Chapter 10
DENALI
WE’RE IN BUSINESS, BABY
The eleven-hour drive turned into thirteen when you account for the bathroom breaks and food stops. We played so many card games, I thought I’d get car sick, and I did everything to avoid looking at Zariah again because that really would’ve made me sick.
I confessed my sins.
I apologized, and it didn’t matter. Why would it? If I looked at it from Zariah’s perspective, what could she possibly gain from accepting the apology?
When our summer five years ago was almost finished, I was so scared for her to leave. I thought I’d never see her again. I interrupted her calls with her parents, hid her suitcase in Hersch’s junk closet, and kept her from writing because I didn’t want to lose out on what time we had.
And that wasn’t even the worst of it.
I couldn’t stop thinking about those choices I made in desperation. During any of those choices, I could’ve realized it was too far, but I didn’t. I ignored that twinge of self-doubt, just like I ignored how uncomfortable Zariah was becoming.
I didn’t deserve her forgiveness.
I must’ve looked like shit because Nick tried to pull me aside at a gas station to ask if I was okay. In Baton Rouge, Bear made small talk, which was weird to see him attempt. I ignored both of them.
What the hell was there to say?
We crossed into downtown Atlanta, and I stayed in my seat while my teammates leaped up. The inside of the bus flashed with bright lights, and everyone checked their windows to see the nightlife.
Sémajuste grabbed one of the overhead straps, standing up. “Gladiators! Marrs University expects us to be on our best behavior, and I have expectations as well. Unless you are walking to the rink, I don’t want to see any Gladiators gear on your persons. No one on my team is getting recorded.”
Slowly, Nick slipped off his Gladiators cap.
“For most of you this is your first time out of Houston in months. I know you’re college kids. So we’ll go by the twenty-four-hour rule. If you’re planning on drinking, you have to stop twenty-four hours before the game.”
It was silent while bags were shuffled, and phones were clicked to check the time.
“The game is at eight-thirty tomorrow night,” Cleo reminded us, beating my team to the punchline.
Bear flashed his phone my way and Elijah and I shared a look. We had fifty-two minutes of fun and the clock was ticking. Well, they had fifty-two minutes of fun. I never drank the night before a game, and I wouldn’t start before our first game as the Gladiators.
The bus came to the hotel and Sémajuste motioned us out. “If you want a good time in Atlanta, I suggest you get moving for your room keys!”
Atlanta was busy. The streets were crammed with people on a Friday night. A band played on the sidewalk, booming with music, while a guy with one of those pedal party bikes was being screamed at by a woman in a ‘sexy maid of honor’ shirt.
“My husband’s going to kick your teeth in!” the maid of honor screamed.
“You booked the slot!” the guy running the party bike shouted back. “You pay for the slot!”
I tuned them out. Sémajuste put me in charge of luggage, I had things to do. I dragged duffel bags from the bus’s undercarriage and handled my teammates’ complaints about the liquor rule like I was the one who decided on it. Like I was the one to gripe at.
Grumbling under my breath, I shoved backpacks into people’s arms. I crouched down for the last bag, mine, and held back the sigh when I saw who wanted to talk to me next.
Montoya’s hands were clasped together. “I was—um—wondering if we could talk about the lineup again?”
“No,” I told him and began walking to the hotel.
“I’m still fast on the ice, Denali. I can help—”
I turned around before the hotel doors. “If they do call you out, I expect you to keep your head down. You’re not playing. Not for real. You can’t hit. Do you understand?”
“But I—I—”
“Is that understood?”
His eyes dropped to the ground. “Yeah.”
I watched him head inside, tired of him bothering me about his place on the team. If our competitors sensed he was a weakness, it’d be a bloodbath. And I refused to let our first game go down that route.
Montoya had to step back but he should’ve been grateful that he wasn’t kicked off the team. What other sport would put up with that? You can’t join the swim team if you can’t swim, you can’t play football if you can’t run, so why was Montoya complaining?
I almost followed him inside when the sight to my left stopped me. Zariah sat on the bench, hunched over her phone, furiously typing. Concern written all over her face. She chewed her bottom lip, all alone.
What was she concerned about?
I lingered by the doors until I shook my head. When would I learn my lesson? Zariah didn’t want anything to do with me. She’d made that abundantly clear. The only thing I could do was respect that. I couldn’t make up for everything I’d done but at least I could leave her alone.
But why was she so upset?
“Denali!” Elijah walked outside, wheeling his bag. “Hey, roomie. We’re on the fifth floor.”
I grabbed my room key from him. “Thanks, man.”
“Double beds. Sorry to pop your cuddle dreams.”
I snorted. We literally booked a hotel that offered as many double beds as possible. Elijah moved to leave but I faltered at the doors again. Zariah made herself even smaller on the bench, entirely focused on her phone, panicking.
“Hey, Elijah?” I cleared my throat. “Why’d your sister come?”
“Uh…she had this writing program in Atlanta during the summer. I think she wants to visit her favorite professor or something.”
“Elijah?”
“Yeah?”
I tipped my chin towards the bench. “Is she okay?”
It took him a moment to understand, but when he did his face cleared. He instantly walked her way, dragging his luggage over the bumpy sidewalk. “Zariah!”
“Elijah,” she mumbled.
“What’s up?”
“The Unionsite line’s down.”
“What?”
“The bus to the school,” she explained, her voice wobbling. “The whole section’s down. Some wrestling event rescheduled a couple of hours ago—oh my god.”
“You can’t get to the school? What about a taxi?”
She motioned to her screen. “Surcharges. Any ride is like three-hundred bucks.”
I hesitated on the outskirts of their conversation. This didn’t involve me, and Zariah didn’t want to involve me, and yet…she obviously really missed this professor. She must’ve traveled with us to visit them.
If I had the money, I would’ve offered the three hundred, but I didn’t have cash like that.
I wanted to help but didn’t know how.
“Fuck it.” Zariah pushed up from the bench. “I’ll walk.”
“How long’s the walk?” Elijah asked, perplexed.
“Uh…about an hour and a half. They cut off some of the streets for the event. I’ll rent a bike and—”
“You don’t work out like that. Your legs are going to give out. How are you going to make it back?”
“I’ll figure it out—”
“No, Z. You don’t know this city. If you get lost, I’ll have no way to get to you,” Elijah said. “We can try tomorrow but you can’t go tonight.”
If I had my car, I could’ve taken her—what an empty solution. If I had a gold helicopter, that would’ve worked too, and a bazillion dollars in my checking account… I paused, thinking it through. I didn’t have that money in my checking account, but I did have a sizable amount in my retirement fund.
A retirement fund I never thought I’d dip into. A retirement fund I elected extra security measures for. To get into my funds, I had to call the bank beforehand, which was definitely closed at this hour.
Shit.
“Zariah?” I blurted out.
She glanced my way, her eyes downcast. “What?”
“What’s the school’s name?”
“Um…Mitchnum College?”
“What if I find a way to get you to Mitchnum College?”
A frown crossed her face. “I don’t understand, Denali.”
“If I found a way to get you there, would you go?”
Zariah bit her lip, gazing up at me, while Elijah asked me questions I didn’t answer. “At this point, I’d take anything.”
This was a way for me to make up for things, right? No. It wasn’t. I wasn’t looking for a solution to even the score between Zariah and me. This wouldn’t even come close. I just couldn’t see Zariah panic like that. It made me panic too.
I walked away, mind racing.
How the hell was I supposed to get her there?
My eyes wandered to the pedal party bike, poking out from the other side of the packed parking lot.
It was like a trolley car but with six seats on each side and a bar built into the middle, constantly supplying liquor to the participants who wanted to slowly bike around the city.
They were a fucking plague. I hated driving near them.
There were usually a dozen drunk people, being assholes on the road.
But an idea struck and I jogged up to the owner. “Hey! That bachelorette party canceled on you?”
“Are you the husband?” he spat. “I’ll call the police, I have them on speed dial—”
“No, no, no.” I shook my head. “I mean, are you free for business?”
His eyes lit up. “Business?”
“I’m captain of a hockey team. We need to get to Mitchnum College in, say…less than an hour?”
“I’m your guide!” He paused. “College? You don’t play for a college—you’re pros? Twenty-one and over?”
The silence hung heavy in the air. You could technically be on a professional hockey team and be underage, but I wasn’t about to offer those details. My underage license burned in my back pocket. I cleared my throat. “So, we…uh…”
“That’s where you say nobody’s underage…”
“Yep,” I lied with a lie that was so obviously a lie, I winced. “And we’ll pay in cash.”
He slapped my hand. “Baby, we’re in business.”
I strode to the hotel lobby, and I could hear Elijah’s voice behind me, confused. “Denali, what are you doing?”
A group of our teammates were congregated around a table, heads down to figure out their bar-hopping plan for the next forty-five minutes.
“Gladiators!” I thundered. “Who’s ready to get drunk?”