AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Like the night I sobbed in his arms after Fairlee shot down my dreams like a well-trained sniper and left me bleeding from a bullet to the heart. Bang. Dream dead. Ryder made it better that night. He makes it better every night. And day. And minute.
We make each other better.
“I know everything you’re going to say.” I keep talking when it’s obvious my parents won’t. “You think we’re too young. It’s too fast. But you’re wrong. And yes, I can imagine thousands of stupid, idealistic girls before me saying those exact same words after running off with their boyfriends. Wyatt’s right, it sounds cliché. But Ryder and I aren’t stupid.” I shrug. “And in case you’re just joining the party, neither of us has an idealistic bone between us.”
My brother snorts softly.
“We know exactly what we’re getting into. It’s not going to be perfect. We’re going to run into issues. Life’s going to hit us hard from all directions, all the time. But we’re choosing to do life together. We went into this with our eyes wide open.”
I notice a sheen of tears clinging to Mom’s eyelashes, and for a moment I revert into a little kid.
“Please don’t be mad at me,” I beg her, but deep down I know even if she stays mad forever, that’s just something I will have to deal with.
I’ve made my choice. He’s it.
Mom walks over and sits on my other side, putting her arm around me. “No, I’m not mad. I’m glad you recognize it’s not going to be all rainbows.” She touches my cheek reassuringly. “But this probably isn’t the time or place to discuss…this…in any further detail.” She stands up. “Are you sure I can’t take you to the hospital?”
I shake my head. “I really don’t want to. The paramedic said I didn’t even need to go into concussion protocol.”
I can’t play the rest of the game, though, which is fucking brutal. But the team doctor wouldn’t sign off on it, despite the EMTs saying it would probably be okay. It was the word probably that made Dr. Parminder frown. So now I’m benched. There’s half a period left, and I should be out there, skating with my team. Or at least sitting on the bench, cheering them on. But Coach Adley made me change out of my uniform, so I’m not even dressed for that.
“I’m going back out there,” I say firmly, rising to my feet. “Even if I can’t be on the ice with them, I can still scream my lungs out.”
Ryder takes my hand. “It’s gonna be loud out there.”
“My head doesn’t hurt,” I grumble. “I swear. It only took me a while to get up because I was winded.”
I glance at my family again. At the brick wall that used to be my father. His prolonged silence finally triggers something in me. Impatience. Annoyance. Maybe a bit of anger too.
“Are you going to say something?” I move to stand directly in front of him, trying to force eye contact. “Anything at all? Because you’re starting to scare me a little.”
His gray eyes lock with mine.
And finally, he speaks.
“This is, truly, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”
I flinch as if I’ve been struck.
“And I’ve never been more disappointed in you.”
“Garrett,” Mom says sharply.
But it’s too late. The bullet that took me down when Fairlee kept me off Team USA finds its mark again.
This time, courtesy of my father.
CHAPTER FIFTY
RYDER
The father-daughter problem
MY NEW MOTHER-IN-LAW COMES TO SEE ME A FEW DAYS AFTER the Briar women win the Frozen Four and bring the trophy back to our college after three years in other hands. She calls ahead, so I’m not surprised when I find her on my doorstep.
“Hey, come in,” I say, hanging up her coat for her. “Want something to drink? Coffee? Water? A shit ton of liquor to make up for these past three days?”
Hannah laughs. “Let’s start with the water and save the shots for after.”
She looks around as I lead her deeper into the house toward the kitchen.
“It’s cleaner than I thought,” she says with a grin. “I was expecting a bachelor pad.”
“Nah, we’re not total barbarians.” I pause, offering a sheepish look. “Shane’s mom sends a cleaning lady twice a month.”
That gets me another laugh. In the kitchen, she sits at the table while I drift toward the fridge to grab some water.
“Is Gigi moving in? She said she hadn’t decided yet.”
I glance over my shoulder. “I think she’ll just unofficially crash here until the semester is over. And then we’ll find a place together in Hastings.”
Shane and Beckett are still giving me serious grief about that. When I first got back from Vegas and told them I’d married Gigi, they were both highly amused. Ragged me about it for hours. Shane spent a full day referring to me as Mr. Graham. Beckett gave me honeymoon tips and some Viagra pills.
