Page 41 of Trick Play

“If you’re sure?” Haley asked again.

“I am, thanks for helping me find him.”

She nodded. “Call me if we can do anything else.”

I appreciated her not asking what happened or how I knew something was wrong.

Shawn appeared with a thick stack of blankets and set them on the end of the other couch then pulled a pillow from under his arm. “If you guys need anything, let me know.”

“Thanks, Shawn.”

He paused. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

Oh right. I stormed into his house, cut his game short, and invited myself to stay. “I didn’t mean to barge in and assume it was okay to stay here.”

He waved me off. “It’s really no problem, but I would at least like to know your name.”

“Kennedy.”

His eyes widened a fraction, but he didn’t say whatever he was thinking. “Right, like I said, no worries.” He turned to Reid and Haley. “I’ll walk you guys out.”

They each shot me a concerned look, but I smiled and waved them off. Once the three of them were gone, I pulled off Ethan’s shoes and helped him lie down before draping a blanket over him.

I doubted I’d be able to sleep in a stranger’s house, especially with so many guys upstairs, but I got comfortable, wrapped up in another blanket across from him. For a while I stared at his peaceful face and wished I could take away whatever led him here.

I barely recognized him like this. Where was the controlled, confident man? What pushed him to the point of breaking all the rules? If he got caught like this, he would be kicked off the team. So why risk it? What happened that was so bad he’d stop caring?

Hockey, his team, was his entire life. He wouldn’t have fought so hard, given up so much to get here, just to throw away his chance in the final period.

The wall around my heart broke. As much as I wanted to accept all the blame, I knew this wasn’t only about me.

What had happened in the conversation he had with his coach? If it was really bad––like kicked off the team bad––then Reid would know. Benjamin would have told him and Hunter something like that, right?

Ethan was holding on to too much. He put too much on his shoulders. He was strong, but everyone had their limits and today he reached his. It wasn’t just one thing. A cluster of mini-storms had clashed and created the perfect disaster.

I saw it, a small part of it, and instead of helping him navigate and find solid ground, I added thunder and lightning.

Reid might be upset at Ethan, but I couldn’t find it in me to stay angry at him anymore. Ethan had more going on than any of us knew. Was it because Ethan didn’t open up, or because we didn’t ask?

It wasn’t my place to know his problems or pry. Not anymore, but if no one else in his life was going to, then I’d fill that role. He could hate me all he wanted, but he needed someone to listen. He might not deserve it, but I could be that for him. At least until it was time for me to leave. I wasn’t sure why, but part of me felt myself softening toward him. Maybe it was our shared past and remembering who he once was that made me hate seeing him like this.

Was this why we were brought together again? Was I being forced to think of him as human again rather than just the villain? It wasn’t enough that I told myself I forgave him because it wasn’t completely true. But now, at this moment, I knew I had to. Not for my sake but for his, too. He needed some grace. He needed compassion and understanding.

He needed his fire back. His thirst for life.

How had I missed that? I, who once knew him better than anyone, had missed the most obvious thing in the world. Ethan was not okay. He was not fine. He was broken and bleeding and desperately needed someone to care.

What had happened to the boy I loved?

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was the universe’s sick version of a joke. Three years after he destroyed me and left me in this exact same state, maybe I was meant to put him back together.

Chapter 14

Ethan

I had to be dreaming. It was the only explanation for waking up next to Kennedy. Well, not next to her exactly, but in the same room. Nothing else made sense.

My head pounded, and it only got worse when I tried to sit up, so I stayed down and stared at her peaceful face while I waited for memories of the night before to return. The second they did, I wished I’d forgotten.