Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
My heart lodges in my throat, and nausea roils through my stomach. I can’t breathe. Hunter is on the ice and he’s not getting up.
He’s not getting up.
The fans quiet. Standing, my phone falls to the concrete step beneath me with a clatter, and I cover my mouth with my hands. My fingertips are cold against my skin, and I press harder, trying to keep my emotions from spilling out.
My eyes prick with unshed tears as the other Griffins players rush to Hunter. They block my view as they circle him, then part for the trainers to rush over. Cold shivers rack my body as I peer through their legs to see what’s happening. I press myself to the glass to get as close as possible. I want to be next to him on the ice.
It’s not good, that’s obvious. When the trainers call for a stretcher, I think I might throw up.
The crowd murmurs behind me, and I turn. Hadley pushes her way through the stands and plants herself at my side, lacing her fingers in mine. She stays silent, staring at the ice with me, her features pinched with worry.
The Griffins players scatter, leaving the trainers to get Hunter on the stretcher, and I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips as I see his leg. It’s bent at the wrong angle, clearly broken. My heart beats too fast in my chest and my knees go weak. I stumble into my chair as they give out. Hunter’s eyes are closed, lines of pain etched on his face as they carry him through the arena and to the locker room exit.
“Where are they going?” I tug on Hadley’s hand, and she turns to me, blue eyes wide with fear.
“I don’t know. But you have a pass.” She gestures at the ID badge clipped to my chest. “You can find out.”
She’s right. No one wants social media footage of this, but maybe I can use my clearance with the team to get us some information.
“Let’s go.”
But of course, they don’t let us in the locker room. No matter how hard I promise I won’t take pictures, my ID says “Press.” Hadley insists that she’s family and that should trump everything, but it doesn’t work, either. We have to return to our seats.
The Griffins finish their game, and I don’t know if they win or not. My hands shake so badly, I can’t snap a picture that’s not blurry. The crowd is lackluster when they announce Hunter’s dad one last time at the end of the game. But he doesn’t seem to notice their disappointing response as he stands and waves. Why is he still here? Shouldn’t he have gone with Hunter? My thoughts careen inside my brain like bumper cars. I can’t breathe. I need to know if he’s okay.
Hadley stays by my side through it all, then turns to me as the stands thin and people file out.
“I’m sure they took him to the hospital, and there’s only one in Lafayette. Are you going?”
Before I can answer, my phone buzzes with a text. Maybe Hunter sent me an update?
Kayla Barnes: Disappointing development about Hunter. I think we can still focus on the father/son angle tonight, but we need to make some tweaks. Check in with me once you get here and we’ll go over the new strategy.
The words swim before my eyes. “They’re not delaying the party?”
I don’t mean to say this out loud. Hadley grabs my phone and reads it, then shakes her head.
“I should have known.”
“But…there’s no way. Obviously, your dad is going to the hospital.”
She snorts, then wipes tears off her cheeks. “Yeah, right. He couldn’t care less.”
Her response shocks me almost as much as when Hunter went down. “But… but… I don’t—”
“I’m sorry to break it to you, but our dad is an asshole. He only looks out for himself. I doubt he’ll notice Hunter is gone.”
“That can’t be true.”
She shrugs, a brutal jerk of her shoulders. “Maybe he’ll notice if he’s not playing hockey. That’s all he cares about.” She sniffs, swiping her nose. “I don’t know if they’ll let me see Hunter, but I have to try. Are you coming with?”
“Hang on.”
With shaking fingers, I tap out a reply to Ms. Barnes.
Natalie: Is the gala still on? I thought maybe because of Hunter’s injury, we’d reschedule.
Kayla Barnes: No, Mr. Thompson is insisting this is the only time he is available. It’s unfortunate, but it has to happen tonight. And I need your help.
My eyes fill with tears again. I blink them away and clear my throat, trying to compose myself. “They still need me to work.”
I want to rush to Hunter’s side more than anything, but I can’t. I have responsibilities.
Storm clouds move across Hadley’s features. Is she going to yell at me? But she grabs my hand instead. “Okay. I’ll go find a ride and text you updates.”
A rush of affection hits me, and I pull her in for a hug. “Thank you.”
After one last squeeze, she lets me go and pats me on the shoulder. Her words are rough and watery. “Wear your new dress. Look awesome. And I’ll see you soon.”
I swallow and watch as she turns and makes her way out of the James Thompson Arena. My feet itch to follow her, but my phone buzzes with another text.
Kayla Barnes: Are you here yet? I have a list of things I need from you.
I stare at her words, conflicting desires warring within me. I can’t believe the team didn’t cancel. It feels so wrong to attend a party. But it’s my job—what choice do I have?
I grab the garment bag I stashed in my office earlier and use the women’s locker room to throw on my clothes. Smoothing my hair up into a sleek high ponytail, I check my reflection in the mirror. My eye make-up is a disaster, and no amount of fixing it can erase the anxiety that stares back at me. But the navy-blue cocktail dress I found at Nifty Thrifty looks like a million bucks, so I hurry out of the locker room. Putting on a confident smile, I pretend like everything is fine. That’s me, doing what needs to be done. No one needs to see the turmoil inside.
The gala is at the hockey arena, even though there’s no ballroom space. The open atrium in the entrance has been transformed, thanks to the university’s event planners. Bright lights showcase the spacious ceiling, and the school colors of orange and navy are draped everywhere. A bar brackets one end of the room and a stage the other, effectively framing the space. Tables dot the area, and people are already mingling, holding drinks and chatting.
I adjust the strap of my sparkly silver heels that make me feel like Cinderella. My prince isn’t here tonight, though, and my heart sinks even further as I scan the room. Kayla spots me and bustles over.
“Natalie, there you are!” Her face is pinched and drawn, despite her flawless makeup. “Hunter’s accident couldn’t have come on a worse night. Ruins all our plans.”
Clearly not all of them, because the gala is still happening. I straighten. “And, you know, it’s probably pretty bad for him, too.”
She blanches and swallows. “Of course, absolutely. I just meant from a social media aspect.”
“Right.” I clench my teeth and take calming breaths. Maybe she has some helpful connections that I can use. “Have you heard any updates?”
“Well, the plan is to focus more on James’s accomplishments as a player rather than his ties to Harrison through Hunter.” She tosses her hair as I stare. “I threw together a quick montage reel of his highlights and—”
“No, I meant updates about Hunter.” Why would I care about his dad right now? I just want to know if he’s okay.
“Oh.” Ms. Barnes shakes her head. “No, I haven’t heard. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Grabbing my arm, she steers me towards a table. “Now, I need you to rise to the occasion tonight. No distractions. We need great footage and sound bites, both things we can live-stream and post afterwards. This is a big night for Harrison hockey.”
But not for Hunter. This night will be burned into his memory as one of the worst. My heart thuds painfully in my chest at the thought. Glancing away from my boss, I slide my phone out of my clutch and shoot Hadley a quick text.
Natalie: Have you found him? How is he?
“Are you texting right now?” Kayla peers at my phone. “I really need you to bring your A game tonight. Can you handle this?”
Shame rushes through me, hot and embarrassing, and I think fast. “Yes, of course, sorry. I thought if I could find out his condition, we could announce Hunter’s status to the crowd. People are probably concerned.”
Kayla taps her chin. “That’s a good idea, I like the angle. But I’m not sure if we can use it or not. I don’t want to be insensitive, but I don’t want to focus on bad news, either.”
I’m distracted as my phone buzzes in my hand.
Hadley: Broken leg. He’s going into surgery now. I glimpsed him before they put him under. He kept muttering your name.
I gasp, and my hand flies to my mouth.
Ms. Barnes gives me a pointed look. “What now?”
But I can only shake my head. He needs me, and I’m not there for him. They already took him into surgery, and I didn’t get to squeeze his hand and promise to be there when he wakes up. I didn’t get to kiss him and tell him I love him. Because I do. I love Hunter with my whole heart, and I can’t stay away from him when he needs me.
My eyes fill with tears, and the text message blurs. I glance around the banquet at all the smiling faces. Lighthearted people who have nothing better to do than celebrate Hunter’s dad donating a boatload of money to the university. I can’t force myself to grin and bear it tonight.
My gaze lands on Ms. Barnes. She raises a brow.
My boss. She’s depending on me. I’m here to do a job. And I’ve given her my best for the past six weeks. I can’t imagine doing anything less. But there are plenty of people on her staff to help tonight. Tyler, and others. No one can fill my place at Hunter’s side.
Maybe Hadley can vouch for me. They wouldn’t have let me see him before surgery anyway, but I can be the first face he sees when he wakes up. Hunter needs me.
Will they officially reprimand me? Dock my pay? I don’t care.
“I’m sorry, I have to go, family emergency,” I mutter to my boss, before turning on my sparkly heel and running out of the gala.