Page 97 of Rookie Season
Penn smiles at her before continuing, “He’ll talk to you when he’s ready, that much I can guarantee. And injured or not, I know he’ll be present at the game tonight, so at worst, you can see him then and be reassured he’s okay.”
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I have to trust what Penn’s saying. He’s probably right. As much as I just want to be with him right now, I have to respect Noah’s need for space after such a jarring event as this morning’s.
“Wait, what happened with Tyler?” I ask suddenly, my mind immediately swirling with scenarios of him pressing charges against Noah, of my boyfriend being arrested…
At the mention of Tyler’s name Penn cracks his knuckles, but surprisingly, Fisher just smiles. It’s a menacing, almost sinister kind of smile I’ve never seen on him before.
“Let’s just say that if he knows what’s good for him, that asshole is already on a plane back to Atlanta as we speak.”
CHAPTER 41
NOAH
Sittingin the locker room alone wasn’t on my docket for tonight’s game, but here I am. I feel like I’m three years old and in time out, but I’m a grown ass man wearing a suit that cost me thousands of dollars. My hand isn’t in shape to play…but I’m pretty sure Mitch wouldn’t have let me play, anyway.
My brother-in-law’s angry lecture from earlier is still running through my mind on repeat, causing my shoulders to inch up to my ears. Mitch has been a father figure to me since I was twelve years old, but he’s never, ever yelled at me like that. Sure, over the years he’s raised his voice. But he’s never yelled. And worse—wayworse—was when he was done shouting at me and stood to leave, he paused by the door to his office and looked back at me before exiting. The expression of pure disappointment on his face was something I will never, ever forget.
After that, I spent the afternoon with the team doctor getting an X-ray for my hand. Thankfully, I didn’t break anything, but it hurts like a son of a bitch.
My team just started the third period, and I’m sitting infront of my cubby with my elbows resting on my knees. I stare down at my wrapped hand that’s still throbbing with the proof of my outburst earlier. Guilt coils through my body, creating a tension in my limbs that’s hard to shake.
The desire to protect the girl I love was my undoing. My failure that I have to deal with. I can’t even bring myself to check the score of the game.
What if they’re losing?
During the break when everyone filed into the locker room, the game was tied two to two, and Mitch was pissed at Penn for racking up two penalties, so I can imagine he’s been getting into it with Chad-dick. And I’m not there to have his back.
And then there’s Ally. I don’t even know how to look her in the face again, let alone speak to her. She’s tried calling me twenty times today, but I can’t bring myself to face her yet, which is just making me feel even worse. I have no idea if she’s even out there watching the game right now.
But dealing with Mitch’s disappointment was hard enough, and I’m not sure I can take it from Ally too. I ruined the whole weekend we’d planned, something she’s been looking forward to for weeks. I missed meeting her parents and going to lunch with them. They probably hate me and are warning their daughter against me.
I groan, allowing my head to fall into my hands, which hurts like hell and makes me wince in pain.
My head pops back up when I hear the locker room door swing open. A man strides inside, and I straighten up in surprise when I see it’s Carter Callahan—Ally’s dad.
This isn’t how we were supposed to meet. I was supposed to charm him over lunch and then impress him when I played tonight. Maybe even score a goal or two. Bethe hero…not the asshole sitting in the locker room alone, licking his wounds.
He walks over and stops right in front of me, then takes a seat beside me on the long bench.
“How’d you get back here?” The question slips from my mouth before I can take it back.That’s great, Noah…piss him off even more by acting like a dick.
He huffs a laugh through his nose. “Perks of being famous. I know people.” Carter smirks, then leans in like he’s telling me a secret. “And one of thosepeoplehappens to be Coach Slater.”
I nod, noticing Carter is completely relaxed and even smiling at me.Wait, why isn’t he pissed? Where’s his look of dismay?
I’m surprised again when Carter reaches his hand out—his left hand. I falter, looking down at my injured right hand before finally reaching out with my left hand and shaking his awkwardly.
“I’m Carter,” he says—as if I don’t already know. “It's really nice to meet you, Noah.”
“Um, nice to meet you, too, sir,” I say back, sounding robotic.
Carter removes his hand from mine and sets it on my shoulder in a friendly gesture. “You can relax, son. I’m not here to lecture you.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Really? Why not?”
“Well, first, I’d be a hypocrite for lecturing you about protecting Allegra when I got in trouble for doing the same damn thing over her mom years ago.”
My shoulders relax slightly for the first time all day. “What happened?”
