Page 45 of Hooking the Captain
“I’m sorry, but I have nothing good to say about him,” Tyler admitted. “He tried to ruin our lives.”
“I know,” I whispered.
Hayden shot Tyler a look, silently asking him to calm down. Tyler took a deep breath and reluctantly returned to his seat, his anger subsiding slightly.
“You really had no idea about his history with us?” Hayden asked, running a hand through his hair.
I shook my head. “No. You never told me the student’s name. And while he told me shit went down at Hawkins, he never wanted to talk about it and I didn’t press him. We were”—I lifted a shoulder—“just getting to know each other.”
Hayden and Tyler exchanged a glance, a silent communication passing between them. It felt like an eternity before Tyler spoke.
“Coop, we appreciate your honesty. But you need to understand the person Ford is. He’s manipulative, and he plays games that can hurt people. He’s not someone you want to be involved with.”
I nodded, my throat still tight. I was desperately trying to keep from breaking down into a crying mess on their kitchen floor. “I get it now, but I wish I had known sooner.”
Tyler leaned forward, his expression softening. “We’re not blaming you, Coop. Ford is selfish and we’ve all learned the hard way.”
Taking a deep breath, I continued, “He was always so charming, so caring. I never suspected ... I thought we had something real.”
Hayden sighed, his features reflecting a mix of sympathy and frustration. “We understand, and we don’t want to see you hurt too.”
I already was.
“I appreciate that.” My gaze dropped to the floor. “It’s just hard. I thought I knew him, you know?”
Tyler stood again and squeezed my shoulder. I looked up into his eyes as he said, “I felt the same way not that long ago. I promise everything will work out how it’s meant to.”
“And we’ll help you through it,” Hayden added. “But you need to cut ties with him. He’s toxic, and he’s only going to bring you more pain.”
I wasn’t sure that was the case. Never once did I feel as though Ford had an ulterior motive. He deliberately didn’t tell me he knew I was a pro athlete because he didn’t want me to think he was a jersey chaser or something. But I still couldn’t shake the thought that he had to have known at some point everything would come out, so what was his plan?
I nodded. “Good thing his job is sending him to London, then.”
“Really?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, he told me that last night too.”
“Then maybe it will be easier for you to get over him,” Hayden suggested.
“Maybe,” I replied, but I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
A week and a half later,I was lacing up my skates as the team and I sat in the locker room at TD Garden for our first preseason game. We’d already been out on the ice for warm-ups, and in mere minutes, Kingston would lead us out again for the start of the game.
I hadn’t heard from Ford, nor had I reached out. As I skated around the rink earlier for warm-ups, I scanned the crowd as if I would spot him sitting in one of the seats watching me play. He would have if we had stayed together and he didn’t go to London, but instead, he was probably across the world and already moving on to someone else.
It hurt to think about what he may or may not have been doing, but we had a game to win, so I stood and did my captain thing.
“All right, boys, this is our house, and we’re here to show them what we’re made of. Preseason or not, let’s set the tone for the season. Everyone give it everything you’ve got out there. Leave nothing on the ice.”
Some might say preseason games didn’t count, but they mattered to me. It not only was a way for the coaches to evaluate the team, try out our new players for roster and position spots, and for established players to practice before competitive play, but it also showed me who had potential too since I was the captain. To me, the C on my jersey didn’t just designate me as the one to speak up for my team to referees when awful calls were made; it stood for more. I wore it with pride and wanted to know how each player played so I could help them or give them advice if needed.
The room erupted in cheers and stick taps, and Kingston led the charge onto the ice. The crowd grew louder as we skated onto the ice, and a few minutes later, the National Anthem played. I couldn’t help but glance around at the sea of fans, all decked out in their gold and black. The energy was contagious even for a preseason game.
I won the puck drop, and the game was in full swing. When I was out on the ice, I tried to set up as many scoring chances as I could. Midway through the second period, as I carried the puck into the offensive zone, I was hooked and slammed into the boards, which sent pain shooting through my shoulder. I winced, feeling a sharp twinge, and struggled to get back on my feet.
12
FORD
