Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
JULIAN
LA vs Las Vegas
“He’s out for the rest of this game.” The words no player wanted to hear.
“Shit.” Assistant Coach Sanders paced the floor. “Any idea on how long?”
Dr. Carrillo shrugged. “We’ll take him to imaging tomorrow to see how bad the damage is. If it’s bruised muscles, then a couple weeks. If he tore anything, then I don’t know.”
“I’m fine. I need a little ice and…” The pain started at my shoulder and radiated down my arm, my hip, my back. Even my fucking teeth hurt.
“Silver, ice will not cut it. You shouldn’t have been playing as it is.
” Carrillo shook his head. “I’m not clearing him for Edmonton tomorrow.
I’ll know more after the scan. But tell Murry he’s out.
Silver, you can’t keep doing this. You’re not twenty-three anymore.
You keep this up and your career is going to be over.
And your mouth is bleeding again. Get that stitched up,” Carrillo said before leaving.
I moved to touch my top lip but almost passed out from the pain. “Fuck.”
“I’m sorry, Jules. Hit the showers. I’ll let Coach know.” Assistant Coach Sanders turned to leave.
“Wait. Can we keep this out of the press?”
“They are going to want to know.”
“Tell them it’s concussion protocol.”
“You think that’s better? What are you at now? Two?” Coach Sanders shook his head.
“If you tell them it’s upper body, they are going to know it’s my shoulder, and every fucking player from here to Montreal will try to hit it. I’ll be out for the season.”
Sanders ran a hand over his mouth. “I can’t lie. And if you get hit again, you will be out for the season.”
“It’s not lying. You can’t prove I don’t have a concussion.” I pressed my left hand to my lip. The taste of blood was making my stomach turn. “You know it’s for the best.” My career was ending, but I didn’t want it to end like this, me broken.
Sanders scrubbed his face. “I’ll talk to Murry. Get cleaned up.” He touched my other shoulder as he left.
“Fuck.” I paced the floor, pissed at myself for not seeing Host and for not taking that little shit out sooner. All night Host had been just on the edge of a penalty. A hooking the refs didn’t see, a cross-check a little too hard. And now this.
“Julian, you have a visitor in the family area,” someone called.
Shit, Wyatt. Great time for her to see a game. The game was still going on as I crossed to the family area. The large room was empty except for one, and it wasn’t Wyatt standing there. It was Emily.
“I don’t want to see you.” I turned to leave.
“Julian, wait,” Emily called.
Leave, everything screamed.
“Please, it’ll take a minute. It’s about the house.”
“What about it?” I wanted to sell the house. She wanted to keep it. She was supposed to be getting financing.
“Are you okay?” She took a hesitant step forward. “Is it your shoulder again?”
“What about the house?”
“Can you try not to be so hostile? I’m worried about you. Host hit you pretty hard, and I know how bad—”
“If that’s all you wanted, you can leave.” The blood and the pain were making my stomach turn and limbs feel light. Or maybe it was the woman standing in front of me. The last thing I needed was for Wyatt to see her.
“Julian, please. You look like you’re about to pass out. And you’re bleeding. Let me help you.” This wasn’t the Emily I knew. She didn’t rush to make sure I was okay. She didn’t want to deal with the blood and snot. The rehab and the fallout.
“Since when do you give a shit about me?” I shifted my weight; I couldn’t wait to get this gear off. For this night to be over. The TV over Emily’s shoulder showed there were still seven minutes left in the game. The game was still tied, and that fucker Host was back on the ice.
“Since now. I told you I’m trying.” She gave me a warm smile. “I’m working on myself. Now sit and let me help you.” She moved to wipe the blood I could feel drying on my face.
“Don’t.” I knocked her hand away. “What about the house?”
“I have an appointment tomorrow with the bank. My dad said he would help.” She twisted the large wedding ring on her finger. The one she had thrown at me that night. “And I want to apologize. I was wrong the other day. I shouldn’t have said those things.”
“Okay. Now you can go.” I watched the door, hoping Wyatt would not walk in.
“Is she here?” Emily turned. “Is that what this is about? You don’t want her to see me. I’m your wife, Julian. She better get used to me.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Maybe I had hit my head a little too hard. “We’re divorcing.”
“No.” She tossed the paper towel in the trash. “I want counseling. My lawyer says I have every right to ask for that. That the courts don’t like marriages ending, especially for the reasons ours did.”
“You slept with another man. What is there to get counseling about?”
“It’s more than that, and you know it.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You saw the test.”
“Don’t you fucking dare.” I pointed at her.
“Does she know?” Emily asked.
“There is nothing to know.”
“Yes, there is. You left me when I needed you the most. Bloody and broken. How could you do that, Julian? You knew how much that baby meant to me.”
I backed away from her. “No. I will not let you put this on me.”
“Why? Because you don’t want to face the truth.
” She stepped closer. “I know I’ve made some mistakes.
But you’ve no idea how hard it is to be married to you.
All the games. The travel. There were weeks I only saw you for a few hours.
And don’t get me started on what happened when you had a shitty game.
I was supposed to tiptoe around you. And god forbid I needed something during the playoffs. You treated me like—”
“Like what?” I grunted past the pain from any slight movement. “You married a hockey player. What the hell did you think it would be like?”
“Not like this.” She looked me up and down. “You didn’t even try to make this easier on me. You had more concern for your fucking stick than your wife when she called you from the ER. You left me alone. I called—”
“The wrong person. You called the wrong person. I want you to leave and to stay the fuck away from me,” I shouted.
I knew she was cheating on me before February.
Teigen had seen her having lunch with Payton.
I didn’t want to believe that it was anything more than what Emily said.
They were friends. But in February the proof was there. I couldn’t deny it anymore.
“Why do you keep throwing that in my face? I said I was sorry! And I called you because you are my husband. I thought you would do the right thing. To be a fucking man for once. I gave up everything for you. I always put you first, and it cost me the family I always dreamed of. And now I’m here, begging for you to save this marriage, and all you can do is throw my mistakes in my face.
You’re not perfect either, Julian. You’re a selfish fucking asshole. ”
“I know.” I didn’t know any other way. My father told me to be good, really good, I would have to sacrifice everything. Leave it all on the ice because you never know which game will be your last. Hudson hadn’t. He wouldn’t play through the injury, and he lost the game.
“You’re worthless as a husband and a man. I don’t know what I ever saw in you,” Emily whispered.
I closed my eyes for a moment, suddenly tired of fighting her, my body, this fucking sport. I pressed the heel of my hand to my head; she was right.
“Then why are you here?”
I opened my eyes to see Wyatt standing in the doorway, Teigen behind her.
“Excuse me?” Emily turned to face Wyatt.
“I asked why you were here. If he is all those things, why are you here?” Wyatt stepped into the room.
She was taller than Emily, and even dressed in dark leggings and a sweater, Wyatt outshone Emily.
I knew Wyatt was beautiful, but seeing her in the harsh fluorescent light standing near two women who others would say were pretty, Wyatt was stunning.
“There must be some reason.” Wyatt cocked her head, and her blue eyes flashed. “Otherwise, you seem desperate. And that’s not a good look for a woman of your age.”
“So this is her.” Emily mocked me. “This is what you’re into?”
Teigen stepped in front of Wyatt. “You should go before I call security, Emily. You’re not supposed to be back here.”
Emily turned to me. “I can see right through this. I know what she is, and it will not work. I know my value.” She turned on her heels and stopped in front of Wyatt.
“Emily,” I warned.
“What? Your new little toy can’t handle herself? She can’t handle the truth?” She looked Wyatt up and down. “You think you’re better than me?”
“I know I am.” Wyatt looked bored.
A smug smile crossed Emily’s red lips. “You realize I had him first, right?”
Wyatt caught my eye before she took a step closer to Emily, looking her up and down.
“That’s what makes this so much better. Because you know what it’s like to be with him and you know how good he is at fucking, and you walked away.
So I guess I should thank you for being so fucking stupid.
Now go before you make a bigger ass of yourself. ”
Teigen snorted out a laugh, and my world tilted back in place.
“You will not win,” Emily said.
“I already have.” Wyatt smiled.
“Emily, go,” Teigen said. “Now.”
“Fine. But sweetheart, take a piece of advice from his wife. You’ll never be more important than this stupid game.” Emily brushed by Wyatt on her way out.
“Why is she still on the list?” Teigen watched Emily push out of the room before turning to face me.
“I… fuck, I forgot. Wyatt, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Teigen, could you give me and Julian a couple minutes?” Wyatt didn’t take her eyes off of me. I couldn’t tell if what I saw in her eyes was worry or pity.
“Sure. If you need me, I’ll be at the end of the hall.” Teigen shook her head at me.
The door quietly closed. “Wyatt, I can—”
“Are you okay?” She stepped closer to me. Her eyes traced over my face and down to my shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I really forgot about taking her name off the list.” I lifted my sore arm, forgetting the pain. “Oh fuck.” I swallowed the nausea.
“Is this the part where I get to live out my fantasy of fucking a sweaty hockey player?”
I snorted out a laugh, pressing my forehead to hers. “Can I take a rain check? I’m not sure how I’m going to get this shirt or these pants off.”
“You want me to help?” She pulled away, and a wicked little smile crossed her mouth.
In that moment, I knew I couldn’t do this without her. “I’m sorry about her. I’ll make sure—”
She pressed a finger to my mouth. “Julian, I’ve been choked, arrested, had my face broken and put back together again. Your ex-wife doesn’t scare me.”
I pulled away, looking at her. The high cheekbones, the full mouth, all perfect except for two scars, one at the corner of her left eye, the other so slight under her nose.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. This life isn’t all fucking hot hockey players.” She ran her thumb over my top lip. “And you’re bleeding again.”
“This conversation isn’t over.” I took her hand. The horn blew, announcing the end of the game. We won.
“For now, it is.” She rose up to kiss me. “You don’t smell that bad. I’ve smelled worse during bike week.”
The team was coming back to the locker room. Coach was calling my name.
“I’ll wait for you.” She winked before heading out.
“This isn’t over,” I warned her. She waved off my words. If Maverick did those things, he and I were going to have a problem.