Page 77 of Wicked Serve

“Talk to him,” I say, grabbing his hand. “Please.”

He nods. “I will. And I’ll be back later.” He leaves me with another kiss.

As the door clicks shut behind him, Mom sweeps back her hair, a tight frown on her face. “I need to figure out what’s going on. Let me find the nurse.”

When we’re alone, Dad bends over and kisses me lightly on the forehead, right above the stitches, before settling into the chair next to the bed. He groans, tipping his head back. For a minute, we don’t speak. I fiddle with the tape on my sprained wrist.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” I say quietly.

“It’s okay, darling. I’m just glad you’re safe.” He gives the monitor a glance as it beeps softly. There’s no anger in his expression, only weariness and concern. Same as when I broke my arm at nine, concussed myself for the first time at thirteen, nearly got arrested at seventeen. This is the latest disappointment, and I have to face it. “Why don’t you tell me what really happened?”

Chapter 38

Nikolai

By the time I reach the hallway, Cooper is gone. I take the stairs to the lobby, slipping past the nurse from earlier before she notices me, and step into the cold, clear evening. The sweat on my body dried long ago, but I’m still filled with adrenaline, relief and guilt warring inside me.

I had no idea I was going to introduce myself like that, but it felt right. It was the only answer I could give, the only one that mattered. Things haven’t been casual for a long time, and honestly... maybe they never were. I have no idea when or how the other shoe will drop, but for now, I want nothing more than to belong to her, and for her to belong to me. My Isabelle. Even if it shatters my shot at belonging on my last hockey team.

“—were going to tell me,” Cooper is saying.

I step around the building quietly. Cooper stands with Sebastian and Penny underneath the light of a streetlamp. He has his back to me, frustration evident in the stiff set of his shoulders.

“It wasn’t my news to tell,” Sebastian replies, his voice clipped.

“And then you called him?”

“He deserved to know.”

Cooper makes a noise of disgust. “When it’s his fault this happened?”

“You don’t know what happened. Neither of us do.” Sebastian takes a step closer to his brother, arms open, placating. “What if it had been Penny? You’d have bitten my head off if I tried to keep that from you. He deserved the choice about whether to show up.”

“And he did,” Penny says as she rubs Cooper’s back. “He looked like a wreck. He cares about her.”

For a moment, I consider finding another way to my car. I doubt anything I could say right now would make things better. But Isabelle asked me to talk to him. I can’t go home without trying.

“I do care,” I say, stepping out of the shadows. “What happened—it was my fault, but I care about her.”

Cooper studies me. “How long?”

“What?”

“You know what I mean. How long?”

I hesitate. “Since the summer.” I’m not sure how the fuck to approach this, what Isabelle actually wants me to share. “It was just casual at first, we didn’t label anything, but now... it’s not.”

“Why?” He crosses his arms over his chest, practically spitting out the word. “Did you do it to have something else to taunt me with?”

I laugh shortly. “No. Jesus, no. I did it because I liked her.”

“And you’ve been keeping it secret the whole time? Both of you?”

“It wasn’t your business,” I say, unable to keep the growl out of my voice.

“She’s my sister and you’re my—my teammate. I’d say that means you could have said fucking something. In Ryder’s office, you even lied and said she wasn’t your type.”

Exhaustion settles into my bones, dousing the anger. I nearly sway on my feet. “And who do you think wanted to keep it a secret?”

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