Finally, he shook his head no. That made plenty of sense given how he was the first Riptide to get laid out flat at the Colter Bay Grill.
I released Jax and he fell into a heap on the sidewalk. Then he collected a stray hundred-dollar bill, regained his feet, and scrambled down the sidewalk.
Good riddance to bad rubbish,I thought.
If I did decide to return to hockey, I would have to deal with the likes of Jax again, but at least he knew I wasn’t one to be fucked with.
Standing up to my team captain did feel good. I can’t deny that. I would’ve loved to do that a hundred times or more but understood I had far more pressing matters to worry about.
Specifically, I had Jakob to see… assuming he wanted to see me.
46
JAKOB
My parents wanted me to come home for a while. The doctors said I would need someone to help me for the time being and staying alone in the house wouldn’t help. I told the doctors that I would get along just fine, that I didn’t need help, but they insisted. According to them, it was for my own good. But I couldn’t go home to my parents. I’d enjoyed far too much freedom since arriving in Buffalo for college. No way could I have landed under their thumb again.
At least I would get the hell out of the hospital. I’d watched as many movies as I could watch on the TV. I’d even read a couple of books during the time when I could sit up. Still, staring at the same four walls would surely drive me mad.
More than anything, I hated that I’d heard nothing from Zane. I know we’d had our differences, but at the very least he could’ve dropped me a line, texted to ask how I was doing. I told myself that he was out of my life now and I shouldn’t worry about it.
Tying my shoes had never taken so much effort as when I prepared for discharge. I leaned down, moving ultra slowly.That’s seriously hard to accept when you consider my on-ice exploits.
When I looked up, I saw Zane filling the doorway, and I snapped to attention so quickly that I hurt myself.
“Awww, fuck!” I said, holding the back of my neck.
Zane arched his eyebrows, probably feeling like a bull in a china shop before he’d even had the chance to clear the door.
“You gonna be okay there?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just got to get used to a reduced range of motion, at least for a little while.”
Zane’s eyes half-closed and he turned from me. I wouldn’t have had a reduced range of motion if not for him and the shot he’d delivered in the big game. He wouldn’t have delivered that shot if not for the fact that he had to act like a total hothead with a chip on his shoulder.
“Can I help you with anything?” he asked.
“Not unless you want to drop to the floor and double-knot my shoelaces.”
He crouched, eyes never leaving mine, like he actually meant to do it.
“That was a joke, Zane.”
He stood up and ran his hand down the back of his head.
“Uh, yeah, I knew that.”
If only Zane would get to the freaking point, we wouldn’t have to go through this whole song and dance. Did he really have to leave me in suspense?
I leaned back in my chair, so consumed by agony that sweat broke out on my forehead. Zane raised his hands, eyes never leaving me, like he wanted to do something to help, but had no idea what.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m just going to move slower for a little while.”
He dropped his hands. “That’s cool, that’s cool. Whatever you want.”
I’d never seen Zane act so submissive before, like anything I said could set him on edge. He dragged a chair from the corner of the room and sat across from me. I expected him to blather on about something—the Riptides championship victory, for example—and didn’t want to hear it.
“Why don’t you go ahead and tell me why you’re here?” I asked.
