Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Hadley: Any updates? Changes?
Jasmine: Yeah, how’s Hunter?
Natalie: Drugged up to his eyeballs for the pain and sleeping a lot. I have to work tonight but I’m staying with him as long as possible. I think they’ll keep him for one more day of observation tomorrow and let him go home on Tuesday.
Jasmine: Let us know what you need!
I thought the next time I’d be at the hospital, it would be for my dad. He’d have gotten to the top of the transplant list, gotten a new kidney, and be recovering from surgery. It would be hard, but he’d be on the mend, and everything would be on the upswing.
I never imagined I’d be here visiting my boyfriend. And that everything would be unraveling.
His eyelids flutter as he sleeps, and I can’t resist, I stroke my fingertips over the back of his hand. The one without the IV. I don’t want to wake him, but I have to touch him, to reassure myself that he’s okay.
He loves me. And I love him back. I try to focus on that and not his dad’s words about me and his future. I just won’t think about all the bad stuff, and then it won’t be so hard.
My phone buzzes with a text, and I rush to silence it. Although it’s not like the hospital is quiet—between beeping machines and bustling staff, my phone vibrating won’t be the thing that wakes Hunter.
Kayla Barnes: I need to talk to you. Please come to my office immediately.
My stomach drops. I knew there could be consequences when I left early last night. I posted updates from the hospital—some generic pictures of the arena. It’s probably not what Kayla wanted, though, and it’s time to face the music.
What is Kayla doing at the office on a Sunday, anyway? I guess social media doesn’t keep regular hours.
Standing, I stretch out the kinks in my neck from sleeping in the chair by Hunter’s bed last night. Normally, I wouldn’t have been allowed to stay, but Hunter spoke to the staff. He gave me permission and asked them to keep his dad away. It helps that I know a nurse on this floor from my dad’s last stay. Sandy is the best.
I have to be at work at The Silver Spoon in a few hours. Might as well run to campus first and see what Ms. Barnes needs. I hate leaving Hunter, especially while he’s sleeping, but I scribble a note on his whiteboard and press a kiss to his cheek. On my way to the elevator, I let Sandy know I’ll be back tonight to visit him. I hope he’s okay until then.
It’s a quick ten-minute drive to the athletic office, and I go through my to-do list for the week in my head as I park and rush towards the building.
Check in with my family
Schedule Griffins’ posts
Finish accounting homework
Bring Hunter—
Catching sight of my reflection in a full-length glass door, I wince. I look terribly unprofessional. I changed out of my gala dress at the hospital into the most comfortable thing I could find—black leggings and Hunter’s hockey sweatshirt. My smokey makeup has turned into charcoal smudges raccooning my eyes and hair falls out of my up-do. And not in a cute, half up, half down thing. Nope, I look like birds have tried to nest on my head and abandoned their home because it was condemned.
With a sigh, I swipe at the mascara under my eyes and take out the remaining bobby pins. I try to finger-comb my hair into something presentable. No luck. What I wouldn’t give for a hair tie right now. I tuck it behind my ears and hope Kayla doesn’t notice.
I navigate the maze of hallways and championship banners to her office and rap on the metal doorframe. She looks up at the sound, but instead of her usual friendly smile, her face is a stony mask.
“Come in and close the door.”
A frisson of anxiety races down my spine, but I shake it off. Positive thoughts. Just because Hunter is hurt doesn’t mean everything is falling apart. I can handle it. I take a deep breath and prepare for the reprimand that’s coming.
I sit in the chair across from Ms. Barnes as she studies me. Her eyes linger on the Griffins emblem on Hunter’s oversized sweatshirt, and I resist the urge to fidget. I don’t have any excuses, nor would I lie to her. But I’m also not sure how to explain why I left early.
She clears her throat and meets my gaze. “I’m going to come out and ask. Do you have a romantic relationship with Hunter Thompson?”
My throat goes dry, and I swallow. “Yes.”
Her face goes from impassive to disappointed in a heartbeat.
“Oh. It was brought to my attention, but I didn’t think…” She trails off before starting again. “I tried to make it clear, that kind of fraternization is against staff policy.”
“You did, and I’m sorry. It just happened.” I huff an awkward laugh. “I know how that sounds. But we became friends and then… more. We could have hidden it, I suppose, snuck around behind everyone’s back, but that doesn’t feel right to me.” I straighten my shoulders and meet her gaze. “So yes. We’re dating. I might as well tell you, I left the gala early last night to see Hunter in the hospital.”
If possible, her frown deepens. “And how is he? I need to release an official statement soon.”
I wince. “I’m not sure. A broken leg is not great news in hockey, I guess. But I’m heading back to the hospital later, I can get the information and help craft the message to—”
“Natalie, I don’t think you understand.” She cuts me off, shaking her head. “You’re seeing a player after we expressly told you not to do that. It compromises your objectivity and therefore the entire department’s integrity. You’re fired.”
You’re fired.
Flushing hot, then cold, I stare at the back of a picture frame on Kayla’s desk until it blurs. I have no words. I expected a hand slap, a warning, a reminder to be professional. I was going to apologize and meekly promise to do better next time.
But there’s no next time. It’s over.
She goes on speaking, something about pro-rating my stipend, removing my access and asking for my key back. With fumbling fingers, I get it off my keychain after the third attempt and slide it over her desk without making eye contact. Then, I flee.
Fired.
I’ve never been fired before. The only other place I’ve worked at is The Silver Spoon, and I’ve always been a model employee. I’ve never even been late before. I can’t believe I let Ms. Barnes and the entire team down.
Not to mention my family. We made a deposit on the roof, but what about the rest? The medical bills. The credit card debt. Where will we get the money?
Mr. Thompson’s voice echoes in my ear. “Meal ticket. Golddigger.” It’s not true, not even close. But I can admit, a lot of problems would disappear with a little more cash.
And right now, I’m beyond broke with no job prospects in sight. I can’t ask Kayla for a recommendation, that’s for sure. Not like there are any other campus options available.
How could I have been so irresponsible? Fired. It’s a dirty word reverberating in my head. I stare at my reflection in the mirrored glass door as I exit the athletic offices. The girl looking back at me is a defeated mess.
I square my shoulders. I can start by putting myself together. A shower and a clean outfit will do wonders. And then I will figure this out. My family is depending on me. There’s no other option.
I stayed numb throughout my shift at The Silver Spoon. Going through the motions to keep my mind off my conversation with Ms. Barnes. The place was dead, so they sent me home early. I wanted to put this off, but I’m out of excuses.
I take a deep breath and let myself in the front door. As if that will help. My limbs are shaky with receding adrenaline, and my stomach churns. Dread makes my steps slow. But I need to take a Band-Aid approach and rip it off.
So I walk into the kitchen and sit down at the scarred wooden table. The varnish is faded and peeling in spots. Heat bubbles mar the surface, along with nail polish stains (my fault) and Sharpie residue. All it needs is a little time and elbow grease. I could take it out to the garage, sand it down, and re-stain it. But I won’t. It’s not a priority.
“Mom.”
Stopping in the middle of making a snack for Jace, she must hear something in my tone. She turns around, leaves his plastic blue plate on the counter, and sits across from me.
“Is Hunter okay?”
The lines deepen around her eyes, and the furrow appears between her brows. I’m filled with a rush of affection that she asked after him. I hurry to reassure her.
“Yes, as good as possible right now. They will probably release him in a day or two.”
She blows out a breath, visibly relaxing. “That’s great news. What’s up?”
Do it fast, I tell myself. Like I’m waxing my eyebrows.
“I’m not working for the hockey team anymore.” Wincing at my half-truth, I close my eyes. I can’t watch as I drop this bomb. “I got fired.”
I listen for her response, but I only hear the tick of the clock on the wall.
“Oh,” she finally says after a minute’s pause. I know because I count the seconds. “Um, what happened?”
Swallowing, I meet her gaze. Disappointment, worry, and a glint of panic—what I couldn’t bear to see. But I deserve this.
I lay myself bare.
“Hunter happened.” A rueful laugh pops out of my mouth, but it’s not funny. “I mean, when I took the job, they implied that dating a player was not allowed. But I didn’t want to sneak around… and I didn’t think they’d fire me for it.”
“Oh,” my mom says again. “And you, you’re still dating him?”
Her question sinks in. She thinks I should have broken up with him to keep my job. If she had asked me a few months ago, that’s what I would have recommended. But that’s before I knew Hunter.
I nod my head, not trusting my words. My mom clears her throat.
“I see.”
I’m not sure she does, but she doesn’t criticize me or my choices.
“At this point, I won’t find another job on campus that pays as well, but I thought I might try GrubHub with you.” My voice is shakier than I’d like, but I press on. “I know we’re sharing the car, but I figure we can take shifts. I have breaks between classes when you’re at work. And late at night when you want to go to bed…”
I trail off, and she reaches over the table and grabs my hand. “You’re a good daughter, you know that?”
Getting fired proves the opposite. I shake my head. “No, I’m—”
“You are. I can always count on you to help.”
Tears clog my throat. I need to do more, be better. I’ll throw myself into GrubHub and devote all my extra time to it. I’ll make enough money that we won’t miss my hockey paycheck. I’ll earn everything we need, and it will be fine. This is just another blip on the radar. No worries.
Standing, I pat her shoulder. “I’m trying, Mom. I know you are, too.”
She looks up at me with hope shining in her eyes. “Wanna start tonight?”
I promised Hunter I’d come back tonight. But I need to prove that I’m serious about this, that I’m still dependable, even if the hockey team disagrees. So I nod. Who needs sleep, anyway?
My mom beams at me. “That’s my girl.”