Page 179 of Almost Ours
I hadn’t expected to run into Shane this morning, but maybe it was a good thing. Because Ryan and Kyle had been together last night–talking, joking, catching up like no time had passed. Like there was no resentment between them at all. They had started this hockey program. They were friends. Close friends. Not two people with bad blood between them.
Had I gotten it all wrong?
I hesitated, glancing sideways at Shane. “So… Kyle and Ryan, huh? Still friends after everything. That’s impressive.”
Shane turned his head slowly, frowning at me like I’d just grown a second head. “Why wouldn’t they be?”
I chewed my lip, unsure if I should even bring it up. “Well… because of the hit. Kyle’s injury. I mean, I read the articles. It sounded pretty bad…”
Shane froze, blinking at me like I’d just said something absurd. “Harper… that was an accident.”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“An accident,” he repeated firmly. “A clean hit. Completely clean. You think Ryan would have done something dirty? To Kyle, of all people?”
“I–I don’t know,” I stammered. “The article’s made it sound–”
“The article’s,” Shane interrupted, his voice sharp, “were written by people who weren’t on the ice that day. Who weren’t in the locker room. Hell, they weren’t even in the same time zone when it happened.”
I stayed quiet, stunned by the intensity in his tone.
Shane sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Look, I was there. It was a textbook check. Kyle had the puck, Ryan went in, shoulder-to-shoulder. Yeah, it was an aggressive hit, but it’s the NHL–every hit is aggressive, even if you’re friends with the guy. Ryan’s hit was as clean as it gets. But then Kyle’s skate hit a rough patch in the ice, and he lost his balance. The way he landed…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It was just bad luck. Freak accident.”
My stomach twisted. I’d read about that game, about that hit. And maybe I hadn’t believed all of it, but I had believed some of it. That Ryan had been reckless.
“But everyone said–”
“Who’s everyone? The media?” Shane’s jaw tightened. “The media turned Ryan into a villain because it made a good story,” he snapped. “A veteran NHL star takes out his best friend in a‘dirty’ hit? People ate it up. But it wasn’t true. None of it was true.”
“Why didn’t he fight back?” I asked quietly.
“Because he thought he deserved it,” Shane said bitterly. “Ryan blamed himself, even though it wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t shake it. He quit the NHL because of it.”
I swallowed hard, guilt creeping into my chest. “I didn’t realize…”
“Of course you didn’t,” Shane muttered, his tone softening. “Nobody did. The fans turned on him, the media wouldn’t leave him alone, and he just… shut down. It was bad. Like, really bad. The only thing that got him out of it was Kyle.”
“Kyle?” I echoed, surprised.
Shane nodded. “Kyle was the one who told him to stop being an idiot. Told him to stop blaming himself. But even then, it’s taken time. Ryan lost everything–his career, his reputation. And after losing his mom on top of it all? He fell apart, Harper. Completely.”
My chest ached. “I… I didn’t know,” I whispered.
Shane’s gaze was piercing. “Have you let him explain any of this to you? Or did you just assume the worst like everyone else?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Because the truth was, I hadn’t given him the chance. I had drawn my own conclusions, let my own fears and assumptions guide me.
Shane sighed, leaning back on the bench. “I was there through it all, you know. Even after he and Kyle set up this program together, the guilt still ate him alive. He’d go visit Kyle, spend a few days with him, with the kids. And when he came back? Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from him for weeks. He’d just disappear–lock himself in his house, avoid everyone, likepunishing himself was the only thing he knew how to do. Every damn time, Harper.”
I swallowed hard, picturing it. Ryan alone in his house, drowning in guilt he couldn’t shake.
“But then you and Connor came around,” Shane continued, his voice softer now. “And those weeks he used to shut himself away? They disappeared. He was back. Laughing. Coaching. Being himself again. You changed everything for him.”
“Me?” My voice barely made a sound.
“You and Connor,” Shane said firmly. “You brought him back to life, Harper. Don’t you think he deserves a chance to explain?”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut.
