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KNOX
How do we take down Luke Abernathy without his father demanding we be traded to another team? How do we continue playing professional hockey when we’re about to be caught throwing games?
It’s like watching my career be thrown into the toilet and flushed in slow motion, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
But I’m not mad at Aurora. I should be, but there’s something else there. Something that wants to protect her. It’s this urge I’ve never felt with anyone else, and I can barely contain it.
She and Violet return faster than I expect. They’re only gone ten minutes when she unlocks our front door and comes hurrying inside with Violet on her tail. They shed their coats and kick off their shoes.
Aurora comes straight to me, her hand outstretched. She’s holding something.
A glittering ring.
“Where did you get that?” I ask.
She hasn’t had it. I was under the impression that Joel took it back…
She reveals the packaging. The folded paper that must’ve come with it. The note signed byL. Luke Abernathy?
“Why does he have this?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I can’t—I have no idea.”
My friends stand. It seems to be a unanimous decision between them all.
“We’ll meet back up tomorrow,” Jacob offers. “It’s late. We’re not being productive. Tomorrow, we can confront Joel?—”
“If he tells the truth,” Church interjects.
“He will.” I ball my fists.
“Tomorrow,” Aurora echoes.
They leave us alone. Alone with my thoughts, alone with my girl. The ring and note are a threat. Clear as day. I glance to where she’s put it on the coffee table.
“Knox?”
I face her. She’s wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her eyes are wide, her expression unsure.
She can’t stay here. Luke Abernathy will take out anything we try to do onher. She’s my biggest weakness. Removing her from the game board all together is in our best interest. Which means sending her away. Somewhere he can’t reach her.
Home.
“I’m sorry,” I manage.
She comes closer, taking my hands in her chilled ones. She inches into me, pressing her ear to my chest. She’s hugging me, and I’m more frozen on the inside than she is icy on the outside.
“Why are you apologizing?”
I wrap my arms around her. She feels small, more fragile than I would’ve put on her in recent months. Lately, she’s seemed so strong. I didn’t think anything was wrong until she ended up in the hospital. But she said it was a fluke, didn’t she? They said it was nothing urgent, just an ex-cardiac patient’s past trauma coloring her perception.
That heightens my resolve. She shouldn’t have to deal with this. I don’t even know what we can do about it or how to extract ourselves from this situation. Short of turning ourselves in along with Abernathy or devastating our own careers…
“Because I’m sending you away,” I say.
She flinches. “What? No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. Aurora. I’m sending you back home.”
