Chapter 62
WARD
‘What in the hell were you thinking? I mean, justlookat this!’ Bernie bellowed as he pointed angrily at the flat-panel TV on the wall of his office.
Onscreen, the Rumble on Red as the media had since deemed it, played out in all its glory – Kendrick’s opening punch, Ward’s retaliation and subsequent ass-kicking of the golfer, then Shelley entering the fray in her designer dress and heels like the badass she was.
Slumped into a chair on the other side of his agent’s desk, Ward sat in stony silence, refusing to look at the TV. After all, he had been there. He had lived it – why did he need to watch it again?
But no matter, the press continued to eat it up. It was the only thing that ESPN and FOX Sports and every single other sports network, YouTuber and gossip site had been talking about and replaying ad nauseum for the past twenty-four hours. The NHL ceremony and award winners were merely cast aside as afterthoughts.
The media reaction had been intense – but Ward had a hard time caring. He flexed his bruised right hand and reflected on the sensation of first-connecting his fist with Kendrick’s smug-ass face. The recollection was deeply satisfying and he smirked at the memory.
‘Something funny?’ barked Bernie. ‘Is there some sort of joke I’m missing out on right now?’
He glanced up and met his agent’s furious gaze, then quickly rearranged his features.
‘I really don’t think you truly understand the gravity of this situation. I’m serious. You’re in deep shit this time, serious shit. This is not a good look—’
‘It was just a fight. It’s not like I haven’t been in any before.’
Bernie snorted. ‘That’s how you’re justifying this? That you’ve been in fights before? OK, maybe yes, you have. On the ice. During agame. Or a boozy night out.Noton the red carpet in front of two hundred cameras. With a fellow pro athlete who is going to sue you from here to eternity.’
‘That asshat hit me first,’ spat Ward.
‘And so you pummelled him? The ass-whooping you gave him, do you think that wasjustified? You look unhinged.’ Again, Bernie pointed at the TV.
Ward glanced over and took a deep breath. He had to admit, that footage wasn’t awesome, especially since it appeared that Kendrick wasn’t fighting back – or certainly not with the same intensity that Ward was delivering. Which had been kinda disappointing at the time too, to be honest.Loser.
‘Look, Bernie,’ he continued, ‘that guy—’ he jerked his chin toward the screen ‘—is a prick. He was grabbing Hannah, gripping hard on her arm. And she was pulling away. I saw it. I didn’t like it. That’s why I went over – and told him to get his hands off of her. Everything after that is on him.’
Bernie sighed and collapsed heavily into his office chair, dragging his hands through his hair, and leaving behind little spikes. He looked like he hadn’t slept last night, which, of course, he hadn’tsince he was once again in damage-control mode. He threw his head back and looked at the ceiling for a moment.
‘So, you were just being a knight in shining armour, then? Is that what it was?’ he asked, sarcasm clear in his voice. ‘Did it ever occur to you that maybe that was an issue best left for your publicist? That maybe it was a lovers’ quarrel that was none of your business?’
Ward looked away, purposefully avoiding his agent’s gaze.
Of course, it had occurred to him that it wasn’t any of his business. But he also realized that he had developed a serious blind spot when it came to Hannah. He wanted her business to be his business.
When he remained silent, Bernie pressed on.
‘And speaking of Hannah, what does she have to say about all of this? Huh? Did she ask you to butt in like that? I’m pretty certain she wouldn’t thank you for it – not for making such a public spectacle of her private life.’
Ward felt like he was under a microscope, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
‘She quit, OK? She said she can’t work with me anymore.’
Truth be told, Hannah’s declaration the night before hadn’t truly registered with him in the heat of the moment. However, once he’d returned home (the event organisers insisting that it was best he forget about presenting the award and just attend to his bruises), taken off the torn shirt and started seeing the coverage flood in, the scuffle completely overshadowing the event itself, the reality of the situation began to settle in.
The fact that Hannah might be serious about what she said didn’t sit well with Ward. After all, his intentions had been pure – he knew she was being roughed up by Kendrick and he’d swooped in to defend her. That guy was bad news.
But what if yet again he had misread the situation?he wondered now.What if what went down was simply a private matter, a heated exchange between a couple in a relationship – and it reallywasnone of his business? And his jealousy toward Kendrick had maybe distorted his perception.
Nah, he wasn’t stupid. Ward knew a narc when he saw one and could only hope that Hannah saw it now too.
It wasn’t like Ward hadn’t tried calling her at least ten times since. And while he was trying to play it cool on the outside, now as he sat here in his agent’s office being admonished, he had to admit that he was worried.
Not necessarily about the intense public scrutiny or potential aftermath, but that he had ruined his relationship with Hannah. That there was a real possibility that she truly had washed her hands of him this time and might well go back to Kendrick regardless. That he had got it all completely and terribly wrong.
