Page 26 of Bite Your Tongue

When I finally figure out what I’m looking at, my hands fly to my mouth. “Wait … what?” I whisper. “What is—”

“It’s your going-away present since I’m happy you’re moving to another state and away from me,” Smith says with a shrug. “I’m joking. I’m proud of you for taking a chance and moving to South Carolina to save more people’s lives, Sails.”

I throw my arms around him, crying my eyes out yet again today. “Are you serious, Smith?” I say against his sweatshirt. “You got me my dream car?”

“It’ll get you out of Maine quicker than your piece of shit,” he mumbles. “Let’s get your shit moved from your car into this one so you can hit the road.”

“What’s going to happen to this car?” I say, looking back at my old car.

“Dad is going to pick it up sometime when he passes through.” He chuckles, probably knowing my dad will fix it up and make it as good as new or something.

I hug him again before looking at Gemma. “Can you believe this?” I sniffle. “And all this time, I called you an asshole. I take back all those awful things I said.”

“Wow, unreal,” Smith scoffs.

“It’s gorgeous, Sails.” Gemma smiles. “If anyone deserves their dream ride, it’s you.”

I hug my friend because why the hell not? I mean, I just got the sexiest car given to me. Why wouldn’t I hug and smile and cry happy tears some more?

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I say, wiping my cheeks. “Let’s get this bitch loaded up!”

As my brother heads toward my old car to start moving things over to my new one, a pang of guilt sears through my stomach because Smith just bought me a car. Not just any car, but my dream car. And where was I last night and this morning? In his best friend’s bed, behind his back.

My brother has stepped in and really been there for me and now Gemma, and how do I repay him? By screwing his best friend and keeping secrets about Rowan from him.

Maybe I don’t deserve this car after all.

“I’m glad y’all could fly out for the game,” I say to my parents before cutting into my steak. “I know you love flying and all, Dad.”

“Oh, yeah, fucking love it all right.” He scoffs playfully.

The man hates flying and ends up having to take something to relax him before he boards a flight. Five or six beers used to do the trick, but once he had his heart attack, that wasn’t really an option anymore.

“If it wasn’t for your mama being on my ass about it, I’d have just waited till you flew home.”

“Lewis, that’s enough,” she says sharply, piercing him with her intense stare. “We don’t make it to nearly enough of the boys’ games, and you know it.”

To those who don’t know him, he sounds like a dick, which I guess he sort of is. But he is also a damn good dad. He worked his ass off just so that I could have the best opportunities when it came to hockey and the same for my brother, Raiden, with baseball. That often meant, when we were growing up, my mom was bringing one of us to one end of the state while my dad took the other one just so we could compete on youth teams, but that was what we wanted to do. I didn’t realize till I was much older the financial burden we must have put on our parents because they never complained about it.

“I watch right from my recliner, sweetie,” he responds, patting her back. “So, Ry, how have things been anyway? How’s the team been jelling without Kolburne?”

Before I have time to even consider answering, my mom intercepts in her usual fashion. “Oh my gosh, I just … I hated seeing him hurt on television. I mean, they cut the camera away from him once it was clear it was serious, but, Ryder, that’s the type of shit that keeps me up at night.” She stops, sighing sadly. “I mean, the man had a heart attack, Ry. He’s not that much older than you are.”

When Kolt took a hit so hard to the chest that he ended up going into cardiac arrest, it sort of shook up the entire hockey nation. We all know the blows we take on the ice aren’t exactly healthy, but that was the first time I’d seen something like that happen. And not just to my teammate, but a close friend.

“I didn’t ask a question or anything. No worries,” my dad mumbles, giving her a side-eye.

“Unfortunately, from the look of things, it sounds like Kolt’s going to be out for a while. The team’s holding it together surprisingly well. I think it’s because we know if we don’t, he’ll feel guilty.” I pause, thinking for a second. “But it’s plain as day that he’s lost and he just wants to get back in the game.”

“Damn shame it is,” my dad grumbles while he shakes his head. “Hopefully, he comes back better than ever though.”

My mom nods in agreement, taking a small bite of her pasta. I know what’s coming next because we’ve been here for a while and she’s yet to ask me about my dating life. That just doesn’t happen when it comes to my mother. I may only be twenty-six, but you’d swear I was fifty by the way she talks about me needing to settle down.

“So …” she says.

I already know where this is going. So does Dad because he looks at me and widens his eyes, giving me a look of warning.

“Are you seeing anyone new? Well, besides the random women you’re photographed with on those sleazy websites.” She huffs out a breath. “Most are just clickbait, by the way.”

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