric’s smiling, arms around a group of kids who look like they’re having the time of their lives, and I’m standing off to the side, watching him with a soft look on my face. It’s a candid moment, one that feels… real. More real than I want to admit.

I close the app and stand up abruptly. I need answers. There’s only one person who can give me clarity right now, and that’s Jason.

As I make my way down the hall to his office, my mind races. I feel that there’s something real between Eric and me. That this relationship, which started as a facade, is actually becoming something more. I think back to the way he’s been with me thesepast few days. The way he looks at me, the way we talk, the way he’s always there, making me feel like I’m not just part of some PR stunt.

I like living in Colorado. I like being around him. Maybe I’m foolish for hoping, but I can’t help it.

When I reach Jason’s office, I knock twice before pushing the door open. He looks up from his computer, surprised to see me.

“Jessica, what’s going on?” he asks, leaning back in his chair.

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “I want to talk about Eric,” I say, closing the door behind me and sitting down across from him. “What would it take to finalize his contract? I mean, a real offer, a two-year deal to cement his place on the Avalanche.” I’ve been put as part of the PR event planning for the team so often lately that I haven’t been on top of his trade deal.

Jason’s expression shifts slightly, something I can’t quite read, and my stomach flips with unease. I expect him to give me some standard corporate answer, something about negotiations taking time or Kip needing to sign off on the final terms. But instead, he sighs, his eyes narrowing just a bit as he considers me.

“He already has an offer,” Jason says, his voice calm, but the words hit me like a ton of bricks.

I blink, my mind reeling. “What? The negotiations have concluded?”

“He’s had the contract in his inbox since before Christmas,” Jason continues, his tone matter of fact. “A solid two-year deal. Almost everything he asked for. But he hasn’t signed it, Jessica. That’s the issue.”

I feel like the floor just dropped out from under me. I wasn’t expecting this. “He hasn’t signed it? Why not?”

Jason shrugs, but there’s a tension in his expression that wasn’t there before. “That’s the million-dollar question. We’ve all been waiting, but his refusal to sign so far has made it clear to all of us that he doesn’t want to stay.”

I stare at Jason, trying to process what he’s saying. Eric doesn’t want to stay? The words echo in my mind, each repetition stabbing a little deeper. Why would he refuse to sign? I thought things were good here. I thought… I thoughtwewere good.

“That’s why I asked you to keep an eye on him,” Jason adds, as if that’s supposed to make me feel better. “We needed to know where his head was.”

I swallow hard, my throat tightening with a mixture of anger and hurt. “You asked me to spy on him,” I correct him, my voice sharp. “And I still stand by what I told you last time. I’m not doing it. In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t given you any information about him and I will not be changing my mind.” I stare him down, my stance fierce.

Jason doesn’t flinch. “It’s your funeral, Jessica. But we do need to know if he’s planning on staying or if he’s already halfway out the door. Kip doesn’t want to lose him, especially not to a team like the California Storm.”

The mention of California stings even more. I know there have been rumors, whispers about other teams trying to poach Eric after his standout performances with the Avalanche, but I never thought… I didn’t think it would come to this.

I sit there in stunned silence, the weight of Jason’s words sinking in. Eric has the contract. He’s had it for days. And he hasn’t signed it. Does that mean he’s planning on leaving? Is that why he’s been so… distant before? Has all of this—everything between us—just been a temporary thing for him?

“I can’t believe this,” I mutter under my breath, my mind racing. Suddenly, everything feels different. Every moment we’ve spent together, every conversation, every kiss—it all feels tainted now, like I’ve been living in some kind of fantasy while Eric’s been planning his exit strategy.

Jason leans forward, his tone softening slightly. “Look, Jessica, I’m not saying this is the end of the world. But we need to be prepared for whatever happens. If Eric decides to leave, we’ll have to move quickly. But if you can get him to commit, it’ll be a win for everyone. Kip wants him to stay. We all do.”

I shake my head, the anger and confusion building inside me. “I’m not going to manipulate him,” I snap. “I’m not going to force him to stay if he doesn’t want to.”

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