Page 108 of Penalty to the Heart

Fuck.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

“All I need is five minutes, Bellamy. You have my word that I won’t try anything funny. I just want to talk.”

His eyebrows pinch together at the center of his forehead, thinking long and hard about my unexpected request. Thankfully, he must see the sincerity in my eyes because, a minute later, he relents with a quick nod.

“Fine. Follow me,” he says curtly before walking outside to a secluded veranda.

I get it. He probably thinks that me wanting to talk with him is just a ruse to punch him again. And if that’s the case, it might as well happen where lingering eyes won’t see. And when I say lingering eyes, I mean management. After all, I did get suspended for throwing the first punch. No way Bellamy will risk his spot on the team for throwing one of his own in retaliation.

“Okay. You got my attention. Talk,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That’s fair. There really is no need for me to beat around the bush. I should just come out and say what’s been weighing on my mind. The way I acted that day in the player tunnel was completely uncalled for. It was childish of me to act like that, not to mention completely unprofessional. I should have welcomed you with open arms and made you feel like you belonged here. That’s what Jack would have done. That’s what any good person would have done. And I… fucking did the opposite. And for that, I’m sorry. I really am.”

Bellamy just stares at me, wide-eyed in shock.

“I must admit that’s not what I expected you to say when you asked to talk to me. In fact, I thought you wanted to punch me again for getting you suspended.”

“That wasn’t on you, Bellamy. That shit was on me. I’m the one that fucked things up. I was already on thin ice before you came along. Trust me.”

“So your problem was never with me?”

“No. I would have punched any motherfucker that I thought was trying to steal my brother’s legacy. Like I said, this was never on you. I’m the asshole here. All I can do is apologize for you getting caught in the crosshairs of me and my bad temper.”

“Thank you,” he retorts, honestly grateful. “Not everyone would have had the courage to admit such shortcomings.”

“I’m just sorry it took me this long to apologize.”

“Not a problem.” Bellamy looks at his feet in thought before lifting his gaze at me again. “How is he? How is Jack?”

“Hanging in there,” I say, because what else can I say? That my brother is still in a coma, fighting for his life? Nah. That would just bum him out, and he already has enough on his plate as it is.

“I always liked him, you know? Hell, I even looked up to him. Even when I was playing for the Mavericks, with everyone telling me that we were enemies, I couldn’t help but admire him. I always thought Jack was the kind of player everyone aspired to become. He was one of the good ones.”

“Still is,” I correct.

“Yes. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I shrug, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“I… umm… I know what you’re going through,” he adds sheepishly. “Losing family, or even the risk of losing someone you love, well, it… changes you. Makes you look at life differently.”

I nod, not wanting to tell him I know about his daughter.

If Piper and Trent have been doing everything in their power to keep his daughter’s condition under wraps and away from the public, then it’s because Bellamy wants it that way.

And I get it. God, do I get it.

It’s bad enough that you have to pretend your world isn’t falling apart whenever you’re harassed for autographs or selfies anytime you visit your loved one at the hospital, then have the added pressure of announcing it to the world just to see your family’s misery being broadcasted on the eight o’clock news.

Been there, done that.

If respecting his privacy is what Bellamy needs, then that’s exactly what he’s going to get from me.

“So, are we good?” I ask, extending my hand.

“Yeah, man. We’re good,” he says, giving me a handshake.

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