Chapter 20 - Aleksey #3
I did not have much to begin with, so packing took almost no time. Hoodies, jeans, my skates. I shoved it all in and yanked the metal zipper shut.
As I threw the strap over my shoulder, I took one last look around. There was absolutely nothing left to prove that I had ever lived here. Just a bare mattress and a few stray dust bunnies.
My plan was simple. Carry my bag down the back stairs, walk straight to the bus station, and disappear before the sun came up. I did not want a prolonged goodbye. I simply needed to get the hell out of this house before my resolve cracked.
Yet before I could even take a step toward the hallway, the doorknob rattled, and the door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud smack.
Karter shoved his way inside and immediately slammed the door shut behind him, twisting the lock.
He was breathing hard, his hair a complete mess, as if he had been running his hands through it nonstop.
His gaze dropped to the duffel bag, and whatever he saw on my face confirmed what he already knew.
“What the hell is this?” Karter asked, pointing a shaking finger at the mattress.
“My stuff,” I said. Grabbing the canvas strap, I kept my eyes focused on the floorboards as I moved toward the door.
Karter stepped into my path, forcing me to stop.
“I ran into Elliot on my way back. He told me you were leaving tonight.” His voice cracked on the last word.
“Because of Hastings? Whatever he threatened you with, we can beat it. My dad has a whole team of corporate lawyers. I can make a call right now.”
A harsh, exhausted breath tore out of me. “Your dad’s lawyers do not give a shit about a scholarship kid like me. And neither does Chicago. The scout called me an hour ago. They pulled my draft spot.”
Karter’s chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths as my words hit him. “Then I will quit the team too. I’ll walk into Coach Corby’s office tomorrow and hand in my gear.”
My grip on the duffel bag slipped, letting it hit the bed with a soft thump. I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. None came.
I ran a hand over my face. “Are you actually crazy?”
Karter stood his ground, his chin jutting out in that stubborn way of his. “I mean it. If they force you out, I am leaving with you.”
I stepped in close, forcing him to tilt his head back to hold my stare.
“And then what? Your dad yells at you for a weekend, and you land at another college hockey program with better ice time. You’ll be fine.
” My voice dropped flat. “I lose this fight, my mom loses the heat. Next month’s rent doesn’t get paid.
I don’t get to make a point, Karter. I don’t get to be noble. ”
Karter reached out, his fingers brushing the sleeve of my jacket. “Please, Aleks. We can figure it out.”
I pulled my arm back. If I let him touch me, I would never leave this room. I had to kill his hope right now.
Squaring my shoulders, I locked every bit of affection I had for him behind a solid wall. Staring down at him, I forced my expression into a dead mask.
“You were a distraction, Karter,” I told him, keeping my voice level. “A mistake. I have real shit to worry about, and I am done wasting my time on you.”
Karter’s eyes locked onto mine, seeing through the cold routine. “Bullshit.”
“Think whatever you want,” I said, reaching down to grab the strap of my duffel bag.
Karter stepped sideways, once again blocking the doorway. “You talk all this trash about my family taking the easy way out, but the second Hastings threatens you, you just pack a bag and bail. You are a coward.”
That word snapped the very last thread of my patience. Dropping the bag, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him backward. Karter hit the solid wood of the door with a hard thud, but he did not try to push my hands away.
“I am not running,” I said, my voice shaking with pure frustration as I got right in his face. “I am doing exactly what I have to do to not end up with nothing. You keep your head down and protect your own. That is how the real world works.”
Tears pooled in Karter’s eyes, but his stare never wavered. He reached up and wrapped his fingers tightly around my wrists.
“Then let me be one of your own, Aleks,” Karter whispered, his voice cracking. “Stay here. With me.”
My grip shook against his collar. He was willing to torch his entire life for me, this silly idiot with his warm eyes and his death wish of a loyalty streak.
Staying would be the easy thing. Saying to hell with it, locking the deadbolt on the door, and letting the administration ruin both of us.
And I wanted it so badly my teeth ached.
But wanting things is not the same as keeping them.
Forcing my fingers to uncurl, I let go of his shirt and took a step back. Cool air rushed in the second we separated. Then I scooped up my duffel bag from the floorboards, shoved Karter out of the way, and pulled the door open.
Without another word from either of us, I walked out into the hallway without looking back.