Page 129 of Rewind It Back

“Rio, are you okay to drive back tonight?” Mr. Hart asks.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Good. Take Hallie home with you.”

“Dad—”

“As you said, the doctor told us that I’m fine. You’re going back to Chicago with him. You need to get back to your life. I’m not your responsibility anymore.” He looks to me. “Rio, you make sure she goes with you, okay? And be careful with my girl.”

That phrase feels too familiar. This situation feels like a recurring dream, and my throat goes tight when I realize he said the exact same thing to me the very first time I drove Hallie home.

Nodding, I swallow. “Always, sir.”

He smiles at me. “I knew I always liked you.”

“All right, Dad. No need to kiss his ass. He’s not that great.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I kind of thought you would have hated me by now, Mr. Hart.”

“Nope,” Hallie cuts in. “Dad, I don’t think you’ve missed more than a handful of Rio’s games since he’s been in the league, huh?”

He lifts a brow. “We both know I wasn’t the only one watching.”

I tilt my head as I look at her. “Oh, is that so?”

“Big hockey fan,” she says. “Couldn’t care less about the players themselves, though.” Hallie shoots me a smile to tell me she’s full of shit and does, in fact, care about one.

Mr. Hart grabs her hand again. “Hallie, go home. I love you but you need to go home. This isn’t on you anymore. I’m perfectly fine.”

I watch her watch him, as if she’s searching for any sign that he isn’t okay, before she eventually gives in. “Okay. But I’m going to call you tomorrow and check in.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He nods towards the door. “Go say goodbye to your brother. I want to talk to Rio for a minute.”

“Dad, please don’t.”

“Dying man, remember?”

Her attention darts to me, an apology written all over her face.

I shake her off, silently telling her I’m fine and that I can handle this. “I’ll meet you out there.”

She bends down to hug her dad before giving my arm a squeeze on the way out of the door. I close it behind her, giving us privacy, grabbing a chair in the corner and bringing it to his bedside so I can take a seat.

“You’re very lucky,” he starts.

“I know. I know I made some mis—”

“No, I mean you’rebothvery lucky. To have found each other again. Don’t throw it away this time.”

“I won’t. I’m trying not to, at least. Hallie’s not ready to forgive me, which I understand. I have no issue being patient and trying to make up for the years we missed.”

“She’s already forgiven you, Rio. But those years you didn’t see each other were not easy for her, so I don’t blame her for taking her time in letting you know that.” He eyes me for a moment. “Do you know why I’m here?”

I could make an educated guess, seeing how many signs I saw plastered on the walls of this building. This hospital is one of the top cancer research facilities in the country.

“I don’t know for certain.”

“I’m in remission from blood cancer. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. My second remission, actually. Today was thankfully only a scare, but that’s what our past six years have been consumed by. Me and this disease.”

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