I swallow hard, the lump in my throat akin to hands around my neck. I wanted to follow them. Wanted it so badly, I tasted ash on my tongue.
Until Connor pointed that gun at me, then suddenly I wanted to live. Fucked up how that works.
After wiping my eyes, I slide the photos back into the notebook and place them in the desk drawer.
The bear comes out of my backpack next, and I rest him against my pillow. His fur's matted down on one side, and there's a faint brownish stain near his ear—blood that wouldn't wash away. Mouse added a few small holes to his belly. Not mad about it since she found him comforting too. She even wedged herself between the bear and me last night.
Novotny wasn’t thrilled I stayed the weekend because Mouse had been ignoring him since he got back from Austria. He casually mentioned I should leave on Saturday. But Coach insisted I stay, that he was going to help me move in since I don’t have a car.
“That's the bed you're claiming?”
I spin around. Connor stands in the doorway. He disappeared after dropping me back at the apartment on Friday evening. Just dumped me at the curb and drove off.
Too bad it didn’t last.
“I—yeah.”
His designer luggage thuds against the floor as he wheels it to the other bed. His dark blue jeans and white sneakers are probably name-brand. Bet the maroon T-shirt is too. I doubt someone as rich as Connor would wear anything from a thrift shop or Target.
“Where's Harper? Saw his SUV outside.”
I shrug, then hunch my shoulders, trying to make myself smaller, as though I’m not the biggest person in the room. “Didn’t you pass him?”
Young’s Hall is a repurposed mansion. There are no elevators, so they had to walk past each other. Unless Coach detoured. Most of the hockey team dorms here, so maybe one of my teammates needed him for something.
Connor’s phone vibrates, and he pulls it out of his pocket, growling before tossing it onto the bed. I glance at the screen.
Veronica.
His girlfriend . . . former girlfriend.
Why couldn’t he just marry her, then get divorced later? Hell, why couldn’t he find some other girl? Why drag me into this mess?
Or maybe that’s the reason. By marrying a man, Connor’s making sure his parents can't salvage their plans.
My teeth grind until my temples ache. I force my shoulders to stay loose, but my muscles tense anyway.
“Did you tell him anything?” Connor’s voice drops low, dangerous.
I shake my head and busy myself unpacking. Better than punching his face in. I can’t let myself lose control.
Not ever again.
“Tell me what?” Coach Harper walks in with the last of my stuff, glaring at my husband. “Have something to tell me, Walsh?”
A muscle in Connor's jaw jumps, as if fighting not to bare teeth. “Where’s Viktor? Thought he would’ve joined you.”
Coach sets the box down on the floor near my desk, never taking his eyes off Connor. “Took Mouse to the vet.”
My eyes widen, mouth agape.
Coach turns to me and holds up a hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“And I did?” Connor raises a brow, as if challenging the man, or more like poking to see if I lied about telling anyone anything.
Coach’s upper lip twitches. But instead of arguing, he turns to me. “You need anything, you let me know.”
I nod, then he leaves, and it’s just me and Connor.
