by Emma Tharp
Instead of answering right away, I fill a mug with coffee and add a few splashes of creamer before having a seat across from him at the table.
"I'm glad Mom’s at church. We need to talk."
"Okay. What is it?" His tone carries a note of impatience. Surprise, surprise.
I take a swallow of my coffee and set the mug on the glossy finished table. "I have a few questions for you."
He pulls off his reading glasses, then crosses his arms. "Quit beating around the bush."
The man is sitting here doing nothing but reading the paper, yet having a conversation with me appears to be a huge inconvenience. I’m not surprised at his impatience with me though. Why would he make time to spend with me unless it was something to benefit him?
"What did you say to Gavin?"
"What on earth do you mean?"
So, this is the game he's going to play. Deny, deny, deny.
"My boyfriend, Gavin Hunt. Last night, he all of a sudden decided that we should cool things down. Without warning. I think you have something to do with it." My words carry venom and my heart hammers in my chest.
"I don't know what you mean."
I dig my fingers into the arm of the chair so hard, I think they might break. "Are you telling me you didn't speak to Gavin?"
He pauses a moment too long. "No. I told you he’s no good for you. I'm sure this is for the best."
He's lying right to my face. I feel it in every cell of my body. I push up to stand and walk right next to his chair.
"Make this right. He’s a good person and I was happy with him. I'll never forgive you if you ruin this," I spit out, jabbing my finger in his chest with every word.
He’s so stunned, he doesn't say anything.
I pull the necklace he gave me out of my pocket and slam it on the table. “I don’t want your money or your gifts! All I want is your love and you’re too blind to see it.” My muscles are so tight, the cords of my neck ache. “If you ever want to speak to me again, I suggest you apologize to Gavin. Make this right!”
I storm out the door and race to my car. Who knows what I was thinking coming here? That he might tell me the truth? It's laughable. He's not going to take accountability for his actions.
Tears fall down my cheeks as I drive back to the sorority house. I'm afraid my father has completely ruined everything and I have no idea how to change it.
Twenty-Two
Gavin
This game sucks.
We’re down by two goals with just under two minutes left in the game. We should be crushing Colgate, and yet here we are, pathetically losing. Despite our best attempts as a team, it looks like today will be the day we break our winning streak.
When my shift ends, and I have done zero to help the team, I slump down on the bench. My head hangs and I’m in the foulest mood possible. What's worse is Coach doesn't even reprimand any of us coming off the ice for our shitty performance. I'd rather hear Coach Cohen screaming at me than this awful silence.
A win today could’ve helped get me out of this funk, but I doubt it. A loss is only going to make me feel worse.
Yesterday was a total fucking debacle. When I walked into the lion's den, my meeting with the dean, I had no idea he was ready to eat me alive.
There's been a dull ache in my chest ever since I sent the stupid text. I’ve had to avoid her, her calls, and texts. It’s been brutal.
She told me she loves me, and that's not something I take lightly. I'm a complete idiot for letting myself believe that Stella and I had a future together. I allowed myself to imagine one day in the future getting down on one knee to propose to her. I'd be in the NHL and she would be a doctor. We’d have a damn good life together.
The buzzer rings, signaling the end of the game. My team lumbers back towards the locker room, all of us with vacant eyes and sagging posture. I don't think we’ve felt this defeated all season.
I'm at the end of the line of guys. Just outside the doorway to the locker room, someone clears their throat. I look over my shoulder.
When my eyes land on Dean Chambers, a pulse seems to beat in my throat, making it hard to draw a full breath. What the fuck is he doing here?
He crooks his finger in my direction for me to come toward him. What more could he want from me? I broke up with Stella. I have nothing else to give him.
Every instinct is telling me to flee, but the asshole has me by the balls. I nearly falter as I step toward him.
He scans the area with his beady eyes, surely because he doesn't want anyone to overhear our conversation.
"You said you wouldn't tell Stella we talked," he says with so much venom in his tone, I take a step back.
"I didn't."
His eyes are hard and cold as he glares at me. He reminds me of an angry pitbull, ready to pounce any second and chew my head off.
"Well, she believes that I'm the reason for your breakup.”
"You are." Asshole.
An ugly blue vein pulses on his forehead. "It's your job to tell her your breakup isn't my fault. Because deep down, you know this is what's best for Stella. You'll ruin her life and only drag her down. If you love Stella, you'll do what's best for her and stay away."
My entire body tenses and I clench my teeth so hard I'm sure I've lost enamel. How fucking dare he? I want to fight back with every cell in my body, but there's nothing I can do. I have no leverage.
I’m not sure I’ve ever hated anyone this much.
With a raised chin, I give him a sharp nod. "No problem. It's done. But this is it. Now you have to leave me alone."
"Fine. Get this done. Soon," he sneers before tromping away.
It takes every ounce of restraint in my body to not race after him and tackle him to the floor and punch the smug look off his face.
I let my rage simmer before scuffing back into the locker room.
Justin, still in his gear, is sitting on the bench in front of his locker. "Hey."
"What’s up?"
He leans forward, and rests his forearms on his legs. "You want to tell me what all that was about?"
I drop down on the bench next to him. "I don't know. The team crumbled. Wish we could've pulled out a win, but it wasn't in the cards today."
"No. The game was a total fuck-up, but that's not what I'm asking. What did Stella's father want?"
Instead of looking at him, I bend down to untie a skate and yank it off. I need a minute to collect myself.
"Yesterday, he told me if I didn't break up with Stella, he would pull my scholarship and take away my spot on the team." The rage I felt a couple of minutes ago bubbles back to the surface and tightens the muscles of my jaw.
"I'm sure there's something you can do. You should talk to Stella."
I shake my head. This is all I’ve thought about. I can’t find a way out of this. "My back is against the wall."
As much as I'd love to talk to Stella about this, I fear the repercussions. She must have suspected something and gone to confront her father. It's the only reason he would show up here today.
Justin slumps back against his locker, his chin lowering toward his chest. "This day fucking sucks."
I've been in my own head so much, I didn't realize Justin is carrying some shit around today too.
"What's up, man?"
"I suspected that Miles was cheating on his girlfriend, but I just got confirmation. He's such a dick for treating her that way. She's a nice girl and doesn't deserve it."
"What are you going to do?"
I'm sure he’s stuck between his loyalty as Miles’ friend and his distaste for the situation.
He puffs his cheeks with air and blows it all out. "I don't know."
"You have to tell her the truth," I say. I like Miles, but screwing a girl over and cheating on her isn't right.
"Funny. Isn't that the advice I just gave you?" Sarcasm drips from his tone.
"This isn't the same. It's not that simple." I wish my problem were something that easy.
As I strip down and get in the shower, I can't help but envy all of the guys who don't have to worry about a scholarship. But I can’t think like that. I am grateful I get to do what I love—play hockey. Now, that’s going to have to be enough.
After my shower, I dry off, get dressed, and say goodbye to the guys. Then, I drive to the lab. Stella and I don't have a scheduled meet-up, but all of our samples will be ready to analyze. The work will give me something to keep my mind off this terrible situation.
I'm angry with myself for getting so attached to Stella. I knew better. But Stella made me believe I deserve love. To have it torn away is like having my heart ripped from my chest. My heart is broken and I know I broke hers too. I thought I wouldn’t know what to do if someone loved me.
Now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do without it.
Twenty-Three
STELLA
All of the bright colors of the vegetables along the salad bar and the rich smells of bubbling soups at the restaurant should have my stomach growling with hunger, since I haven't had anything to eat today, but my appetite seems to have vanished along with my relationship with Gavin.
My plate is full as I take my seat in the booth across from Harper.
"Fill me in on everything that happened with your father," Harper says.
“He’s lying to me. I could tell."
Harper takes a sip of her Coke and frowns.
"I hate paper straws.” She yanks it out of her drink and drops it on the table. “What did he say?"
I jab my fork into a few spinach leaves as if I'm stabbing them within an inch of their lives, darkening their color and creating a wilted, unappetizing mess. "He acted innocent, like he has no idea why Gavin would all of a sudden break up with me. But I wasn't buying it."
Harper's mouth is full and a dollop of blue cheese dressing drips down the corner of lip. She wipes her face with her napkin and looks at me pointedly. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"
I hang my head, wishing I had a good answer to this. "I don't know. Gavin won't answer my calls or my texts."
"Maybe you should corner him somewhere. Don't take no for an answer and put him on the spot. You'll be able to tell if he's lying to you."
"But what if it isn't my dad and he's just done with me? It doesn't make any sense."
With a fork full of salad, she points at me. "Don't go over-analyzing this before you talk to him. He has some explaining to do so you can work things out or move on.”
Move on? How?
"I told him I loved him. And when we were together, I know I wasn't imagining he felt the same about me. There has to be more to this." I push my plate off to the side and slump back in my seat.
"If he doesn't give you the answers you're looking for, I will personally go to one of his hockey games and throw things at him on the ice."
I smirk, because I know my dear friend Harper, as well intended as she is, would probably do something stupid like that.
My phone buzzes and vibrates on the table with an incoming call. I don't recognize the number. I almost ignore the call, but something tells me to lift the phone to my ear and answer.
"Hello."
"Stella, do you have a minute to talk?" It's a familiar male voice, but I can't quite recall who it belongs to.
"Sure. Who is this?"
“It’s Justin.”
My jaw drops open. I cover the bottom of my phone and mouth to Harper who it is. “Hi, Justin. What’s up?”
He lets out a heavy breath. “I need to tell you something, even though Gavin doesn’t know I’m doing this.”
My heart stops beating and I sit still like a statue. “Okay.”
“Your dad showed up to the locker room after our game today and pulled Gavin aside. I overheard the entire conversation.”
“Oh my gosh. My dad put Gavin up to breaking up with me, didn’t he?” I knew it, and now all I need is for Justin to verify it.
“Yeah, he did. If Gavin didn’t end things with you, your father told him he’d lose his spot on the team and his scholarship.”
I swat the table hard with my hand, sending a jarring pain up my wrist. Harper’s eyes widen to double their size. “My father is a total dick! How dare he?”
The sound of large trucks driving in the distance streams through the line. Justin’s on the road. “I thought you should know. It’s not right. Gavin’s a great hockey player and an even better guy. He doesn’t deserve that.”
“You’re right. Thank you for telling me,” I say.
“No problem. Gavin was on his way to the lab if you want to try and catch him.”
“Yes. Thank you so much, Justin. I owe you. But I need a favor. Do you have your coach’s phone number?”
He only hesitates for a moment. “Sure. I’ll text it to you.”
I end the call and explain everything Justin just told me to Harper.
She digs through her wallet and pulls out some cash. “Let’s get out of here. You can drop me off at the sorority house and go get your man.”
As soon as I drop off Harper, I put the car in park in the driveway and harness all my courage. I know what I need to do, but this is way out of my comfort zone. I stretch my neck from side to side, fill my lungs with a massive swallow of air, and dial Coach Cohen’s number.
His line rings and rings, and my pulse picks up as the seconds move on, but there’s no answer. His machine picks up.
Damn it.
I leave a message.
Hello, my name is Stella Chambers, Dean Chambers’ daughter. If you could call me back at your earliest convenience, I’d appreciate it.
I leave my number and end the call.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I should say who I am. But if telling him I’m the dean’s daughter gets him to call me back, I’ll use it to my advantage.
My phone rings and the display reads Coach Cohen’s number.
Before I pick up, I shake out my hands and blow out a breath.
“Hello, this is Stella.” I say, somehow sounding steady and confident.
“Hi Stella, this is Aaron Cohen. I got your message. Is there something I can help you with?” He has a pleasant voice. Much different than the shouting I usually hear from him during games from the sideline.
I squeeze the steering wheel with my hand, gripping it tight. “Thank you for returning my call. I need to talk to you about Gavin Hunt.”
“Okay. What about him? He’s a great player.”
“Yes. He is. That’s why I need to ask you if there’s any way he could lose his spot on the team.”
Coach Cohen hesitates. I can imagine the look of confusion on his face. “Well, sure. Hypothetically yes. What’s this about? Has he got himself in trouble?”
“No. No. It’s the opposite. This is going to sound strange, but it’s important for me to have clarity.” I clear my throat. “Gavin is my boyfriend. As I told you on my message, Dean Chambers is my father. He doesn’t approve of me dating Gavin. Dad thinks I should be with a man of his choosing. I’m nineteen and I choose Gavin. He’s smart, talented, and he cares for me. And, as you know, he’s passionate about hockey. My father has tried to use this to his advantage.”
A dog barks in the background. “I’m sorry, but I’m not following. What did your dad do?”
I grind my teeth together as my body flushes with anger at my father’s actions. “He threatened Gavin’s scholarship and spot on the team if Gavin didn’t break up with me.”
“Wait. Gavin hasn’t done anything wrong, like break any school rules? For example, hazing, cheating or plagiarizing?”
“Absolutely not. He’s done everything by the book. Gavin is a hard worker in and out of the classroom. He doesn’t deserve to be punished for simply dating me.”
He pauses. “You’re absolutely sure that he hasn’t broken any code of conduct? This is important.”
“No,” I say with complete certainty.
“Then he has nothing to worry about. At all. He’s been a huge asset to th
e team, and I keep track of all my players’ grades. Gavin’s are excellent. My suggestion for you would be to talk to you father. Be straight with him. If he doesn’t have proof that Gavin did anything wrong, he can’t pull his scholarship or his spot on the hockey team.”
It’s as if he’s lifted a boulder off my shoulders. His advice about my dad is solid, but I’ve already tried. I don’t know what more I can do with him. “Thank you, Coach Cohen. I appreciate your time.”
“You’re welcome. It sounds like Gavin found himself a good girlfriend.”
“Thank you. I’m pretty lucky to have found him too.” Now I only hope we can repair this somehow.
Fifteen minutes later, I pull up outside of the science building and race toward it. I run, and that’s something I don’t make a habit of doing.
A guy carrying a stack of books seems to come out of nowhere, directly into my path. My forward momentum won’t allow me to stop before I take the guy out, sending all of the books cascading to the ground. Pages blow everywhere, while shock registers on the poor guy’s face.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry!” I say, as I lean over and help him pick up a few of the books scattered across the cold ground. It’s the best I can do. I need to get inside. I nearly sprint as I approach the building. I’ll be so mad if Gavin has already left before I get a chance to see him.
My heart has been hammering in my chest since the second the phone call came in at dinner. I only hope I'm not too late and Gavin is still in the lab.
I cross the threshold to the room, out of breath, to find Gavin cleaning up the worktop.
He stands stock still at my approach, and turns to face me. A look of cool, guarded surprise flits across his face. "What are you doing here?"
I drag in a full breath—with some difficulty—before I speak. "I was hoping to run into you."
His navy eyes darken in warning, but his clean, stormy scent is an invite I can’t ignore.
"You shouldn't have come."
Showing up isn’t a mistake. Right or wrong, I had to.
I swallow hard, gather up my courage, and fight back the tears that want to fall. "I want to talk to you, Gavin. Did you finish the lab without me? Even though I'm not your girlfriend, we’re still partners."