Offside in the Friend Zone novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: The Trade

"Yes, sir," Henrik said again.

"I understand, sir."

"I'll call you back by noon."

He ended the call and set the phone face down on the counter.

I stayed where I was, with his chin on my head and my cup in the sink.

"They're trading me to Minnesota," he said.

"The deadline's Tuesday.

"It's a real team, with a real contract, ninety minutes from Harbor Falls."

I turned around in his arms.

My heart was going.

"That's good," I said.

"That's great, Henrik."

"It's the best thing that could have happened."

My hand rose halfway toward my ear.

He caught it and held it flat against his chest.

"Don't," he said gently.

"Not this morning."

"I'll take it if you tell me to," he said.

"I won't take it if you don't."

"I'm not doing it to pay you back for anything."

"I'm not moving to your town as a penance."

"I'll stay in Milwaukee if that's what you want."

"I'll fly down every off day for as long as you like."

"But I've spent five years letting somebody else decide, and I'm done.

"So you tell me, Bee, and you tell me because you want it."

I looked at his face, with the scar and the broken nose and the green eyes I had been avoiding since I was twenty-two.

I thought about what I had always said to him.

Go.

Don't call.

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