Page 112 of The Tape Job
“Ryan will get suspended!” Jen shrieks before pushing past me towards the dressing room. I hurry along behind her.
We arrive just in time to see a fist approaching Matt, then Danny and Bettsy enter the room and nudge us out of the way.
“This is completely ridiculous,” Jen says, turning towards Danny. “Get Ryan off him now, Danny. Or I’ll never forgive you.”
Danny swiftly drags Ryan away, and then it’s Liam’s turn to throw a punch. He’s pulled away by Bettsy.
My heart drops in my chest because I know Liam’s previous hit on Johnny was a warning, and this will definitely be a suspension if Coach finds out. Next thing I know, Johnny also swings at Matt, then Coach bursts in.
“What the hell is going on?” he bellows. Every gaze falls on Matt, who is now bleeding. His nose is streaming red, and he uses the sleeve of his jersey to control the flow.
But the next voice is Liam’s.
“Touch her again, and I’ll fucking kill you. That’s a promise.”
Coach looks like he’s on fire. Even I’m terrified of him. “Everyone out, except you lot,” he says, pointing at Johnny, Liam, Ryan and Matt.
I begin to protest, but I’m quickly pulled away and lined up with everyone in the tunnel.
“What the hell happened?” Danny asks, and I waste no time telling him what he said to Jen. Before continuing my recount, Coach emerges from the dressing room and stands in front of me.
“My office, now,” he says, before disappearing out of sight.
I hesitate for a moment before hurrying along after him, tapping on the door that swings open immediately.
“Coach, please don’t suspend Liam—” I begin, but he interrupts me.
“Did Rodgers offer you money in exchange for sexual favours?” he asks abruptly.
“I, uh, yes. ButI didn’t—”
“Well, it appears that he had no problem boasting about his attempt to your brother and both Preston boys. Of course, this provoked a response from everyone, but I wanted you to know that I don’t tolerate such behaviour.”
I’m confused for a moment, thinking he means that he doesn’t tolerate the retaliation, but he goes on to say that he’s suspending Matt and will look to investigate further.
I can’t help myself. The next thing I know, I’m filling Coach in on what Matt said to Jen.
“Christ, no wonder they were so keen to get rid of him,” Coach says under his breath before dismissing me.
I slip out of his office and into the tunnels, almost walking into Liam. It appears to be his turn to eavesdrop.
“I want to know everything he said to you,” he says. Giving no warning, he pulls me into him and holds me tightly to his chest. And for some reason, I start to cry.
“It doesn’t matter now anyway,” I say.
He pulls back, kisses my cheek and wipes away a tear that rolls down my face. “It matters to me. You always matter to me.”
As I’m beckoned by Jen towards the ice because the guys have a game to play, Liam’s words ring in my head.You always matter to me.
But I didn't tell him. I couldn't face saying those words out loud again. I wanted to let it go.
Chapter 29
Liam
I’ll always remember the first Christmas I spent with Vicky. I’d been pleading with my mom for weeks to let Vicky join us for the holidays, but she reminded me she had her own family and her own parents, who would probably want to spend time with her.
We went skating on the morning of Christmas Eve. I’d bought her a new scarf, and I was so excited to gift it to her. It was teal and fluffy and warm and perfect for winter. She still has the scarf now; it’s tatty, but she refuses to get rid of it.
