Chapter 4 #2
“Well, you built that rink out there. You know, for the school and community? They have open skates where you don’t have to pay to get in, and I love it. I played for the community league since the school doesn’t have a hockey team, just like you did. And well, I like it.”
“I had to play on the road, and club teams, and a community team, because there wasn’t a high school team. I got lucky that my mom was able to travel as much as she did, to be honest. What do you play?”
“Goalie.”
I grinned. “Oh, yeah?”
“Not great. I’ll never be in the NHL or something like that, but it was nice to be on the ice.”
“Yeah. It always is. Although I do enjoy a break every once in a while.”
“Hence, why you’re in the off-season. Your knee okay? I hope you didn’t hurt it running after me.”
I scowled, only slightly annoyed that the world cared so much about my joints.
“I’ll be fine. I have good doctors, and jumping two steps isn’t going to kill me.
But I shouldn’t have had to do that,” I bit out.
Thankfully, Will brought up a YouTube video so we could see how to put up the plywood, and we both swore that we would never tell a single person that we had to look that up. Finnian would never know.
“Who’s Jace?” I asked before we walked into the house, where Lizzie would be feeding everybody, because she couldn’t help it.
“He graduated a couple of years ago and dropped out of trade school. Now he works odd jobs for some of the townspeople around here. There’s a trailer park up there where I can sometimes find a couch to surf on.
” He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets.
“But if you don’t do what Jace says, you don’t get to stay there. And I don’t have a lot of options.”
“What do you mean you don’t have a lot of options?” Lizzie asked as she moved forward, her arms crossed over her chest. It took everything in me not to look at her chest in that moment. This was the worst time to be thinking anything like that.
Will’s cheeks pinked, and he cleared his throat. “Dobson kicked me out. I’m eighteen, so he doesn’t get any money from the state anymore. There was no need for me to stay.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone? You know this town. We take care of our own.”
Will snorted, and I looked between them, confused.
“He’s one of your students?” I asked, trying to catch up.
“I was. Graduation’s over, and now I’m a full-fledged adult.”
“Making shit choices,” I put in.
“Atlas,” Lizzie whispered fiercely, and I stood back, knowing I was no help here.
But what the hell, this kid had nowhere to go, and the town hadn’t noticed? What else was Ashford Creek hiding? It wasn’t as though I was here often enough to make a difference.
“Will. You have to ask for help. Or at least take it.”
“I’ll be fine, Ms. E. It’s not as bad as it seems. I’m saving money for an apartment, because it’s cheaper up here than in some of the other towns, and Rune likes what I’m doing as a server, so I’ll be able to keep the job.
Then I don’t know, I’ll save enough for community college or trade school, and I’ll find what I need to do.
It’s just hard right now. But that’s life.
You know it. You don’t have to take care of all of us, Ms. E. ”
“At least let me take care of some of you. You shouldn’t be sleeping on couches. And Dobson shouldn’t have kicked you out.”
“I’m not his problem anymore. And he never liked me anyway.”
“Is he your dad?” I asked, not meaning to say the words until they were already out.
Lizzie gave me a pleading look, but Will answered simply.
“No. Foster dad. Hence, the state paying him.”
I winced. “Sorry, missed that.” That was all out of my wheelhouse, and I felt like shit.
I donated a lot of my time and money to helping those in Portland, but I didn’t do enough for my town.
I might wave off the adoration and attention, but I needed to do something else.
Even the fact that there were fees to play at the community ice rink that I had helped build annoyed me.
When had that happened? Did I need to increase my yearly donations to make sure kids like Will didn’t need to pay?
I made a mental list of things I needed to ask my agent and parents, for that matter, but listened to Will as he explained how the system had failed him.
“I bounced around a few houses and ended up with Dobson and his wife. His wife’s gone, and Dobson was able to keep me because it was only the last few months.
Now he doesn’t get money, and so I’m out.
It’s not a big deal. Other kids have it worse.
” Will’s face sobered. “Way worse. But I really am sorry, Ms. E. I should have told Jace to go fuck himself. But he has friends. Friends I don’t want to mess with. ”
“You should tell the sheriff or Thatcher. You know Thatcher. He would help.”
Will gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I know Mr. Thatcher’s kids. They’re good kids.
But they know how it is better than their dad ever will.
How this town treats some. It’s really okay, Ms. E.
You don’t have to worry about me. In fact, I have a shift coming up, and well, thank you for the dinner offer, but I should go.
” He blushed, hands in his pockets. “And, uh, I’ll pay you for the window. I promise.”
“You’re not paying me for the window. The way you can repay me is by letting me help. With applications, with future planning, with finding a place to stay that isn’t with Jace.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Then you can let me help,” I blurted.
Will’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Let me help. As is evidenced by not knowing how to do anything with that window, I can figure some things out. But you don’t have to do this alone, and you don’t have to lean on Ms. E if you don’t want to.”
That made Will smile, but he still shook his head. “I’ll pay for the window.”
“If you don’t let us help you, I will go to the sheriff,” Lizzie said, her voice stern.
I wanted to cheer for her at that moment.
Will let out a deep breath and nodded.
“Fine. I will. I promise.”
“Good. Do you have a car? Do you need a ride to Rune’s?”
“No, I don’t mind walking. And I left my bike there yesterday, since I got a ride, so I’ll be able to ride back. I got this.”
I wanted to say that the kid clearly didn’t have this, but it wasn’t my place. This wasn’t my life, and I was so far out of my depth it wasn’t even funny, but maybe we’d figure it out.
At least I knew Lizzie would.
Lizzie looked like she wanted to reach out and hug the kid, but didn’t. Instead, she walked him outside, and I stood behind the doorframe, watching Lizzie watch Will walk away, feeling like I was behind once again.
“You’re a good egg, Ms. E,” I said when she came back up the steps.
“I don’t know why he calls me that. I’m just Elizabeth.”
“You’re Lizzie,” I said softly.
Lizzie walked inside without a word and closed the door behind us.
“I might talk with Thatcher anyway, because if I talk with the sheriff, he’s going to get growly.
But maybe with Thatcher, he can make sure the station keeps an eye on the park.
I don’t know what to do. None of these kids let me help them, and I hate it. ”
“You don’t have to save the world, Lizzie.”
“Then let me just save one kid, okay?”
We stood close enough that I could feel the heat of her breath on my neck, and I swallowed hard, knowing I needed to take a step back.
Instead, I leaned forward and brushed her hair from her face.
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt. And I was serious, by the way.
I’ll help wherever I can. I don’t know what that means, but I’ll find a way. ”
“You always do, Atlas. But this is an Ashford Creek thing, you know?”
It was like another kick to the gut, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I leaned forward and cupped her face. Her lips parted, and I knew I was making a mistake as soon as I did it. But I couldn’t help it.
She held my heart and always would. So I leaned down and took her mouth with mine.
She tasted of sweetness, and Lizzie, and when she dug her hand into my shirt, I deepened the kiss, brushing my tongue along hers.
I groaned, pressing her back to the wall, grinding against her as I slid my leg between her thighs.
She wrapped her arms around me as I gripped her hair with one hand and covered her neck with my other, angling her so I could kiss her harder.
And when the doorbell rang, we pulled apart, chests heaving, and it felt as if we had stepped back in time.
Lizzie stood in front of me, lips swollen, eyes wide, and I had no idea what the fuck I was supposed to say.
Instead, she quickly wiped her lips, pushed her hair back from her face, trying to right herself, and I did the same, except there was no hiding the massive erection that was pressing against my zipper. She pointedly ignored it and opened the door.
“Thatcher. I was just thinking of you.”
Once again, jealousy hit me hard. Why the hell was Thatcher at her house? Alone.
But when the other man walked inside and gave me an odd look, I saw the horror in his gaze.
I pulled my phone out and realized I had missed a call.
“Elizabeth.”
“Thatcher? What’s wrong?”
Lizzie’s phone buzzed along the counter, and I ignored it, knowing that whatever Thatcher had to say, it wasn’t going to be good.
Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her to my side, my arm around her shoulder. Thatcher didn’t say a word, just gave me a pointed glance.
“Elizabeth, it’s your parents…”
And as he spoke, Lizzie broke down in my arms once again, and the world shattered.