Page 92 of Full Tilt
And there’s no way I can expect Jenna to rescue me with the truth; she already hates my guts. Plus, coming forward andspeaking out would effectively unearth all that’s been going on between us. She wants me to get out of her life, not get more entangled in it.
“Is it true?” Coach’s voice is quiet and guarded. He knows my future with the Blades is resting on a knife edge.
I stand from the bench, thrusting a hand through my hair. “No.” I quickly deny it and then stop. “Well, kind of.”
Coach pushes out a frustrated breath. “Which one is it, Tommy? Yes or fucking no?”
I throw my arms out to the sides. “Neither!” I announce. “What he’s reporting happened a while back, and he’s twisted the story to make me look like the perpetrator.”
Coach stands and walks across to me, both hands propped on his hips. “Our team is trying to get the post taken down, and your agent has been blowing up your phone for the past half hour because right now, you look every bit the guilty party. Why would the guy lie, Tommy?”
I switched my phone off after I listened to Jenna’s voicemail.
“I hit him for a good fucking reason,” I explain, my voice shaking with rage.
“Why?” Coach presses. “I need more than that from you, Tommy. The GM is ready to put you on waivers.”
What strikes me most in all of this is the way Coach Morgan sounds desperate for my alibi, almost like he’s pleading with me to give him something plausible. My entire time with the Blades has been a battle with him and his doubts over me as a player. But that’s not what I’m witnessing in this moment.
“I thought this would be your perfect excuse to ship me out,” I tell him straight, my voice devoid of sarcasm.
Coach looks off to the side and then back at me again, and I’m relieved he isn’t provoked by my question. I’m genuinely looking for an answer because I need to know if he really is an ally.
“You might be a first-rate asshole at times, Tommy, but I already told you that you’re a gifted player. Plus …” He trails off, pausing for thought. “Sawyer has asked me to give you a second chance. I don’t know what you guys have discussed, and I get that he isn’t our captain anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t respect his opinion.”
He steps toward me, close enough so our interaction feels more personal. “I might have retired a few seasons back, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what it’s like to play with the weight of the world resting on your shoulders. I know your place on this team means something to you. And I want you to keep it and make a proper go of your career as a Blades defenseman. If you weren’t worth it, Sawyer wouldn’t have come to me, and I wouldn’t be harboring this gut feeling.”
“Gut feeling?” I question.
Coach nods his head once. “That you’re ten times the man your dad is.”
I drop my head to hide my eyes, blinking rapidly to clear my vision.
“I hit Ethan because he didn’t have good intentions with the girl he was walking home. She’d asked him to let go of her, and he didn’t.” With my emotions under control, I finally lift my head and pin Coach with a look that cannot be misinterpreted. “I know a predator when I see one, and he is the really bad kind. I wanted to make sure he was clear never to come near the girl again, and I thought he’d gotten the message when I told him to straighten out his life.”
Coach just stares back at me.
“You have to believe me,” I add. “I swear to God, I’m telling the truth.”
“And the girl? Who was she?” Coach asks.
My gaze is back on the floor. “I can’t say. That’s her private business to tell, and I doubt she wants anything to do with me or this situation.”
Coach clears his throat. “I can respect that, Tommy. And for what it’s worth, I think that’s noble of you to keep her confidence.”
More emotions sting my senses. “So, what happens now?” I ask.
“Look at me, Tommy.”
I shake my head, eyes still fixed on the floor. “Not right now, Coach.”
“Tommy,” he repeats, only earning another headshake from me.
“I need you to head home while we try and get this PR nightmare under control. Speak with your agent and take some advice. I’ll talk with the GM. We have to tread really fucking lightly here; if we accuse Ethan Hadley of lying or, at best, twisting the story, then we could make the situation way worse.”
“I can’t play, can I?” I ask.
“Tommy …”
