Chapter 11
Carter
I have no complaints about Dani and Renna, but my mind kept wandering back to Willa.
I left her alone to make a point, but I left her alone to fend for herself. I wouldn’t be there to help her up or get her anything if she needed it.
All that talk about me being a good guy was driving me nuts. Doing something I’ve been trained to do does not make me a good guy. Half the guys in the fire department are shit heads that get a rush from running into danger and saving lives. Like me, they are not good guys. Not the kind of good Willa was talking about.
Being careful not to wake her, I roll Dani off me and onto her other side, freeing my arm to stretch. Next, I shimmy my leg out from under Renna. She moans and shifts further away, giving me the perfect opening to slide out of the queen-sized bed.
I look around for my shirt after slipping my boxers and pants back on, but then I remember I threw it in Willa’s face like the dick I am.
Tip toeing through the room, I close the door slowly so it doesn’t make too much noise. It’s late and everyone is sound asleep. Willa is passed out, propped up with pillows just as I left her. Only my shirt is neatly laid out, as if an invisible man is sleeping beside her.
Tossing the shirt to the side, I climb in on top of the covers to fall asleep.
Willa whimpers from the movement, but doesn’t open her eyes.
I can’t tell if she’s dreaming or in pain. Her ankle is still safely propped up and wrapped. Callie and Penny smoked with her again before going to bed. I hate that shit they give her.
I’ve had to carry Penny home after getting messed up on one of those. They swore it wasn’t the same, but Callie likes to experiment with different recipes.
Willa’s hand shoots out and hits my arm as she moans in her sleep. She sucks in a breath with a low snore. If she keeps flailing and making these noises, I won’t be getting any sleep. After sleeping most of the day, I don’t think I’ll be able to go to sleep anyway.
Fluffing my pillow, I get comfortable with my arm under my head and stare up at the fire dancing on the ceiling.
“Vic,” Willa moans. Her hand twitches between us and her fingers reach out. “No,” she whimpers with another twitch, this time her fingers entwine in mine.
I turn my palm open and let her hand fall into it, lacing our fingers together to help calm her dreaming conscience.
With a soft sigh, she relaxes and falls back into a deep sleep, and a soft snore.
The next morning, we drive down without any hiccups. I drive straight to the school’s small hospital, dropping them off at the front door.
Callie rode down with us to talk to the doctor about what she examined within the last twenty-four hours.
They get Willa in a wheelchair and wheel her through the doors, and I take off to the Hockey House to get some more sleep. They don’t need me there.
I’ve done everything I could for her. She’s alive, and my job is done. Save them and pass them off to the medical professionals.
“How’s Willa?” Alex asks as soon as I get through the door.
“She’s alive.” I stop in the kitchen for water before heading to my room, forgetting I left my blanket and pillow on the couch. “Her ankle is broken.” I turn back to get my stuff, but it’s not where I left them. “Luca’s with her at the hospital now.” I look around the living room, but my stuff isn’t there anymore.
“I put it all back in your room.” Alex stands in the doorway, watching me. “Hines said you’ve been sleeping out here.”
“So?” I shrug. “Is that against house rules?”
I’m exhausted and not in the mood for this shit. Alex is our team captain, but he’s only a sophomore. I’m the only senior left in the house. My options were the dorm with the freshmen, the Hockey House, or home. I chose the best one, but I got stuck with the worst roommate.
To Alex’s credit, he’s more mature than over half the guys on the team, but I”ve had a rough two days and I’m not going to take shit from a sophomore. Captain or not.
“Fu–”
“There’s only a week left before winter break.” He cuts me off. “But I talked to Gentry about moving the bed to the basement. He wasn’t willing to give up his room, but he’s willing to share with you.” Alex crosses his arms, matching my defensive demeanor. “He said you’d like that better than sharing with Hines.”
I nod slowly.
“You’re welcome.” He goes up the stairs, running up the three floors to his and Luca’s room.
Hines is lying in bed, tossing one of those stress balls into the air and catching it before it hits his face. The blizzard postponed any training we would’ve had today after yesterday’s was canceled. The plows had cleared the way to the hospital and medical facilities first, and were just working on the rinks when I drove past.
“How’s Luca’s chick friend?” He asks without stopping, hitting the ceiling with each throw.
“Don’t call her that.” Stripping down and changing into my shorts, I flop down on my bed to get in a nap before Coach calls us to the rink. “She’s fine.”
“Good.” Thump, clap. “It’d be a waste of a nice ass.” Thump, clap. “She’ll be free game now.” Thump. Clap. “Do you think Luca will let me hit that?”
I jump out of bed and grab the fucking ball stress ball mid-air. “Try anything and I’ll fucking rip your balls off.” I squeeze the ball in my hand before tossing it in his face.
A woman almost died, and he’s talking about fucking her.
“What the fuck is your problem?” He sits up and throws the ball at the back of my head.
Without giving it a second thought, I jump him, grappling him down onto his bed.
“Fucking dick,” Hines groans and throws a punch to my left side.
We wail on each other, cursing and shouting, until I have him in a chokehold. I black out. Feeling nothing and moving on pure mechanics. No thoughts or emotions behind what’s happening.
“Break it up,” Alex shouts.
Finn and Gentry are at my sides, trying to pull us apart while Hines wrestles himself free.
My grip loosens and he comes right back after me, getting stopped by more guys holding both of us away from each other.
“Get him out of here.”
Finn and Gentry drag me out of the room and down the steps until I shake them off. They move to stop me from going back up until they see me head the other way.
More guys are coming out of their rooms to see the action. I head for the front door, but with a hand on my back, Gentry steers me to the basement steps.
“Get some sleep. They want us at the rink in two hours.” He motions to his made bed.
Hines” perpetual disarray of clothes, beer, and empty water bottles is another thing you can add to the list of why he’s the worst roommate in the house.
Gentry’s room is spotless, and he already started making space on one side to fit another bed.
“Thanks.” I lie down on the bed with my legs hanging off the end and close my eyes.
“He probably deserved it, but you shouldn’t let him get to you like that.” He moves around the room, but doesn’t press any further. After not getting a response, he heads upstairs to leave me alone.
The tension comes off me in shakes.
For a moment, I felt him. I felt my father coursing through my veins and I wanted to hurt Hines. He’s always saying shit like that. I shouldn’t have expected anything different.