Her gentle refusals to go to a game.
Her quiet confession about where her scar came from.
The odd familiarity of her mom’s face on Niko’s phone.
Now I know that it was because I’d seen it before. Because this story made waves in my world until the league promptly buried it and everyone just…moved on.
Including me.
The shame and disgust I feel is crippling. I’m jolted from my self-loathing as the notifications on my phone become so constant it’s as if I am getting back-to-back calls. And if I’m getting this much attention…
Ellie. Fuck.
Her social media isn’t private, and with that trash tabloid doxing her…
This is what she was afraid of. It has to be.
I exit out of the browser and pull up her contact, hitting the call button as fast as I can.Straight to voicemail.Either her phone is off or she declined it.
“You ready?”
I look over at Niko by the door and snap back to reality. Half the team’s already down the tunnel to start our pregame warm-up.I’m out of time.
Niko’s brow draws low and he looks at my phone. “What’s wrong?”
I shoot a Hail Mary text to Nate and debate tucking the phone somewhere in my uniform. With the constant buzzing I decide against it and set it in my locker, sending a quick plea to the universe that Nate checks it and does what I ask.
I grab my helmet and stick and walk over to Niko, unable to shake this avalanche of emotions I’m buried under. Shock, guilt, sadness,panic. How am I going to play through this?
I look at Niko and clock the unease all over his face. Guess he sees it on mine too. I clear my throat and give him the headline that barely scratches the surface of “what’s wrong.”
“I found out why Ellie doesn’t like hockey.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
ELLIE
I hear knockingat the door, but my eyes are glued to the device on my coffee table. I’ve been staring for so long I’ve lost track of time.It won’t stop.
I’m surprised it hasn’t died yet, given how long it’s been buzzing and perpetually lit up. Just an endless barrage of notifications. Calls, texts, social media alerts… Every time the screen goes bright I hit the button to make it stop. But then it just starts again.
It won’t stop. It won’t stop. It won’t stop.
“Hey, Ellie. I know. Here, I’m going to take this and deal with it, okay?”
I said that out loud? I’m startled from the tunnel vision I have on my phone when it gets grabbed by a large hand. I follow the motion and watch Nate pocket it before he sits on the coffee table facing me. How did he get in my apartment?
“You okay?”
I look at his pocket with my phone and shrug.
“Would it be all right if I hung out here for a bit?”
I shrug again.
“I’m going to deal with your phone and order some food, okay? Maybe we can put a show on?”
I nod this time and watch numbly as he grabs the remote and puts some sitcom on. He moves and sits on the other side of the couch, visible in my periphery. He must know by now.
