Chapter 45
Chapter
Forty-Five
Hadley: OMG.
Hadley: Mayday.
Hadley: 911.
Hadley: Bat Signal.
Hadley: Help me!
Hunter: WHAT IS WRONG?
Hadley: Meet me at Jackie’s ASAP
I finished my one final of the day earlier this morning, and I have hours until hockey practice and Movie Monday. After getting Hadley’s texts, I borrow Cooper’s truck. Technically, I’m not cleared to drive yet, but I’m not taking pain pills and the boot is on my left leg. Bubba doesn’t have a clutch, so I don’t see a problem. Her messages have my heart racing, and when I call her to ask what’s going on, she doesn’t answer. Her texts sounded urgent. Is it just high stress levels thanks to her first Finals Week? I don’t know, but I get to the restaurant in ten minutes.
At least Jackie’s has the best brunch in Lafayette. Maybe Hadley remembered from when we came here before. I hope she’s not in need of another hangover breakfast. I hurry in, not stopping to enjoy the dark booths and colorful stained-glass lamps hanging from the ceiling. The old-school Hollywood posters that decorate the walls blur in my vision as I walk in. Swiveling my head around, I spot Hadley in a high-back booth, her lip caught between her teeth. Across from her, my dad looks grim.
He”s the last person I expected to see.
I told my dad to butt out that day in the hospital, but I’ll admit, there was part of me that wanted to hear from him. Besides Hadley, he’s my only family. Is it so terrible to want him to care? To be a real dad and ask how classes are going? How I’m doing? It was empty when our relationship was solely based on hockey, but it’s worse now that it’s disappeared entirely. Maybe that makes me weak, but it’s the truth.
My stomach roils with a combination of anger and nerves. Because there’s this little thread of hope running through me—hope that he’s here because he cares about us.
I’m not sure I’m ready for this, but my dad spots me, so I shove my hands in my pockets and approach their table.
“Nice of you to join us.” My dad looks genial for anyone watching in the restaurant, but his eyes shoot daggers.
Awesome. He’s pissed, and he came here to chew me out. At least I know what’s on the agenda.
I glance at Hadley, who mouths, Sorry.
“Um, Dad.” I swallow, determined to be civil. We’re in a public place, after all. “This is a surprise.”
He shrugs. “I figured it was time to tell you both in person what’s going to happen.”
Hadley stiffens as I slide in next to her. “What do you mean?”
“Well.” My dad wipes his mouth with a napkin and then takes a sip of coffee. “I’m footing the bill for both of you. So I have some conditions.”
“Demands is more like it,” she whispers under her breath.
Before he can snap at her, we’re interrupted by a waitress wanting to take our order. Our server gives me a menu and leaves, and I wish I could flee, too. Instead, I clench my hands into fists under the table.
He turns to her first. “What’s this nonsense about you switching your major? Marissa mentioned something to me.”
She levels a cool look across the booth. “It’s not nonsense. I don’t want to be an elementary school teacher.”
“Waste of time and money,” he mutters, rolling his eyes. “What are you going to study instead?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m going to take a bunch of classes next semester and try everything until I find the right fit.” She tips her chin up, and admiration rushes through me. She’s not backing down, and I’m proud of her.
“You’re going to waste my tuition payments putzing around.” He snorts. “I told your mother—I’m only paying for four years. I want you to buckle down next semester, no more parties or boyfriends.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.” Her words are icy, and her eyes flash a warning.
“Good, keep it that way. Last thing I need is you knocked up and—”
“Oh my god, I do not need the birds and the bees talk from you. It’s too late for you to pretend like you care.” Huffing, she shifts and stares at the wall, effectively ending her interrogation. Which means it’s my turn.
My dad’s cold blue gaze swings to me. “Are you returning to the ice anytime soon?”
His question rankles. I guess I should be grateful that he’s asking, but once again, all that matters is hockey. My heart pounds, adrenaline spiking, and my blood rushes in my ears.
“Why, so you can tell ESPN?”
His ice-blue stare intensifies, and he purses his lips. “I don’t appreciate your tone. We need to make a plan.”
“A plan? For what?”
“For your future.” He shakes his head like I’m dumb, and my fury mounts. “Here’s what I’m thinking. If you leave Harrison now and start an intense rehab program with a trainer I found, you might have a shot. I can use my connections, pull some strings, and—”
“What about what I want?”
He waves away my concerns like they are dandelion fluff. “I know what’s best for you, and it’s time for you to start listening.”
“What’s best for me? What about my degree? And my team? Not to mention, my friends and my girlfriend. Why do you care now?”
At that, his eyes narrow. “You don’t need a degree to play hockey, and it’s not like you’re contributing anything to this team. You don’t owe them anything. But I thought I told you to dump the girl. No distractions, remember?”
“Dad, I’m not an extension of you.” I bite off the words, sharp and harsh. “You don’t get to dictate my life. Do you even care if I want to play hockey professionally?”
“Of course you want to.” He blinks. “That’s what I’ve groomed you to do.”
“No.” I growl. “If I’m playing, it’s for me, not for you. I’ll do it my way. I don’t need your input anymore.” I inch towards the edge of the booth, ready to get out of here. We haven’t ordered food yet, but there’s no way I’m staying.
He must sense it, because he presses his lips together. “Wait. Don’t fly off the handle. Take a breath, don’t say something you’ll regret.”
I do as instructed and then exhale. But it doesn’t change my mind. “I’m not leaving Harrison. Or my team, or Natalie. If that means I give up my future as a player, that’s what it will have to be.”
My dad tsks. “Natalie, again. She’s not worth it.”
Blood boils through my veins, fast and hot. “You’ve only met her once, you know nothing about her.”
“She’s from the wrong side of the tracks, and she got fired for her unprofessional conduct.” He sneers. “Which is what she deserves.”
Something in the proud curl of his lip has me asking, “How did you know that?”
At my question, he sips his coffee. “Because I asked for her to be removed. She was clearly abusing her position and trying to sink her claws into you, so I—”
“You got her fired.” The edges of my vision go red, and Hadley grabs my bicep, squeezing until it hurts.
“I got her away from you.” My dad shrugs, unrepentant. “Don’t throw away your future for a girl and a team who don’t deserve you.”
Before he can say another word, I stand up and exit the booth. Hadley joins me.
“I’m the one who doesn’t deserve her. She’s not interested in my money or my prospects. She works harder than anyone else I know—including every hockey player—and she cares more, too.”
“Sit back down,” my dad says, putting on his affable public persona. The waitress must be hovering. “Let me buy you breakfast. We can talk and get everything figure out.”
“No. My life is not up for debate.”
His eyes turn hard. “Who’s going to pay for your last semester of college? Your housing? Your car? Your allowance?”
But I shake my head. I won’t let fear stop me. If Natalie can do it, so can I.
“I’ll get a job and pay for it myself. You can have my car. I’ll figure it out.”
Hadley links her arm through mine, lending me strength. She might be my little sister, but she’s the only person who understands what a narcissistic jackass this man is. And I appreciate the gesture.
Dad blinks. “You can’t be serious.”
I shrug. “Try me.”
He sputters. “You’ll regret this. I have power and influence.”
“And you wouldn’t dare use it against your son.” Hadley leans in close, and my dad pales. Which is a smart response, because she’s scary. “You care too much about what your adoring fans think to do that. So you’ll let him make his own choices.”
“And you?” he asks her, raising a disdainful brow. “What about your choices? Who’s going to pay for your lifestyle if you walk away from me?”
“We’ll figure it out together,” I tell him. “That’s what family does.”
With that, we spin on our heels to the exit, leaving our father behind.