Chapter 31
The quiet beep of Avery’s heart monitor kept me company in a stark rhythm. I’d lied to get into the room with her, telling the hospital staff I was her fiancé. Coach surprised me by staying quiet, but he’d made sure she was settled into a room, then disappeared into the hallway.
I’d pulled the only chair up so I could hold her hand, and it was a fight to keep myself from crawling into the bed with her. The image of her sitting on the floor, vulnerable, wielding a hockey stick, wouldn’t leave my mind. Rubbing my thumb back and forth over her skin was enough to remind me she was here and safe.
After about fifteen minutes, Coach came back into the room and stood on the opposite side of Avery with his arms crossed. “The cops came by to ask some questions. They need to talk to her, but I convinced them to come back tomorrow when she’s lucid.”
“What about the doctors?” They’d taken her from me when we first arrived, and we’d been stuck in the waiting room while they examined her, including taking her clothes and dressing her in a hospital gown. She’d want her boots back.
“They said he used Rohypnol mixed with something I didn’t understand to incapacitate her, but she has no other signs of trauma. She’s sleeping off the last of the effects.”
I nodded, relieved, but not surprised. Avery knew her body. She’d taken care of herself even under the influence of the drugs he’d given her.
He glowered at me. “You ready to have that discussion?”
“Yes.” I straightened my spine, prepared to take whatever he doled out. Hockey was a part of me, but I could live without it as long as I had Avery.
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.” I wouldn’t deny it—we’d lied from the beginning.
His brows came together as he stared at Avery’s hand in mine. “You took advantage of her willingness to help you.”
“Yes.” She’d been the one to come up with the deal, but I’d always known I wanted more. I’d have taken any crumbs she’d offered me with the intention of building something with her.
“You put her in danger.” His teeth clenched so hard he could barely get the words out.
“No. I would never put Avery in danger. You can accuse me of plenty of mistakes, but not that one.”
“I asked you to befriend her, take care of her, and look at where she ended up.” He waved at her, then brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “I just got her back, and I almost lost her again.”
The sentiment was so similar to what was circling in my head, I took a second to try to understand his point of view. He loved his daughter, just like I did. In the end, he was only trying to protect her the best way he knew how.
“I’m sorry we lied, but we needed time. She needed time. I did befriend her—she’s my best friend. I talk to her every day. I did take care of her. When she was sad or needed somewhere to hide away, I gave her a safe space. When she couldn’t sleep, I gave her my bed. When she wanted to prove she could enjoy sex, I made damn sure I was the only one she experimented with.”
Coach flinched, but he’d wanted to have this conversation. He could deal with the details.
“I love her. More than hockey, more than my family, more than myself. You can call in every favor you’ve ever earned, take away my spot on the team and destroy my career, but nothing would make me leave Avery’s side.”
His lips pressed together as he stared down at his daughter. “Good.”
I frowned. “Good?”
Coach met my eyes, and I was relieved to see the anger had mostly dissipated. “You’re one of the best players I’ve had the pleasure to coach, and as much as I’d have loved some time alone to get to know her, I’m glad she chose you. I’m glad she has someone like you to show her what it means to love.”
The words filled a hole I hadn’t realized was festering. I didn’t like hiding things, especially from someone I respected as much as him, and I wanted his approval. I wanted him to believe I was good enough for his daughter—because I was.
“I think she’s going to need her dad to show her too.”
He swallowed hard and nodded. “We’d better not fuck it up.”
The sharp scentof cleanser hit me first, then the weight of a callused hand on mine. I opened my eyes to meet Cole’s warm brown gaze, and the fuzzy memories snapped into place in my mind. Scott. The party. The impersonal gray house. Telling Cole I loved him.
I sucked in a breath and sat up, pleasantly surprised to find my headache gone. The only lasting effect of my ordeal seemed to be lingering nausea, but Cole frowned at my sudden movement.
“Take it easy. You’re in the hospital.”
I scanned the room, noting my dad sitting in a chair by the window, watching the exchange. It was way too late to try to salvage our secret, but I didn’t want to make things worse by throwing my deception in his face.
Cole noted my unease and tipped his head toward Dad. “We talked it out.”
Good for them—truly, I didn’t want Cole punished because of me—but I was nervous about Dad’s reaction to the part I’d played.
“I see that. Scott?”
“In police custody,” Dad grunted with a hard edge.
The reality of my night hadn’t hit me yet. I wasn’t sure it would, considering I didn’t remember most of it. Scott had made it pretty clear he intended to rape me, but would he have stopped there? He was never satisfied before even when he was in control, and I’d taken away everything that mattered to him. What would he have been capable of without the boundaries of his cushy life holding him back?
A slimy ball of anxiety lived under my ribcage, and I knew I’d need to deal with it at some point, which meant I’d be resuming therapy appointments. Honestly, I probably should have started up again the day I found Scott and my mom. Sometimes, I was stubborn to my own detriment.
In a fucked-up way, I could breathe easier knowing Scott wasn’t just a bad boyfriend. He was a full-on predator who deserved more than the article I wrote about him. Any guilt I might have harbored disappeared the second he roofied me.
Cole rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand, careful not to hit the IV. At least I had the reassurance of realizing I loved Cole before the life-threatening event. It wasn’t an adrenaline-fueled reaction.
It just was.
I owed both Cole and my dad an apology for insisting on keeping things a secret. They deserved full honesty from me, something I hadn’t practiced in a long time with my mom and Scott.
Cole tilted his head at me, like he could hear my thoughts. I gave him a small smile, and he squeezed my hand encouragingly. It didn’t make the nervousness go away, but knowing he was with me gave me the courage to broach the subject directly.
I straightened my shoulders and shifted my attention to Dad. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
Sadness lived deep inside the green eyes I shared. “I understand, Avery. You don’t know me. I have no right to any part of your life after leaving you with your mom for so long.” He glanced at Cole. “I’m not good at expressing my emotions, and it’s worse with you because I don’t want to mess up the second chance you gave me. But to be very clear, I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment the nurse put you in my arms and you stopped crying.”
He paused and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t promise not to ever fuck up, but I hope you’ll keep giving me chances to fix it.”
I couldn’t breathe past the emotion lodged in my throat. “Thanks, Dad. I love you too.”
Tears tried to fall again, but I was done crying. I squeezed Cole’s hand, and he leaned on the bed to face my father.
“Can I call you Dad too?” His joke broke the thick tension in the room, and tears ended up leaking out of the corners of my eyes as I laughed.
Dad gave him a sharp smile instead. “You can, but you’re doing a bag skate for every time you do when there isn’t a ring on my daughter’s finger.”
I snorted at the ridiculous exchange, then caught the time at the bottom of the monitor. It let out a loud beep as my heart raced. “Why are you still here?”
Cole raised both brows. “Where else would we be?”
Dad didn’t bother to respond.
I threw my hands up. “At the arena. Playing hockey. For the playoffs?”
They looked at each other and a message passed between them.
Cole threaded his fingers through mine. “We’re not going. You’re more important.”
The words caused a rosy glow in my belly, but they were both being foolish. “Your game starts in less than an hour. TU needs its coach and first line left winger. I refuse to cause problems with the hockey team because…”
I frowned as I trailed off. Something about what I just said pinged in my memory, but I couldn’t remember why it was extra important that they get to the game. They shared another look, and I hit the end of my patience.
“If you’re not leaving, I will.” I freed my hand, shoved the thin blanket off of me, scowling at the sparse hospital gown, and put my bare feet on the cold tile floor. “Where are my boots?”
Cole grinned at Dad. “Told you.”
To my shock, my father stood up and pulled a twenty out of his wallet to hand to Cole.
“Did you make a bet about me?”
Cole waved the bill at me. “Half is yours, city girl, and your boots are by the door. We brought you a change of clothes too.”
A nurse came bustling in because I’d jostled all the wires, and the heart monitor thought I was dead. I pointed at her. “I’m leaving in the next five minutes. If you need me to sign paperwork, get it in here.”
Her eyes flicked over me, and she crossed her arms. “Ten minutes and you have to talk to the doctor first.”
“Deal.”
She nodded. “Nice to see you awake, Avery. Your dad or your fiancé can help you get dressed.”
I turned to face Cole as she hurried back out. “Fiancé? I was unconscious for four hours. What the hell have you two been talking about?”
Cole grinned and tilted my chin up to kiss me. “I told you I was going to marry you one day.”
“Generally, I’m supposed to be involved in that decision.”
“You said you loved me,” he reminded me.
“I love cheese too. It takes a little more effort to gain a lifetime commitment.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured against my lips.
Dad uttered an excuse about making sure the doctor was coming and left the room. Old me would have assumed he’d reached the end of his perceived duties, but I knew better now. He was leaving so he wouldn’t have to watch Cole charm my pants off.
Guess we were both runners.