Page 56 of Fake-Off with Fate
She steps closer to me and makes a move to take my hand. There is no way in heck I’m going to have a conversation with her publicly. The last thing I want is for anyone to see us together and start to speculate. Or, God forbid, take a picture and sell it to the tabloids.
“You can come to my cabin, and we can talk there,” I tell her.
She looks so happy that I feel a spark of something start to bloom in my chest. It’s not happiness, but perhaps an emotion related to sympathy.
“I’ll drive with you,” she says.
I motion toward my SUV and then unlock the doors with my remote. I don’t bother to open her door for her like I always did when we were together. Instead, I walk around and get into the driver’s side. Allegra stands on the sidewalk, seemingly expecting her door to magically pop open.
Turning on the car, I lower the passenger side window and tell her, “Get in.”
She reluctantly opens the door for herself. Once she’s sitting next to me, I pull out onto the street. We drive in silence for a minute or two, before she says, “I’m having a hard time seeing you living in a place like this.”
“Yeah, well, this is my new life.” I feel the need to add, “Thanks to you.”
She shrinks slightly in my peripheral vision. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I’m sorry for what I did to you. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.”
“You are correct,” I tell her.
“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” she says. “I made a mistake.”
I slow the car down and turn into my driveway. I don’t turn off the car once I park. Instead, I tell her, “If that’s all you needed to say, I’ll take you back into town.”
“That’s not all I came here for.” Before I can warn her about the bear family, she steps out of the car and starts cat-walking toward the cabin. That’s when she comes face to face with mama bear.
Allegra releases a bloodcurdling scream so loud I’m surprised it doesn’t shatter our eardrums. In response, the mama bear merely turns and ambles toward the closest tree. That’s when the baby bear shoots across the path toward his mother. Allegra shrieks again before turning around and running toward me. “There are bears here!” she shouts.
I take her hand and pull her toward my front porch. I’ve gotten better at dealing with my neighbors in the last several days, but even so, I don’t dilly dally. Once we’re inside, I drop Allegra’s hand. Going into the kitchen, I ask her, “Do you want some water?”
“Yes, please.” She follows me and sits down at the small kitchen table. “What are you doing living in the woods with bears?”
“I didn’t know they lived here when I moved in,” I tell her.
“Jamie.” Her tone is full of pleading. I put her glass of water in front of her, and after she takes a sip, she says. “Please move back home.”
“Why would I do that?” I ask, sitting across from her. “I play for the Ice Breakers now.”
“The Blades would take you back in a heartbeat.”
“I’m the captain of a new team, Allegra. I have a contract.” I feel the need to add, “There’s nothing left for me in New York.”
I can tell I’ve hurt her, and even though she also hurt me, I still feel bad about it.
Before I get a chance to soften my words, she proceeds with, “Brett and I have broken up for good,” like I’m supposed to somehow know what this has to do with me. I don’t have to wait long for clarification. “I want us to try again, Jamie. We were together for a long time. We meant a lot to each other.”
“Until you left me for another man,” I remind her.
“I’m very sorry about that. I was wrong.”
I can’t help but wonder why Allegra thinks I’ll just forgive her and go back. “You made a fool out of me in front of the whole world.”
“I’ll tell the press how wrong I was. I’ll tell them anything you want me to.”
I look at my ex like I’m seeing her for the first time. While stunningly beautiful, with her sleek, long brown hair and matching eyes, there’s something completely unrecognizable about her. I feel like I never really knew her.
“There’s nothing to tell the press, Allegra. I don’t want you back. I’ve moved on.”
Her eyes narrow slightly before she says, “I’ve heard. With some small-town girl named Ashlyn.” She says Ashlyn’s name like it’s a curse word.
