Chapter 14 #2
“Gus.” Hazel rolled her eyes. “He’s paid to care, and he’s always going to prioritize Austin’s career over his happiness.”
“I was paid to care too,” I pointed out.
She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s different. I could tell, even when you were just his assistant, that everything you said and did was sincere. Like, there’s a lot you were probably holding back, but you were never anything other than genuine with what you did let slip out.”
A sizzling sound captured my attention, and I was grateful for the distraction from my growing sense of guilt. I checked dinner and, finding it done, removed it from the element and switched the stovetop off.
“I suppose that’s true,” I said when Hazel didn’t move on to a different subject, clearly waiting for me to respond. “By the way, I met your dad recently.”
Her lips curled like she’d sniffed something bad. “He’s still around, then?”
“Yeah.”
She blew out a breath. “He just can’t leave Austin alone. He used to come to my place to try to bully me into making Austin talk to him. I never gave in, and I have to admit, it was the most attention I’d ever received from him.”
I felt a pang in my gut. Poor Hazel. Her dad had tried to use her to get to Austin the same way people had tried to use me to get to my brother and father. It seemed like we had more in common than I’d have guessed.
Hazel must have noticed my expression because she harrumphed. “Don’t feel sorry for me. At least Mom made sure I knew she loved me unconditionally, even if she didn’t do a great job with Austin.”
Huh. I wondered if part of why he now avoided relationships was because his father had made him believe they were inherently unbalanced, with one person making demands and the other doing whatever it took to please them.
If his mom hadn’t stood up for him, I could certainly see how he might have a skewed vision of how things were supposed to be.
My heart ached for him. I couldn’t fathom what it would be like to grow up that way.
I may have been in the limelight more than I wanted to be, and I may have struggled with my voice, but I’d never doubted whether I was loved.
I’d been so loved I was almost smothered with it, and even at my shyest, I’d still had friends.
Maybe not many, but the ones I had were true.
“Are you two gossiping about me?” Austin asked as he entered the room, his sweater hanging around his neck. It was probably a little too warm in here for him, considering his preference for cooler temperatures. Between the heat pump and the heat rising from the stovetop, it was toastier than usual.
“We would never.” Hazel sent me a knowing grin. “I’m just getting to know Jane better.”
Austin looked suspicious, but he didn’t question us further. I dished up our meal. I’d prepared enough for Hazel to have a plate too since I always over catered to make sure there were leftovers.
We took them to the dining table and ate together.
Hazel murmured approving things about my cooking, and Austin made fun of her for not being particularly useful in the kitchen herself.
I pointed out that neither was he, and Hazel giggled and eyed us like we were the most adorable thing she’d ever seen.
When we were done, we all cleaned up together, and then I tried to excuse myself to my room to do some schoolwork.
“No, don’t go,” Hazel protested, reaching for my hand.
I flinched, caught off guard as her fingers curled around mine. “I have some pre-reading I need to do for one of my classes.”
She pouted. “Can’t you do that tomorrow?
I’m here tonight, and I want to spend some time with you.
I thought we could watch the game tape from the game against Detroit and help Austin come up with some advice for the other players.
” Her expression turned sly. “Perhaps make suggestions for him personally too.”
I edged toward the door. “I doubt I’d be any good at that.”
Hazel raised an eyebrow. “Your father is an NHL legend. So is your uncle. And your brother is the best scorer on his team. I’d say there’s a pretty good chance you have an excellent eye for what people could be doing better.”
I looked at Austin, silently asking what I should do. Hazel was right in that my reading wasn’t urgent. I’d have plenty of time for it later. Possibly even tonight after she had gone.
Austin tilted his head, his vivid eyes thoughtful. “Stay for a while?”
My shoulders slumped. “Okay.”
There was no way I could say no to that. The combined pleas of the Harris siblings were more than I could resist.
Hazel bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped.
Austin muttered something under his breath about her being exhausting, but there was a lot of tenderness in the words.
He set up the game on the television in the living room and disappeared to his room to get his notepad.
I itched to get my tablet and make notes too, but technically, this wasn’t part of my job.
Assistants assisted; they didn’t advise.
Austin joined us again, and we started the tape. Between the three of us, we came up with plenty of pointers for most of the players. I knew the rookies would mostly welcome the feedback, but the veterans might be more reluctant to take anything on board.
Then there were the handful of hotheads like Drew, who fell somewhere in between and had been so indoctrinated into the toxic cesspit created by Taggert and Daniels that they’d probably lash out at anything, however well meant. I didn’t envy Austin the job of trying to communicate with them.
A couple hours later, Hazel left. Austin walked her to the door, and I waited in the living area.
When he returned, I couldn’t help but ask, “You aren’t going to tell her the truth about us?”
He scoffed. “Do you plan to tell your family the truth?”
A nasty shard of guilt sliced through me. He had a point. I’d kept the real story from them, and I’d been dodging their calls for as long as I could. Eventually, I’d have to face them. Could I lie to them the same way I had to Hazel?
I had no idea.