Page 9 of The Tape Job
“Fuck’s sake, John. I’m not going into it right now. I told you that. All you need to know is that if I can get a spot next seasonwith—”
“Is this because of Vicky?” Johnny gives me a look that could kill, but Liam jumps to his feet, as if to ward him off. I jump up too, because I don’t trust Johnny’s fury.
I try to shove Johnny away, he stumbles backwards and regains his footing, acting as if nothing has happened.
“Lee. Is this because of Vicky?” Johnny asks again.
“No. I told you. It’s my knee,” Liam says, and Johnny glances between him and me. “It’s my knee, John. My knee.”
“Fuck. I didn’t realise it was that bad,” Johnny says, finally giving in.
There’s a flash of something in Liam’s eyes that tells me there is more to this than his knee, and I think Johnny has hit the nail on the head.
“John, please can you give us a moment?” I say.
He doesn’t want to, I can tell, but he walks backwards and sinks into the darkness of his bedroom, not even bothering to turn the light on before slamming the door.
“Johnny’s pissed,” I say, nonchalantly. “And I’d wager that he was right when he asked if it was because of me. Liam? Are you quitting because of me?”
His eyebrows do a weird twitch, standard for him, and his silence tells me what I suspect is true, but he doesn’t answer me.
“I’m not quitting, I’m retiring. But I don’t want to come here next season and have any awkwardness or whatever. I also don’t want you to be in a position where you’re not comfortable with me being here. This is your home now after all.”
He shifts on the spot and plays with the coins he’s got in his pocket, and I know he’s not going to give me any more information right now.
“Do what you need to do, Lee. But don’t quit hockey for my sake.”
We just stare at each other for a moment, and then he lifts his arm up, as if to touch my cheek. His hand hangs in theair and I want to reach out and take it in my own, but I back away. I should be so pissed at him right now, but he looks so sad and I don’t have any energy left to argue.
I don’t have anywhere to storm off to, so I mutter about needing to use the bathroom, and I slip inside, locking the door behind me. I sit on the edge of the bath as I wait for him to leave, listening to every single sound that seeps under the tiny gap in between the door and its frame.
Finally, there’s shuffling and mumbled speech and then a faint knock on the door.
“Vic, I’m going now, but I’ll call you, okay?”
I hesitate for a moment before throwing back a weak, “Okay.” And then he’s gone.
Chapter 3
Liam
Present Day
I sit across from Ryan, picking at a bagel I don’t really want; my stomach is tight with nerves.
“It won’t be that bad,” I say, trying to trick myself into thinking that because I say it, it must be true. I pop a chunk of bagel into my mouth and chew, trying to get something in me since I don’t know how long it’ll be until they serve food on the flight to Heathrow.
“I promise I’ll try not to be so bossy. We’ll be back on form in no time, bro. Trust me.”
I give Ryan a line I know he wants to hear. Since we’ve not played together properly in a long-ass time, I know he’s feeling anxious about how things will work out for us once we hit the ice. I’m confident, and I know he workedhard with the winger I’m replacing, Scott McCoy. Knowing Ryan, it probably feels like he’s starting over.
“Johnny seems to think we’ve got a chance at the Challenge Cup with the team we’ll have,” Ryan says, but a flash of blonde hair from a crowd of people behind him shifts my mind to Vicky. Panic sets in. Shit. Maybe going to the UK isn’t such a good idea after all.
“Do you think I’m making a mistake?” I ask. It comes out before I can properly consider my words.
“Is this about Vicky?” he asks, his left brow twitching.
I have so much to say, but I hesitate, my thoughts spinning. Thankfully, Jen appears from the washrooms and sits down next to Ryan, causing a distraction. He wraps his arm around her shoulders, and the whole scene makes me miss Vicky even more.
