A grin splits my lips. “I was a dick to him.”
“You’ve been a dick a lot lately.” Andre muses. “Don’t know where the strong silent scary dude I met months ago is, but please tell him I miss him.”
“I’m not scary.”
“You scared the shit out of me when we first met. You’re a giant?—”
“We’re hockey players! We’re all giant.”
“Yeah, well, you look like you’re contemplating the deathand mutilation of everyone around you. You are my man’s best friend. So I wanted you to like me.”
“I do like you.” Andre snorts. “Really, I do. He didn’t even like you!” He laughs at that. “Seriously, I love this new version of Oli. You don’t understand. He’s a completely different man... for the better. It’s all thanks to you.”
“Wow.” He pats my good leg. “Thank you. I have been told I’m pretty magical.”
I just can’t with him. “Felix can take me next time, but this trip is kind of about him.” I want to get his opinion on everything. I have my suspicions, but getting another perspective may help. “I want to talk to you... about Felix.”
“Why?”
“Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t know for sure.” I’ve been around it enough to assume, and I think Andre will think the same. He nods. “Um, well, last night, he and I were drinking?”
“Oh, hot! Tell me more.”
“Not like that. He’s not—” Not what? Okay yes, he is attractive. Meek and quiet, which I don’t mind at all. A little awkward, absolutely. “It’s not like that. Last night I helped him undress for bed.” His brows climb higher. “No, listen. I saw bruises along his side going all the way up his ribs.” I glance at Andre as his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “He also—” I take a breath. “He’s really thin. I could see his ribs. He also has bruises that look like fingerprints along his hips. Deep purple. Fresh.”
“Finger marks?” I nod.
“When he showed up to my house he had nothing. I thought maybe his bags were in the hall, or at the door or something. But last night I put him in bed, and there was nothing of his in his room. He has nothing. When he was drunk, he said he took nothing with him when he left.”
“Well, I guess that’s weird but?—”
“You don’t just leave without your things unless you’reforced to.” I want to be as delicate as I can because of Andre’s own history. Oli, with Andre’s permission, let Atlas and me in on the things he went through with his abusive father. Can’t say I was surprised. I always had this gut feeling about Tripp. I know evil, and there was no light behind that man’s eyes. “Those bruises along his ribs were fresh and healing. I’d say days old.”
“Days?”
I nod. “Which makes me believe this job was an escape for him.” I’m not even mad. I don’t even care and I have to admit, having someone to talk to last night was nice. I’m an outdoorsy guy, and being around that fire with a cold drink and good company did a lot for my morale. I’ve been going stir crazy in that damn house alone.
“I’m sorry. I know this is hard to talk about.”
“Don’t be.” He swallows before shaking himself out of whatever path his brain went down. “What do you think it is?”
“Last night, he mentioned an ex. I’m wondering if the bruises are from him. When I asked him why he didn’t have anything, he said it was all he had time to take.” Andre curses under his breath. “I want to get him things for his room. I have a feeling he doesn’t have a bank card, or an account either.”
“And I was the choice because of my own history?”
“No, I just needed help and didn’t need a bunch of questions or Oli’s bitchy attitude.” And while Andre runs his mouth more times than not, he’s easy to talk to. He’s a good guy and I love that he loves my friend. He’s good to him.
“You know the attitude is because he loves you, right? He’s really fucking worried about you. You know him. He just wants to make you feel better.”
Fuck, I know that. It’s just that Oli has a habit of ridingpeople. Oli likes all his problems buttoned up in a neat little box, but that’s not the way life is.
That’s not the way it’s going to work with me either. It’s why I’ve put off telling them. Atlas will be upset, and Oli... I don’t know. I know part of him will think he’s at fault, and I can’t deal with that.
“He needs to worry less.”
“He wants to try and do whatever he can to make you feel better. He wants you to be back out on the ice as much as you do. His line isn’t the same without you.”
Here it is. Just tell him. Maybe telling Andre will help a little. I want to get better. I need to take these steps, and Andre is a safe start. “Andre...” I sigh. “I... I’m not coming back.”
