Chapter 3 Chapter Three: Jude

“So, you two are in the same room?”

Niall, my best friend, stared at me like I had grown a second head.

I wasn’t aware that he was coming to the game today, but he decided to surprise me. After winning the game, we decided to meet at the hotel bar for a drink.

“Yes.” I took another sip of my beer, trying to look far more casual than I felt.

“And you haven’t done anything with her?”

I rolled my eyes.

When I called her Mils yesterday, my heart had nearly stopped beating. For a second, I thought I’d crossed some invisible line, but then she’d told me she was fine. The relief that washed over me had been almost embarrassing.

“You’re an absolute idiot!” Niall exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “You finally have your chance, and you’re blowing it! Are you out of your mind?”

I gave him a look.

“What exactly do you expect me to do?”

“Something.”

“That’s helpful.”

“You’re in the same room as the woman you’ve been obsessed with for years. What more do you need?”

I sighed, staring down at my beer.

“I don’t know.”

And that was the problem. I genuinely didn’t know.

I’d played in packed arenas with thousands of people screaming my name. I’d stood in front of cameras, answered questions I didn’t want to answer, dealt with reporters trying to dig into my personal life, and faced some of the toughest players in the league without thinking twice.

But Millie? One look from her and suddenly I forgot how to form a sentence.

I met Niall when I was twenty-two, five years ago. Back then, he was an aspiring podcast host, trying to build something of his own. He was also the first person in years who made me feel like he actually wanted to be my friend for me—not because I was Jude Callahan, the famous hockey player.

Now, he was one of the most successful podcast hosts in the country, doing exactly what he’d always dreamed of.

He was also the only person who knew about Millie. The only person I’d ever told how much I had liked her.

I still remembered the first time I admitted it to him. I’d spent years keeping it to myself, convinced that whatever I felt for her would eventually disappear. It never did.

After I told Niall, he’d spent a lot of time telling me I needed to find her.

Of course, I never did. I had no idea where to even start. And I wasn’t a stalker to do that.

Apparently, fate had decided it would do the work for me. Because somehow, after all those years, Millie had walked right back into my life.

And now she was sleeping in the same room as me.

“You’re seriously telling me you haven’t at least asked her to dinner?” Niall asked.

I shook my head.

“I couldn’t even ask her to have dinner with me last night.”

His mouth fell open, and I took another drink, avoiding his gaze.

“Something about her makes the words get stuck in my throat.”

Niall stared at me for a second before bursting out laughing.

“I’m sorry. I just need to understand this. You’re Jude Callahan.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’ve had women practically throwing themselves at you.”

“Please stop.”

“My point is, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

I gave him a flat look.

“Not when it comes to her.” A heavy sigh escaped my mouth.

“Why?”

Because Millie wasn’t any woman. She was the woman I had spent years trying to forget. The woman who had somehow stayed in the back of my mind no matter how much my life changed. The girl who had made my heart race when I was still in high school.

And now she was a grown woman standing in front of me, somehow even more beautiful than I remembered.

“She’s different,” I finally said.

Niall nodded slowly.

“That’s what you always said.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“Whenever you talked about her. You never talked about her like she was some girl you had a crush on. You talked about her like she was…” He paused, searching for the right word. “Important.”

I looked down at my beer.

She was important. She was the one I wanted.

Before I could say anything, I remembered something else.

“There’s something else I learned about her.”

Niall raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

I took a deep breath.

“Her ex-boyfriend is on the same team.”

Niall nearly choked on his drink.

“What?”

“Conrad.”

He stared at me with wide eyes.

“We haven’t spoken in a week, and somehow all of this happens in your life?” He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re living in a damn soap opera.”

“Feels like it.”

“Who is this guy?”

“Conrad.”

“You already said that.”

“I know.”

“So what’s the problem?”

I tightened my grip around the bottle.

I didn’t like talking or even thinking about him. I especially didn’t like knowing that he was around Millie every day.

“He’s an asshole.”

Niall waited.

I exhaled slowly and told him about what happened. I didn’t have a lot of information about him, but the small encounter I had seen yesterday was more than enough to form my judgement about him.

Niall’s expression changed.

“He kicked her out?”

“Pretty much.”

“And she ended up staying with you?”

I nodded.

Niall stared at me for a moment.

Then a slow grin spread across his face.

“What?”

“You realize the universe is practically handing you this woman.”

I groaned.

“I’m serious!” he exclaimed.

“She just got out of a relationship, Niall.”

“Exactly. So don’t rush her. But stop acting like you’re terrified of her.”

“I’m not terrified of her.”

He gave me a look.

I sighed, looking away for a moment, before saying, “Fine. Maybe a little.”

He laughed.

I shook my head, but despite myself, I smiled. Because the truth was, I was terrified, not of Millie, but of what she could make me feel.

I had spent years building a life where I was in control of everything, but Millie had suddenly appeared in my life, and suddenly none of that seemed to matter.

And the worst part?

I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in control anymore.

I craned my neck, trying to release the tension I felt, but one look at the entrance of the bar made me freeze.

“Are you all right?” Niall spoke.

“She’s here,” I blurted, finally glancing at him.

“Millie?” I nodded, then looked back in her direction.

“Then there’s only one thing we need to do,” Niall said. I could already feel the smirk in his voice.

“What?” I frowned.

A mischievous smile took over his lips before he did the most reckless thing ever.

“Millie! Over here!”

I needed to disappear.