by Lynn Rush
The pounding bass spilling into the hallway from the gymnasium didn’t do anything to help.
I grabbed her elbow and guided her down the hallway. It was a little darker but farther away from the noise.
“Where? I don’t know where that is. I—” She hiccupped as she started to cry. “Is she all right? Will she—” More sobs.
Her shoulders shook, and the sounds of her cries ripped a hole right through my chest. Someone must be hurt. Or—dead? Man, I knew that feeling. The tears, the crying, the… I rested my hand on her shoulder, then rubbed it across her upper back until my fingers went beneath her hair.
Hopefully, she found that as soothing as I had when I was freaking out over my mom dying. Dad had done that for me. I was hysterical, crying so hard I was almost going to puke. He’d directed me to a waiting room chair and sat with me. Tears streamed down his face as he sat there silently, rubbing my back.
It had worked, too. Not just that day, but the weeks to follow after her death. He’d done it for both Caleb and me. At least until he went MIA. I’d done it for Caleb plenty of times since then, and it seemed to work.
If only I had someone to do that for me these days.
Stepping closer, I tried to block out the thumping music still spilling in.
“Are they in the ambulance now?”
Oh no. An ambulance? Crap.
I towered over her by almost a foot, so I had to bend down a little. The nearest hospital was thirty miles away, but that didn’t matter. I’d take her if she needed a ride somewhere.
Her eyes were wide and filled with tears.
Even tears streaming down Willow’s face couldn’t dull her beauty.
But no way could I leave her now; she needed me. Someone was on their way to the hospital. I had to help. She was a teammate, too, so—
Yeah, it wasn’t that. I wanted to help her because she was Willow. The girl I cared about. Tough, frustrating, annoying, beautiful, strong… I needed to be there for her.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone to text Preach. I’d promised to hang with him and Pax at Layla’s after party, but that was a no go now.
“Thanks for letting me know.” Willow sniffled, then wiped the back of her hand beneath her eye. She shoved the phone into her little clutch thingy.
“What happened?”
She stared up at me for a breath; her eyes broke my heart. They were all bloodshot and red. So was her nose. “Ericka, my host family’s daughter, she got in a car accident. I lived with them for two years in Colorado. She’s a senior, too. She’s like my sister, Brodie, and they’re taking her to the hospital. It’s serious. Really serious.” Her chest heaved with a fresh round of sobs. “I just have to get out of here.” Her voice cracked. “Um, Matthew drove. I can—”
“I can drive you.” I offered her my hand. “We can go anywhere.”
“You sure?” I hated how small her voice sounded.
Normally, she was all up in my face, bantering, and her voice was strong, confident. But this teary-eyed Willow…this was not okay. Not okay at all.
She nodded and slid her hand into mine.
I guided her down the hallway, and she stumbled along, walking in a daze.
The doors burst open, and Matthew stormed out. He looked up the hallway, opposite our direction, then at us.
He marched toward me. “What’s going on?”
The doors burst open again, the music flooding in like a tidal wave. Preach, followed closely by Jessa, hustled through.
“You.” Preach pointed at Matthew. “Get off this campus!”
I hadn’t heard Preach yell that loud since he about throttled one of our teammates for disrespecting his girl. And that was more than two years ago.
I came to a stop a couple feet from Preach, pulling Willow closer. She didn’t resist, and for some reason, that gave me a warm feeling all through my chest. It was like she trusted me.
Matthew shoved Preach. “Get off me, man.”
“What’s going on?” I eased Willow behind me. “Preach?”
He pointed at Matthew, who stood there, legs bent, face red. “Found him in Coach’s office.”
“What?” Willow asked as she stepped from behind me.
“When you bolted out of the dance, he did, too, only not after you.” Preach shoved him again. “I found him in Coach’s office, looking at our playbook.”
Matthew’s jaw tightened. His glance went from Preach to Willow, then skimmed over me on its way back to Preach.
If that wasn’t an admission of guilt, I didn’t know what was.
“Matthew?” Willow’s voice cracked as Jessa came alongside her. “Is that true?”
He stared at her, saying nothing.
I stepped forward, standing to my full height. He dared come into my school and use Willow to spy on us for his team?
I fisted my hands, and before I got the full thought through my head, my knuckles cracked against Matthew’s cheek. A jolt of pain zipped into my forearm. Matthew’s head jerked to the side, and his body followed, doing a full spin.
Stutter-stepping, he stayed on his feet as he brought his hand to his face.
Preach jumped in front of me and pushed me back. “Go.”
Willow and Jessa were running down the other end of the hall toward the side exit. I chased after them, and we burst through the doors on the west side of the school. Just around the corner was the lot I’d parked in.
“What happened?” Jessa hugged Willow. “Is everything okay with Gramps?”
Willow shook her head, and tears started streaming again. “Ericka. She’s been in a really bad car accident. I need to get out of here. They’re going to call me with an update as soon as they have one.”
“Go.” Jessa pushed Willow toward me, then jetted back the way we came. “No one saw you hit him, Wind—we’ll cover.”
Within two minutes, we were both tucked into my Tahoe, and I was revving the engine to life. “Where can I take you? Do you want to go home?”
She let out a breath. “No, not home. Just away from here…away from Matthew.”
My stomach churned. Fucking Matthew Halliday. How dare he hurt Willow like this?
I knew he was an ass, a little bit of a player, but I never knew he was this jacked up. I hate that he hurt Willow. I pounded the steering wheel and let out a breath, willing my heart to stop hammering the air out of my lungs.
“I’m sorry, Willow. Matthew…Ericka.” I shook my head.
“Just get me out of here,” she said. “Please.”
“You got it.” No car in front of me, so I pulled forward and took a quick left, then right, and I was on Main Street.
“What about Pax? Won’t he need a designated driver?”
I huffed. “Nathaniel’s got him. His car is parked at home. He’s safe.”
She’s always thinking about other people. I admired that so hard about her.
She sagged into her seat, staring out the window, suddenly appearing exhausted.
We’d been hitting the ice in the early mornings, training, and I’d been pushing her hard. And she fought back harder and harder each time with a fire in her eyes that rivaled mine.
But tonight…not so much.
This sad Willow really scared me.
“I’m sure she’s going to be fine.”
Tears streamed over her cheeks; she didn’t even move to wipe them away. Her once nicely curled hair was all over the place, kind of matted and whipped around from the heat vent blowing warm air over us.
Again, she didn’t move to fix anything.
She looked so pretty in her black dress. Hugging all her curves. When I’d seen her and Matthew together at the dinner table at Taste of Rome, I’d about shit a hockey puck.
Then again, I’d known he was going to be there, I’d just hoped she’d
, for some reason, show up without him.
Willow wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hand.
I turned off Main Street and made two more lefts.
“Where are we going?” Willow’s voice shook.
“You know how the ice rink is our place to bolt when we need to chill out, decompress?” I glanced over at her as I veered around the corner to Oak Street. “I’ve got another place that helps almost as well.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Willow
“How is she?” I cradled the phone against my ear.
My host mother, Linda Foster, sniffled. “Punctured lung, broken collarbone, shattered femur, and she’s got a pretty nasty concussion.”
A solitary swing moved back and forth ever so slightly in the chilly wind that blew across the playground Brodie had driven us to.
“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry! But she’s going to be okay, right? I mean—” A sob stole my voice. My eyes burned as I gulped through the emotions.
Linda sniffled. “She’ll be fine, honey. She was very lucky.”
I took a big, calming breath. “So then what about speed skating? How long will she be out?”
“At this point, at least several weeks. We’ll have a better idea when the orthopedic doctors and other specialists assess her tomorrow morning.” The emotion in Linda’s voice cut through me like a razor-sharp knife.
I didn’t know what else to say. The desperate and overwhelming sadness I felt when I got injured and when Grams passed away started to creep in.
“I wish I was out there with you all.” I paced back and forth in front of the plastic barrier separating the grassy area from the mulched playground.
“I know you do, sweetheart. Listen, I have to go, but I’ll call or text you with an update as soon as we have one.”
I nodded. “Please tell Ericka that I love her, and I’m wishing her the speediest recovery of all time.”
“I will, dear. Goodbye for now.”
My lower lip started trembling as another round of burning tears bit at the corners of my eyes. “Bye.”
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the giant oak tree next to the bench Brodie sat on.
“What did she say?” he asked.
“She got in a terrible accident. A drunk driver T-boned her.” Tears dripped down my face and landed on the Boy’s Hockey Woodhaven High sweatshirt Brodie had given me.
He flinched, and his jaw tensed. “Drunk driver?”
I nodded and faced the sky. “I can’t believe this happened to her.”
“Come here.” He motioned for me to sit next to him on the bench overlooking the park.
“She has to have surgery, and her femur is shattered. She may never skate again.” The words tumbled out of my mouth.
“She’s a figure skater, too?”
“No, speed skater. She won silver at the Junior Speed Skating Championships last year.”
“Oh man…” Brodie shook his head. “I can’t imagine.”
Pain shot through my Achilles tendon. I hadn’t even done anything to make it hurt; it must have been sympathy pain for Ericka.
I sat next to Brodie and let my head fall into my hands as my elbows dug into my legs. A wave of fatigue slammed into me. My body felt instantly heavy, and my ears burned.
Brodie placed his hand on my back. “Can I do anything to help?”
“No…just keep her in your thoughts.” I lifted my head and stared across the vacant playground. “It’s hard to believe…just like that, in the blink of an eye, someone’s entire life can change.”
Brodie flinched again and pulled his hand away from my back. But instead of placing it at his side, he rested it on top of mine.
“Oh shit, Brodie,” I said, suddenly remembering how his mom had died.
His nostrils flared, then he glanced skyward and drew in a deep breath. “When my mom was killed, it—it was like getting hit by a freight train. Me, Dad, Caleb, we were all shell-shocked. Completely lost. Unable to function. Dad is still struggling the most. He’s drinking way too much, and he’s constantly gone. He says he’s got business trips, but I dunno. Shit is really difficult.”
“I’m sorry. This has got to be so hard for you.” I shook my head. “And here you are, taking care of me.”
“I’m glad I can be here for you. I want to be here for you.”
I wanted to be there for him, too. It had to be hard talking with people about his mom, but since he’d opened up to me about her tonight, I felt like I could ask. “What was your mom like?”
“Supportive. I remember that most about her. Always behind me, no matter what. Even when I fell flat on my face.” He grinned and looked out over the park. “And her eyes. They were a pretty bright blue, and they always lit up when she saw me or Caleb. But all she had to do was give us the look with those eyes, and we knew we were up a creek.”
“I bet you got in trouble a lot.”
“A little.” He winked at me, but a sadness dulled his bright brown eyes, and he slumped against the back of the bench we were sitting on. “Oh, and she smelled like roses. All the time.”
“She sounds like an amazing person.”
“She was. I miss her all the time.”
My heart sagged, and it felt like a ten-pound weight in my chest.
“Life is really unfair.” I shook my head. “It sucks.”
“It sucks hard.” Brodie shifted more, facing me full-on as much as he could, sitting beside me on this bench. “I did learn something through the shitstorm that followed my mom’s death, though…”
“What?”
He got to his feet, still holding my hand. “Follow me.”
He led me across the mulch and to the swing that was still moving in the wind.
“What are you doing?”
He got behind it and held the chains with his hands. “Have a seat.”
“You learned to swing?” I sat and held on to the chains that ran up to a thick metal pole above our heads.
“Nope.” Brodie placed his hands above mine and pulled me backward until my feet were off the ground. “I learned to live each day to its fullest. Tomorrow isn’t promised. It helped me survive. I mean, I’m not reckless or anything, but I don’t take anything for granted anymore.”
“Makes sense.” Warmth from how close he was holding me to him cascaded over me like warm bathwater. His sweet, woodsy scent was a balm to my aching heart.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded.
He let go of the chains, and I went flying through the chilly air.
“The other thing is I try to be honest with everyone. You know, say what needs to be said, live life with no regrets or whatever.” He gave me another push that sent me soaring even higher.
Say what needs to be said…
I was glad he couldn’t see my face as I cringed. I’d been keeping a huge secret from him: my feelings.
“Speaking of…”
I glanced over my shoulder.
Did he just read my mind?
Brodie caught the swing and slowed me to a stop. In one swift move, he spun me around, making an X above my head with the chains.
“Willow, I have…I mean, I—”
He shook his head and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, he pulled me forward until we were eye to eye.
Instead of waiting for him to finish, I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his face toward mine. With my feet still off the ground, our lips met.
Heat burst along my lips, carving a fiery path through my chest and pooling in my stomach. A wave of fluttering rippled through my body. He leaned toward me, opening his mouth. My fingers found their way into his silky hair, and I tilted his head.
The sweet taste of mint and chocolate tickled my tastebuds as I deepened
the kiss. Everything around me melted away. The heat radiating off him chased away the chill nipping at the air, and I pulled him closer, wishing he wasn’t holding the swing so he could wrap his arms around me.
Suddenly, the chains clanked, and I was sent flying backward.
“Oh my God! I didn’t mean to let go.”
Brodie took a step toward me, but I was quicker. I jumped out of the swing, then leaped into his arms.
He curled his arms around my lower back, securing me to him, and I melted against him, absorbing his heat, his comfort…him.
I leaned back slightly, still holding him close to see his reaction. Was he okay with this? I’d kind of tackled him without thinking it through, but after hearing what he said about his mom, not taking things for granted…
How could I not?
His gaze shifted to my lips, and he drew in a deep breath. “Willow…”
Our mouths crashed together with a spark, and he pulled me even closer. I wasn’t sure how that was possible, but he did. His heart raced, thumping against my chest, and it turned into a drum duet because mine was pounding just as wildly.
The frigid air whipped around us, sending strands of my hair flying into Brodie’s face, but I didn’t feel the chill. All I felt was Brodie. His heat. His warmth. His mouth.
I kissed him deeper, drinking in his taste, his breath. It was everything I’d dreamed it would be. Gentle but urgent. I could almost taste the punch I’d seen him drinking earlier, but somehow, I took the kiss even deeper, needing to be closer to him. How he’d stood up to Matthew, and how he’d whisked me away after hearing about Ericka. Even how he’d opened up to me about his mom.
There was so much more to Brodie Windom than I could have imagined. He wasn’t just the tough hockey player. No, he was different. Special.
And I wanted to get to know him better.
“Whoa,” Brodie murmured against my mouth, then nipped at my bottom lip.
“Double whoa.” I pulled back and grinned. “That was…”
“Awesome.” He was still holding me, but his smile faltered.
“What’s wrong?”
He gently placed me back on my feet and led me over to the bench overlooking the little park.
“Willow, I like you.” He twined his fingers with mine and shifted to face me more. “A lot.”