For a moment, I felt him. I felt my father coursing through my veins and I wanted to hurt Hines. He’s always saying shit like that. I shouldn’t have expected anything different.

Chapter 12

Willa

The cast on my ankle is irritating and itchy.

It’s better than having to get surgery, but I was given an estimated healing time of six to eight weeks. Six to eight weeks too long of no ice time.

After finals this week we’ll have a few weeks off before training starts again, but who knows when I’ll be able to get this cast off.

I told Coach Higgins everything. I was completely honest and thought he’d sympathize with me, having known his wife cheated on him. But he was more disappointed I risked the injury than anything. He wouldn’t even look at me.

After the final, I wobble out to the hall and rest against the wall. Carter was still inside, but I didn’t sit next to him since I needed to stay close to the door.

He actually did it. He kept his head down the entire semester and the Coach never figured out he was the same guy who had an affair with his wife. Maybe Carter is on to something. Being bad means you get away with shit. I was nice and told the truth and now I’m facing being cut from my team. I should’ve lied and said I fell down the stairs.

Using my crutches, I hop outside and slowly hobble down the steps. When I get to the last step, I get overexcited for making it all the way down. I lose my grip and the balance I had, and fall down on my ass with a smack against the concrete. I sit as if I meant to rest.

I don’t want to walk home. I did that the other day and was left with a cramp in my good calf and had a rash under my arms. The rash is still there.

I call Luca for a ride, but he’s already out.

“I can’t talk right now, Willa-bean. Is everything ok?” There’s a weird buzzing sound through the phone and someone screams in the distance.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll catch you later.” I hang up and try Jocelyn, but it goes to voicemail.

I try Kandi as my last resort.

“Sorry babe,” she says over the sound of Dani’s car. “We’re running some errands for the skate gala right now. Unless you want to wait a half hour?”

“No thanks, I’ll try someone else.”

She’s busy getting ready for the Delta Nu charity event that I’ll now be missing out on. Being broken sucks.

I sit and wait, preparing myself for the long walk home. It’s less than a mile and normally very doable if I wasn’t hobbling on one leg with the assist of two aluminum sticks and a hard rubber that digs into my armpits. The stupid towels I taped around the tops keep slipping off. I should’ve begged for the scooter, but the doctor didn’t want me injuring my knee.

I’m dreading the hike home, but it’s getting cold sitting out on the steps next to the snow-covered lawn. I’m even considering calling Vic. He owes me. I sent him a text as soon as I got my phone and told him never to speak to me again.

He found out what had happened and sent an apology text. He came by the house to see me the other day but Jocelyn threatened him to leave. I didn’t want to see or hear him.

But right now, I’m desperate.

“Did you fall on your ass?”

I look up to see Carter standing above me.

“Sort of,” I say and hold out my crutches. “Care to give a girl a lift?”

With a shrug, he bends down and picks me up into his arms.

“I meant in a car,” I screech.

“I’m carrying you to my car.” Without any effort, he carries me through the parking lot and I’m reminded of those thick, hard muscles under his coat. Then I also remember how he left me to have a threesome just to prove a point that guys aren’t nice.

He may be saving me again, but he’s still an ass.

He sits me in his truck and throws my crutches in the back. “Where to?”