Page 72 of The Tape Job
“I appreciate your honesty but I’ve got no choice. I’m sitting you out of the game tonight. Use the time to figure your shit out. You’re on a very thin line, do you understand me? Now, if the GM asks, you’ve got a lower body injury that we’re taking a precaution on.”
That’s my signal to leave, so I head back towards the ice, and then I spot my dad waiting at the benches. For fuck’s sake.
“Vicky, can we talk?” Dad says. He’s on his own, no sign of Jayne or Cody.
“I’m really not feeling up to it.”
“I’m sorry about last night. I don’t mean to make everything about your brother, or Liam for that matter.”
“Right.”
“And I want to apologise for my behaviour overall. I haven’t been a very good role model to you, nor Johnny. I need to do better.”
I can’t bring myself to look at him. All the years of him being emotionally absent have taken a toll on me. I firmly believe that things would be a lot worse if it weren’t for Liam and Lois.
“Vicky, at least look at me,” Dad says. “You haven’t withdrawn your allowance.” I wondered if he would mention it.
“I think I need some space, Dad.”
“Really? So you don’t want my help?”
It’s not a secret that my job isn’t all that well paid. I mean, it’s okay. My bills are paid, but it doesn’t allow much room for luxuries such as nice shoes. But if I truly want to move on and heal, I need to look after myself and estrange completely. Time to grow up. Time to rid the demons.
“I don’t want your help,” I say.
I spot Johnny coming out of the dressing room.
“There you are, Vic—”
“Not now, Johnny,” I say, and I push past him.
I go back to the office to gather my things, wondering what the fuck I do next.
Chapter 19
Liam
The longer I stare at the ceiling, the more I’m convinced that it’s not white—it’s more of an off-white. And it’s really starting to bug me.
I’d usually be napping but there’s no point since I’m benched. Aside from that, I doubt I’d be able to fall asleep anyway. My brain is working overtime, thinking of Vicky. And Johnny. And how pissed my brother’s going to be when he reads my text.
I replay the conversation I had with Vicky, wondering what the fuck we do next. Despite everything, I can’t stay mad at her. She said she loved me too.
I want to call her and tell her about the conversation with Coach, but she beats me to it; my phone vibrates softly on the mattress. I answer it and place her on speakerphone.
“Did I wake you? I heard what Coach said. I waseavesdropping,” she says.
“Yeah, well, I probably got off lightly. He put me down as a lower-body injury.”
She sighs, and I can practically hear her thinking. “This is all my fault, Lee. I’m sorry. I know I’ve got a lot to be sorry for, but I really am.”
“Forget about it. Johnny was a complete douche, so it’s not like he didn’t deserve a punch.”
She chuckles, and it sends a jolt of pleasure through me; I really miss making her laugh. And just like when I was in her room, the conversation switches to chatter.
The more we talk, the more I realise how much I’ve missed her. And not just the sex. I miss her. And I miss us goofing around together. I miss finding something funny and needing to tell her about it. And I miss doing this; just hanging out, even if it’s via the phone. Before I know it, we’ve been talking shit for half an hour.
Just before we hang up, she softens her voice. “Lee? Is it too late to try this friends’ thing? Because I know I don’t deserve the chance, but—”
