But standing here, looking at the four of them together… I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to think.
I can’t get a word out before Oliver is hugging me. I didn’t expect it. Excitement rolls off him as he exclaims, “Lane! We’ve missed you, man.”
His voice cracks.
It’s hard to be pissed when your best friend who you’ve not talked to in months is saying shit like that to you.
I hug him back, and then it’s like he realizes that we’re not alone. He steps back, rocking on his heels and says, “Sorry. It’s just… been a long time.”
My eyes immediately go to Cora. “What did you do?”
Coach Knight takes a step forward, taking up plenty of space in the hallway, and takes a breath. “She called me.”
“I don’t need your help,” I say to her, my voice snapping.
“But you needed mine,” Oliver says, hands raised like he’s surrendering.
The weight of the last two weeks stands on my shoulders and it feels like I’m going to pass out. Fuck. What is happening?
And then Coach Banks says, “It’ll be tight, but let’s do this in my office.” He opens the door and everyone files in.
We stand there like the silence is strangling us, all five of us. I stare at the spot in front of my feet because I’m about to lose my shit.
“Someone should say something,” Cora offers, looking around.
Coach Knight clears his throat and kicks this off. Whatever the fuck this is.
“Oliver told me about the accident. What really happened. How you took the fall for something that wasn’t your fault.”
My eyes immediately go to Cora.She did tell.
“I don’t know what you said to them,” I start, my voice rough, “but it wasn’t your place—”
“This wasn’t Cora,” Oliver cuts in.
Iblink.
He’s standing a few feet away, fists clenched so tight the knuckles are white.
“I told my dad the day you left for Michigan,” he admits. “I know you made me promise, and honestly… I tried. But I couldn’t.” His jaw tightens. “You thought you were saving me. But really all it did was make me lose my best friend.”
He lets out a shaky breath. “It was eating me alive.”
This room is too small. There’s nowhere to be. No space for all of us. I can’t breathe.
“I know you thought you owed us something. But you didn’t. You were enough,” Coach Knight says, and I swear he’s holding back tears. “We took you in because we wanted to. You didn’t need to do that for him. I mean, it means a lot that you care about Oliver like that, but it wasn’t necessary.”
I press my lips together, mashing them between my teeth.
“Cora called me. Only saying she wanted to talk. Really, she just told me what a wonderful man you were. How you took care of her. And then she asked for Oliver’s number.”
Why would she do that?
Cora’s hands tremble as she starts, “I didn’t make anyone do anything. I called Oliver and let him know you were in trouble. Thought you could use a friend—a real one.”
“And when Cora explained that night with you and her, the least I could do was come clean. Own my mistake. If it meant anything would be better for you. It was like paying you back.” Oliver smiles, like he can’t fucking help it—he’s always smiling. “And then, it was my idea to have a meeting with your coach.”
I will not cry in this office. There’s no way. I look to the light and tap my foot, needing anything to do.
