Page 116 of Across the Boards

Another pause. “I don’t know yet. That’s what I’m figuring out.”

“Does this reevaluation have anything to do with us?” I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

“It’s complicated, Brody.” Her voice is so carefully controlled it makes my chest ache. “Can we talk when I get back? In person?”

“Did something happen, Elliot? Did Jason?—”

“No,” she interrupts, too quickly. “Jason has nothing to do with this. It’s about me, my career, my choices.”

But there’s something in her voice—a slight tremor, a too-careful denial—that tells me she’s not being entirely truthful.

“I’m worried about you,” I admit, dropping any pretense. “You’ve been different since Wednesday. If something happened, if someone hurt you?—”

“I’m fine,” she insists, the words clipped. “Just tired and overwhelmed. My flight lands tomorrow. We’ll talk then, okay?”

Tommy gestures to me from across the room, mouthing something I can’t decipher. I wave him off, focusing entirely on Elliot.

“Promise me you’re okay,” I press. “Really okay.”

“I promise.” But the words sound hollow, rehearsed. “I need to sleep now, Brody. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Elliot. I—” But she’s already hung up, cutting off what was about to be my first “I love you.”

I stare at the phone, a sense of dread settling over me. Something is very, very wrong.

“Well?” Tommy asks, watching me carefully.

“She’s shutting me out.” I set the phone down, feeling slightly sick. “Something happened in Seattle, and she won’t tell me what it is.”

Tommy’s phone buzzes. He checks it, his expression growing serious. “Sarah says Elliot texted her an hour ago. Said she needs to talk when she gets back to Phoenix. Something about ‘big changes coming.’”

“What kind of changes?”

“Sarah doesn’t know. But she’s worried too.” He looks up from his phone. “She’s picking Elliot up from the airport tomorrow. Thinks she might get more out of her in person.”

I nod, grateful for Sarah’s intervention but frustrated by my own helplessness. Our flight back to Phoenix doesn’t land until two hours after Elliot’s. Two more hours of not knowing what’s wrong, of imagining worst-case scenarios, of feeling this growing distance between us.

“What if she’s done with me?” The question slips out before I can stop it, voicing my deepest fear. “What if she realized this whole thing was a mistake?”

“Don’t borrow trouble,” Tommy advises, collecting the remains of our impromptu meal. “Could be anything. Maybe she got a job offer. Maybe her mom’s sick. Maybe?—”

“Maybe Jason threatened her in Seattle,” I finish, the possibility that’s been haunting me since her texts turned cold. “Maybe he’s still not done punishing her for leaving him.”

Tommy can’t deny the possibility. We both know Jason’s vindictive streak, his inability to let go of perceived slights. “If he did anything to hurt her...”

“I’ll end him,” I say quietly, with the absolute conviction of someone stating a simple fact. “I don’t care about my career or suspensions or fines. If he hurt her, he’s done.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Tommy cautions, though I can see the concern in his eyes. “Talk to her tomorrow. Face to face. Get the full story before you do anything.”

He’s right, I know he’s right. But the restless energy coursing through me demands action, movement, some way to close the distance between Elliot and me—both the physical miles and whatever emotional chasm has suddenly opened.

After Tommy leaves, I try to sleep, but my mind races with possibilities, each scenario worse than the last. By morning, I’ve formulated exactly one concrete plan: survive the team’s morning skate, then get back to Phoenix as quickly as possible and find out what’s happening with Elliot.

Morning skate is brutal—Coach drilling us through defensive systems while I struggle to maintain focus. Even Jensen, our notoriously self-absorbed goalie, notices my distraction.

“Whatever’s going on with you, deal with it,” he mutters as we take a water break. “You’re no use to anyone like this.”

“Working on it,” I reply tersely.

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