Page 65 of Puck'n Bully
I never asked Hayden why he walked into the sea in the middle of a storm that night. With a jolt, I realize I no longer need to ask him.
I already know.
Hockey games are brutal. You have to keep playing no matter how violent the opposing team gets. Hayden had already been suffocating, struggling to hide his sexuality from his teammates and fans.
Combined with his father’s abuse, I’m sure he felt lost and defeated.
There was no one on his side who could understand the pain and anxiety he was going through. Hayden must’ve felt so alone.
No more, I vow to myself.I’ll never let Hayden feel like he has no one in this world.
Moving closer to him, I let Hayden rest his head on my knees and gently wipe the blood from his lips with my sleeve. “I’m taking you home.”
“I don’t have a home.”
“Then, you’re coming home with me,” I say firmly.
A sigh escapes him as he closes his eyes. I pull him closer against me, slinging an arm around his waist to support him better.
My anxiety spikes. I need to get Hayden out of the cold and take a good look at his injuries.
With shaky hands, I reach for my phone. Fumbling desperately, I book an Uber to take us to my gram’s beach house in Long Island.
Hayden is silent, his eyes closed shut firmly. Only the rise and fall of his chest tells me he’s still alive after all that brutal beating he received from the opposing team and his cruel father.
Thankfully, the cab arrives within minutes. It’s one of the perks of living so close to New York City.
The driver glances at us and immediately climbs out to help me.
“Thank you,” I say gratefully as he helps me to lift Hayden to his feet and put him in the back of the car.
He nods, going to the front to take his seat.
I settle next to Hayden. At once, he rests his head against my shoulder, his body relaxing against mine.
I wrap an arm around him, holding him close. “You’re safe with me,” I whisper to him.
Hayden stays quiet but his fingers curl weakly around my sleeve, gripping it like a lifeline.
He doesn’t need to worry anymore. I’m never letting him go.
From now on, Hayden ismine.No one, not even his father, gets to hurt him again.
22
Hayden
The car ride turns into a blur of pain and warmth.
My head pounds and my muscles scream every time the car hits a bump on the road. The tang of blood floods my mouth, leaving some of its sticky wetness around my lips and chin. I barely have any strength left to even lift my hand and wipe my mouth.
Despite my vulnerability, I feel safe.
Liam’s arm is tightly wrapped around me, anchoring me. Each time I drift toward unconsciousness, the steady pressure of his hand on my shoulder, the solid warmth of his body, pulls me back.
I’ve never known this kind of safety.
After my mom passed away, I spent most of my life bracing for the next hit, the next cruel reminder that I’ll never be enough, that I’ll always be a loser no matter how hard I trained and played.
