I swallow hard. I came here for Reid, but one wrong word, one wrong look, and this waiting room might turn into a warzone.
Zoe’s the first to break the silence. “Soon as we get word he’s out of the scan, I’m gonna head over to Lulu’s school. Big night for her.” She taps her phone like she’s already running late.
Charlie nods. “We’re all going, too. Noah and Meadow have been buzzing about it for weeks.”
“Damn right,” Tamara adds, her hand firm on Eli’s knee. “As soon as Hutch has the all clear, we’ll head over. No way she’s facing that crowd without us in the seats.”
They’re all talking about her, about showing up for the showcase tonight. Promising to be in the seats, cheering her on, ready to hold the line against every PTA villain.
And I sit there, concussed and useless, biting my tongue. Because Lulu’s already asked me to give her space, to let her focus. It doesn’t matter that every part of me aches to be there, to see her shine.
The waiting room falls silent when a woman in scrubs slips in. Her hair is cropped in a sleek bob; cheekbones sharp, expression serious.
“Family of Reid Hutchison?”
We all rise as Zoe nods.
She steps forward and flips her tablet open. “I’m Dr. Park, resident orthopedic. The scans just wrapped, and there’s a probable meniscus tear. I can’t confirm location or severity yet—I need imaging reviewed by senior staff.”
Jake clears his throat. “So… is surgery possible?”
She meets his eyes. “Yes, it’s a possibility. But we’re not there yet. Right now, the priority is interpreting all the images accurately before we make decisions.”
A shaky exhale moves through the group. Charlie presses her face into Jake’s chest. Tamara squeezes Eli’s hand, and Chase mutters “fuck” into Zoe’s hair.
Reid’s one of the best guys, both on and off the ice. Hearing he’s sustained an injury that probably requires surgery isn’t good for a pro athlete, especially not one pushing forty.
Eli’s voice is low. “When will we know more?”
She glances at her tablet. “Within a few hours. The radiologist’s full report will guide next steps.”
Dr. Park gives a few more details that none of us really absorb, then leaves us to the silence. It doesn’t last long. Zoe’s on the phone again, Chase’s leg is bouncing restlessly, and Charlie and Tamara are trying to soothe each other.
Eli still hasn’t looked at me, not once. His shoulders are coiled tight, knuckles white against the chair arms. It’s like I don’t exist, like he’s holding himself back from tearing me apart in front of everyone.
I can’t take it, so I shove a hand through my hair and nod toward the doors. “I’ll be outside.”
Chase shoots me a look, but I can’t sit here under Eli’s silence any longer.
The afternoon air is cold when I push through the doors, and when I get to the parking lot, I brace a hand on Chase’s truck. My head tips back and I try to breathe through the pounding in my skull.
The footsteps behind me aren’t a surprise. The hand fisting in my hoodie and slamming me back against the door, less so.
“Eli, I’m sorry—”
“Shut the fuck up.” His face is inches from mine, a sheen on his forehead, eyes blazing with fury. “You think you can apologize? You think that fixes it?”
I grit my teeth, pain igniting down my neck from the impact. “Iamsorry.”
“Exactly.” His voice is sharp enough to cut glass. He shoves harder, breath hot in my face. “That’s the fucking problem, Miller. You’re apologizing like loving her is some dirty littlesecret. You don’t apologize forloving her. You don’t tuck her away in the shadows and call it a mistake. You claim her. You fight for her—or you get the fuck out of the way entirely.”
“I should’ve told you sooner. I should’ve—”
“Yeah, if you’d been straight with me from the start, this could’ve been different. You think I’m blind? You think I haven’t seen the way you look at her? The way you walk her to her car, give her your hoodie and fight whoever chirps about her on the ice? I’m not stupid, Miller. I’ve seen the things you do for her.” His voice fractures, sharp with betrayal. “And then you apologized, called her a mistake like she was some fucking regret.”
I shake my head hard, the world tilting. “No, no, no. God,no. I regret every second I didn’t say something sooner, every second. But never her. She’s—”
Eli doesn’t let me finish. He shoves me again, hard enough that my shoulder blades scream against the cold metal. His voice drops, carrying years of weight.
