“Why didn’t you mention it before?” he says, his voice raising a few decibels to talk over the chatter of the guys’ post-game conversations. “Is it because I told Liam what you said? I mean... it slipped out. I didn’t mean to blab.”
“Honestly, no. It’s not. You’ve got a tonne of stuff you can teach him,” I say. “Besides, that was on me. I shouldn’t have broken Vicky’s trust by telling you. I’m not proud of myself at all.”
“And did you know about Liam getting the ‘A’?”
“Sort of. Coach mentioned it briefly.”
“Did you tell him I was interested—I mean, I am. You know that, right?”
“He knows. But it was Jani’s idea, forcing some leadership on Lee since he’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.”
Bettsy considers this for a moment before slouching down into his cubby.
“We’re good though, right?” he says, chewing his lip.
“Yeah, man,” I say, patting him on the back. “Just give the kid as much support as you can. Show him how it’s done. You know Team GB scouts are always watching, right?”
“Yeah, right.” He nods.
I leave him at his cubby and get showered and dressed at record speed since I’m not in the mood to socialise anymore. But when I exit through the back door of the rink and close in on my car, I spot my dad leaning up against it with an expression on his face that tells me he’s not happy.
Honestly, today can fuck right off.
“Congratulations on your win,” he says, his stony-faced expression not budging.
“Thanks,” I say, moving to the trunk of my car to toss my bag in.
“Cody enjoyed it. Do you suppose he could spend a bit of time with you before we head home?”
The question hits me in the chest.
“Slim pickings, huh?”
“Don’t be like this, Johnathan. I’ve got enough on my plate with your sister. I don’t need you causing any drama.”
“Have you apologised to her yet?”
“I have.”
“And?” I stare at him, watching his expression.
“She said she needs some space. And she doesn’t need my help financially anymore.”
That gets my attention. From what I understand, Vicky relies on an allowance from Dad. Which gets me thinking... Ryan and Jenna are moving out soon, how is she going to afford to keep living where she’s living if she isn’t accepting help from Dad? I know her salary doesn’t stretch as far as her expenses demand, and that’s before all the shoes and crap she buys.
“Do you want to grab a beer?” Dad asks.
“Can’t. I’ve got plans.”
“I’ve flown all this way, and that’s what I get?”
I scoff. “Let’s face it, Dad. You didn’t come here to see me, nor Vicky.”
His face changes, an expression that I can’t put my finger on.
“Well, are you surprised? The pair of you are an embarrassment. How do you think that made me feel? You humiliated me in front of Jayne and Cody. She told me she doesn’t know if she wants to keep seeing me,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Probably because she realised you’re not a ticket to the NHL,” I say.