Chapter 15 #2
I inhale sharply. “We’ve only gone to dinner one time, Dad.
I doubt we’ll even hang out again. But this whole he’s a bad guy, and you need to keep away thing you’re doing, it’s kind of gross.
I love you, but … Mom and you brought me and Saint up to treat everyone equal.
And I gotta tell you, right now, you’re not practicing what you preach. ”
Silence. I’m met with silence.
One of the many good traits my dad has is, he always admits when he’s wrong. It may take him a minute, or twenty, but eventually, he’ll come around. Not every human is built that way, but he is. So, I know with everything inside of me, he will reflect, taking the time to think about my words.
“Damn it, I,” he mutters into the phone. “Why do you always have to be such a good fucking kid?”
“Perhaps my mom,” I tease him.
“Yeah, you’re not joking,” he says lowly before I’m met with more silence.
Finally, he talks again. “Look, Isla, I’m not going to give you my blessing with this guy.
I can’t because you’re my daughter, and my one job is to keep you, your mom, and your brother safe.
So, right now, I can’t do that.” He pauses.
“But what I will ask you is … is there any part of you that is considering seeing him again? Because if there is, I just want to mentally prepare myself.”
“Honestly … I don’t know,” I answer truthfully. “Trust me, Dad, I never thought I’d go to dinner with that guy. It just sort of happened.”
“And you think—you think there’s a chance it may happen again?”
Chewing my lip, I sigh. “Maybe, yeah.”
“Damn it,” he whispers. “Was really hoping you’d say no chance in hell and make my life easier.
” He paces some more—I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“Just promise me something, Isla. Promise me you’ll be careful.
He’s got a lot of anger in him, okay? He has every right to, but that doesn’t mean I want him around my baby girl. ”
I want to ask why he keeps saying things that indicate he knows more about Hendrix than I do.
But I know he’ll tell me that he can’t say the details because they are confidential.
My dad helps with Brody’s One Wish foundation.
It’s an amazing program that helps kids who are less fortunate go on to chase their dreams when it comes to athletics.
And Brody, coming from a rough past, is a sucker for broken boys like Hendrix.
They know things about Hendrix’s past. But I don’t. I can’t judge him for things I’m not aware of.
“I’ll be careful, Dad. I love you.”
“Is this your way of ending the call?” He half chuckles, though the worry is still in his tone.
“Maybe.” I smile. “Bye. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Love you, sweetie. Bye.”
Pressing the End button, I tuck my phone into my hoodie pocket and continue my walk home. I know that my dad didn’t give me his blessing, but he also didn’t say that he forbids it either. I’m not even sure right now if I want to go on any more dates with Hendrix.
But I can’t say that I don’t want to either.
HENDRIX
As I drive away from the arena, my palm continuously swats the wheel, coming down onto the leather over and over. I knew that word had gotten out about me taking Isla on a date—big fucking deal. She’s an adult. I’m an adult. Who cares?
Cam Hardy, folks. Apparently, he does.
Oh, and Cade Huff. Add him to the list.
Wait, there’s one more. Brody O’Brien, who has always acted like a mentor—even when I didn’t fucking want one. He also called me right before practice and left me a two-minute voicemail, explaining why I need to stay away from his niece.
Three hockey legends. All pissed at me for taking the golden girl out on a date.
What the fuck would they think if they knew what we did in the utility closet?
I’d one thousand percent be dead by now if that were the case. No joke.
Brody knows about my past. He had to learn it all in order to find me eligible or not for the scholarship he deemed that I needed.
It didn’t matter to him that I had spent a few months in juvie.
Hell, part of me thinks that’s why Coach Huff agreed for me to be here to begin with.
Because he’s got a fucked-up past, and I think he feels sorry for me.
Well, I’m not him. I’m not a fucking drug addict. I just get mad occasionally. And when I get mad, sometimes, I black out and get into fights with people.
But they always deserve it. I’ve never beaten the piss out of a stand-up citizen. No, the motherfuckers I lay hands on are the scum of the earth. But when it comes to Brody, Cam, and Cade, all they can focus on is me corrupting their perfect Princess Isla.
If only they knew the other side of her. The side of her that’s begging to come out. It’s the one who rode my face in the closet and also the one who lost her shit on Margo that night at the restaurant.
I bet her daddy doesn’t even know she has that side.
Cruising down a hill, I squint my eyes as I take in a girl walking, her messy blonde braid swooshing along her back with each step she takes. Her leggings hug every fucking inch of her legs and ass, and I’m practically salivating just from the glimpse of Isla Hardy.
Slowing to a crawl when I get beside her, I roll my window down.
“What, Nineteen … you run out of gas again?” I call out, smirking her way.
She glances at me, rolls her eyes, and looks forward, never slowing down a bit.
“Very funny, Hunt,” she grumbles. “No. I just thought it would be a nice day for some fresh air—that’s all.”
I know she’s lying. I had to get in an early workout this morning, and the women’s hockey team was already deep into their practice when I arrived at the facility. Who in their right mind would want to walk a few miles after morning practice?
“Is that it, huh?” I toss back, knowing there’s more. “Didn’t have anything to do with those pictures of us on social media? Or the fact that your daddy and your fifty uncles are all losing their shit?”
That makes her stop and turn toward me. “What do you mean, my uncles?” Her face pales. “Wait … did my dad, like … call you?”
“Nah,” I say, and right away, she relaxes, so I let out a chuckle. “But your uncle Brody did. And Coach Huff made sure to talk to me too.”
She sighs dramatically, her shoulders sagging.
“They are all insane,” she utters, her cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry. I told Dad and Cade that it was literally just dinner—that’s all. But, well … my dad is a bit over the top.” She cringes. “Okay, he’s a lot over the top.”
I don’t like her answer, not one bit.
Throwing my truck into park, I tilt my chin up at her. “Just dinner, huh? You sure about that?”
Shifting around on her feet, she shrugs. “Well, yeah. I mean, it was just dinner.”
“Not to me, babe,” I drawl. “To me, that was step one in my getting the goalie plan.” I wink. “But probably best you don’t tell your dad that, I suppose.”
I’ve intrigued her—that’s for sure.
“Getting the goalie, huh?” She fights back a smile. “What exactly is that about?”
“Why don’t you hop in, and I’ll tell you all about it, sweet cheeks?” I nod toward my passenger seat and watch the internal battle that’s going on inside her head right now.
No one is going to keep me away from Isla Hardy. Not my coach. Not Brody O’Brien. And not her dad either.
“Why should I?” She eyes me over thoughtfully.
I lean a little out the window, giving her a stupid-ass grin. “Because you want to, Nineteen—that’s why. Besides …” I hold my hand up, wiggling my fingers. “These guys are all yours if you decide you want them again.”
That seems only to annoy her, and she glares at me, so I laugh.
“All right, I’m joking. I’m joking.” I shrug. “Kind of. But either way, I promise to be on my best behavior if you get in.”
Though that internal battle is still raging—and I know damn well she’s wondering if she should trust me enough to continue hanging out with me—for whatever reason … she steps off the sidewalk, crosses the street, and climbs in my truck.
And, fuck me sideways, she sure smells good.
Once the door is shut, I shift the truck back into drive just as another car finally comes up behind me, and we head down the road.
“I’ll take the ride and all, but I have class in a few hours,” she tells me like I’m trying to kidnap her or something. “So, no funny business. I can’t go far.”
Looking over at her, I lift a brow. “What time is your class exactly, Isla?”
“One,” she utters, and I bark out a laugh.
“Babe, it’s fucking eight thirty in the morning. I think you have plenty of time.” I shake my head. “That’s four and a half hours. I can think of a lot of stuff we could do with a time frame like that.”
I look away from her, but I’m sure her eyes are bugging out of her head. I didn’t mean it in a pervy way. Well, not really anyway.
What am I saying? Everything I think about when it comes to this girl is perverted.
I’m just about to tell her we can go back to The Tower and watch a movie, but then I realize that may be too forward. I mean, I don’t know many dudes my age who actually watch a movie when they invite a chick over to do that. So, instead, I decide on breakfast.
Yeah, breakfast is good.
It would be even better if I could eat her for breakfast.
Before I tell her, my phone rings, and when I see it’s the nursing home on my screen, I hit Accept, forgetting that the Bluetooth is hooked up, making the call blare over the speakers.
“Hello?” I say, expecting it to be one of the nurses, telling me about an upcoming appointment or something for Juliet. That’s usually the only time they call.
“Hello. Is this Hendrix?” It’s a voice I don’t really recognize, and even though I’m aware Isla is looking at me, I keep it on the truck speaker because I’m driving, and the last thing I need to do is be distracted when she’s in my passenger seat.
“It is,” I say. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, it’s fine. I’m Marissa, and I’m Juliet’s nurse today.
I just wanted to call and see if you were anywhere nearby.
” She pauses. “She is very lucid today, and while I have only worked here for a few weeks, it’s my understanding that it’s been a while since she’s been this way.
I figured that if you were close by, you may want to come see her. ”
Now, I really feel Isla’s eyes on me, and I sort of wish I had pulled over and answered the phone instead of letting it play. But fuck it. I guess since we’re going to be together someday soon, she might as well find out about all the sad, shitty things in my life.
Like about the woman who isn’t even my family but might as well be, who lives in a nursing home and rarely even knows who I am.
“I’m about an hour and a half away,” I tell her, gripping the wheel tighter and turning down toward both my and Isla’s houses. “I’ll head there now.”
“Okay, great. I do want to warn you that these lucid times are usually short-lived. She may even be back to not remembering things by the time you get here. But she’s been asking for you for the past hour. So … I think it’s worth a shot.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I say quickly before ending the call.
I don’t look at Isla, but instead straight ahead. “I’ll drop you off at your house. Sorry, I wanted to take you to breakfast or do something nice to cheer you up.”
“Cheer me up?” she asks softly. “Why do I need cheering up?”
Now, I look at her just as I pull up against the curb in front of The Nest. “Babe, you were walking after an ass-crack-of-dawn practice. Your dad is mad at you. I know you need cheering up.” I rest my head against the headrest. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
She’s silent, shifting around slightly. “Or … I could ride with you? I don’t have to go into the nursing home or wherever your grandmother is. But … I could at least keep you company on the ride there.”
My eyes fly to hers, and I frown because I don’t really know what else to do.
My entire life, other than Juliet—and Lilly, before she was taken—no one has ever gone out of their way to be there for me when I needed someone.
I’ve been alone for a good part of my life, and I guess I assumed it would stay that way because who the fuck would want to hold my hand during a hard time?
I’m an asshole with anger issues and a debatable attitude.
“Really?” The word leaves my mouth in a dull whisper. “You’d do that?”
Smiling sweetly, she nods and reaches over to touch my arm. “Absolutely.” She nods toward the road. “But let’s go. You heard the nurse; she may not have long. So, hurry it on up, Hunt.”
It takes me a minute to actually pay attention to the road and pull away from the damn curb. But when I do, I can’t stop glancing over at the woman beside me.
How the hell is she still here?
I shift nervously behind the wheel, clearing my throat.
“Just for the record, she’s actually not my grandmother.
She was my neighbor when I was growing up and really the only person my sister, Lilly, and I could count on.
” I exhale shallowly. “She doesn’t have anyone else besides me.
So, I’m the person they call with news.”
I’m met with silence, but when I glance over, she’s staring at me with an unfamiliar expression on her face.
“That’s really nice of you to step in like that for her,” she whispers.
“Nah, it’s really nothing.” I shrug it off like it’s no big deal. “Besides, she did the same for me.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I don’t dive any further into the truth with her either.
That, if it wasn’t for the woman we’re about to go see, my sister and I probably would have died of starvation.
We certainly would have never had any gifts to open on our birthdays or Christmas.
Hell, she even made us homemade Halloween costumes and took us trick-or-treating.
I often wonder if my own mother would have done those things had she not died when we were little. But somehow, I know we were more fortunate to have Juliet than my mother. I think that she would have been just like my father. Too into dealing and doing drugs to actually be a parent.
Instead of chatting about all the sad shit in the world, the whole rest of the way, we just talk. Sort of like we’re old friends or something. And I’ll admit that I wish I could always have her in the passenger seat of my truck. Having her close makes everything better.
I never want this girl to leave.