Chapter 112
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWELVE
ALEC
After a long day at school, listening to constant whispering about me and watching my own teammates give me looks that I couldn’t quite decipher, I exited my car and walked into the gym for practice.
While I didn’t particularly want to work out today, if Mom caught me home again, she would be even more suspicious than she already was. Honestly, I was surprised that she hadn’t found out yet with how much Redwood gossiped. And I wouldn’t hear the end of it from her.
When I walked into the building, a couple of guys nodded to me, but didn’t say a word. I awkwardly headed toward the locker rooms, spotting a couple of men in suits, talking to Coach. They made eye contact with me, smiling.
Fuck, if these were recruiters …
Stepping into the locker room, I spotted Oliver rummaging through his locker with his training shirt thrown over his bare shoulder. I placed my belongings down on the bench beside his and opened my locker.
Like the other guys, he glanced over at me, but didn’t say anything.
“Sorry about the other day during your game,” I finally said, wanting to get on with him.
I couldn’t deal with this shit alone anymore. I had Maddie, but I couldn’t talk to her about guy shit. I had known Oliver for fucking years now.
And suddenly, I had missed one game and got the cold shoulder.
“It’s fine,” he said, slamming his locker closed and walking out of the room.
I sighed to myself, changed into my hockey gear, and headed back to the main area with my stick. The two suited men from earlier sat in the stadium, watching the team run through warm-ups. I was late.
Before I could skate onto the ice, Coach cleared his throat. “Alec, my office.”
Double. Fuck.
Once I followed him into his office in the back, I shut the door behind me and hoped that he wouldn’t shout too loudly at me for missing another few hours of practice yesterday. He has to have seen the video, right? Will he even sympathize?
“There are scouts here from national teams,” Coach said. “They’re here to watch you practice, and they’ll be here throughout the week for your next game. Are you okay enough to train with us today?”
I opened my mouth, then snapped it shut because I always had an expectation to train, to practice, to learn and hone my skills. I was expected to go into the NHL, and I had wanted to since I was a kid.
But lately … that dream had felt so lost.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“You can talk to me.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said, staring down at my shoes. “I’m fine.”
A long pause.
“I apologize for how I reacted the other day at the game,” he said, clearing his throat. “I should’ve taken what you told us seriously, and instead, I made a joke of it with Coach Jose. Nobody should go through what you have.”
My gaze snapped up to his, eyes widening slightly. “Wh-what?”
Did I even hear him correctly? He is apologizing? To me?
He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “I should’ve taken it seriously, but it brought back memories of when I was back in high school.
Something similar had happened to me, but with a coach.
I’ve spent the past twenty-five years pushing it down, pretending like it didn’t happen because, as men, we’re …
supposed to be strong.” His voice cracked.
“And I’ve fallen right into that fucking behavior. I’ve failed you.”
A stray tear slid down my face, and I quickly pushed it away. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. I couldn’t. I had spent years expecting to be one way, only to come crashing down when something shitty had happened to me.
“You don’t have to forgive me, but I will be better.”
I stayed quiet because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to forgive him or anyone else who had laughed at me when I told them that something was wrong. I didn’t want to even face anyone ever again, but I had to see all my teammates today, tomorrow, and for the remainder of the season.
“I’m okay to train today,” I said.
“Good.”
After a long pause, Coach said, “That was a pretty ballsy thing your girl did.”
“My girl?”
“Maddie Weber, Oliver’s sister.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean, my girl? We’re not dating.”
As much as I would love for all of Redwood to know about us, Maddie didn’t want anyone—especially her brother—to know that we were sorta a thing. I mean, we were, weren’t we? She wouldn’t have skipped school for someone she hated or just merely liked.
“Stormed into practice and gave us all a piece of her mind,” he said.
She stormed into practice yesterday after I skipped again? All for me?
Warmth spread through my chest, and I bit back a small smile. I didn’t know how I should feel about it because … nobody had fucking believed me as hard and as much as she had. Nobody had fucking done that for me before. But she was Oliver’s little sister.
“She was just being nice,” I said, but I knew it was more than that.
“And I suppose that she ran out to the restroom with you during the hockey game because she was just being nice to you too.” He chuckled, a smile painted on his face.
He stood and gently squeezed my shoulder.
“Don’t worry; I won’t tell Oliver.” He nodded to the door.
“Now, get out there and make your teammates proud.”