Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(103)

“I was in the city finalizing a few things for the gala.”

The gala. I’ve been so focused on hockey and Penny that I forgot about it entirely. A night in New York City at the Plaza Hotel, pretending to be on good terms with my whole family so my parents can get lots of donations for their foundation. Sounds like hell.

“Well, you can go back to whatever it was you were doing,” I say, ignoring the way my stomach flips; a tiny part of me had been hoping he wanted to congratulate me in person for the conference win. “Uncle Blake and I have it handled. Everything is fine.”

He laughs shortly. “Oh, is that it? You’ve got it handled? My son has stitches on his fucking face because of a bar fight, and my addict brother has it handled? What happened to telling me if he got in touch with you?”

“Hey,” I say sharply. “He’s sober. And he’s actually been here for me recently, no thanks to you.”

He sighs. “Cooper. You don’t know the whole situation.”

“I know enough. He’s your brother, yet he’s never been anything but a screwup to you. No matter what he does, you can’t see him any other way. And it’s how you’ve always seen me. When you even see me.”

He blinks. “What?”

I bite down on my lip, even though it’s aching. My eyes prick with tears. “Don’t pretend you didn’t start ignoring me once you realized I wasn’t going to be a football player like James. Like you. At least Uncle Blake doesn’t act like he wishes I was someone else.”

“I don’t wish—”

“Let’s just stop pretending,” I say, suddenly so tired I feel it in my bones. I wish I was anywhere but here, having this conversation, but I have no choice. The train has left the station. I can’t turn back. “Stop pretending when I know the truth. James has always been your favorite, especially now that he’s the next you. When you look at Sebastian, you just see your dead best friend. Izzy’s your perfect little girl and can do no wrong. Me? I’m your fuckup, and I’ll never stop being that, no matter how hard I try.”

“Is that what you really think?”

“When I made captain, it’s like you didn’t even care.” I press my palms to my eyes, trying to hold back the tears. I haven’t cried in front of my father since I was a little kid, and I’m not about to do it now. “I worked really fucking hard to get there, and you just pointed out my mistakes.”

His mouth opens, but he says nothing. I push past him, heading for the table in the entryway so I can grab my keys. Maybe it’s cowardly to leave, but I need to see Penny. She’s the only one who can make this situation just a bit less shitty. Besides, if I stay here any longer, I’m afraid I’ll do or say something I regret. What did Dad say? Hockey brings out the worst in me? Wouldn’t this be the fucking time to prove him right.

“Cooper.”

I open the door.

“Goddamnit, Cooper, look at me.”

I take a deep breath and shut the door. When I turn to look at him, I feel the first tears fall, but I hold my head high. I glance up the stairs and see Sebastian standing there. He looks stricken, which makes my heart thud dully. What did he think would happen if he dragged Dad into this?

“Your uncle is manipulative.” Dad shakes his head, laughing bitterly. “Whatever he’s been telling you is a lie.”

“You just can’t stand the idea of me having my own relationship with him.”

“He’s using you, and when he thinks you’ve served your purpose, he’ll move on to someone else. You’re not a fuckup, son, but right now you’re sure as hell acting like one.”

I yank open the door. “Thanks for the heads up.”

He follows me onto the porch, but I ignore him. I get into my truck and start it up, and he pounds on the glass, but I just back out of the driveway.

By the time I get to Penny’s house, I can barely see through my tears. I thought I cried hard the night of my birthday, after Penny fell asleep and I didn’t have to be brave for her anymore, but this is worse. I manage to park the truck, and somehow, I find myself ringing the doorbell. Coach answers it. When he sees me standing there, he pulls me into a hug. He doesn’t even say anything, just shuts the door behind us, letting me lean on him with all my weight. His hand rubs my back soothingly.

“Hey,” he says. “Hey, son, it’s okay. Take a deep breath.”





62





PENNY





I turn in a slow circle around the dressing room, watching the skirt of the dress I’m wearing rise and fall. “I’m just saying, we don’t have to go.”

“Which is sweet,” Cooper says. “But I can’t do that to my mother, no matter what’s going on with my dad.”

I bite my lip as I look at Cooper. He’s in the corner, sitting on a ridiculously tiny poof with spindly legs. If I wasn’t so worried about us breaking it, I’d slide into his lap and kiss the frown off his face.

In the week since the conference win—and all that came after it, including a fight Cooper had with his dad that he still won’t tell me the details of—he’s been in one of two moods: withdrawn, scowling at everyone and everything around him, or horny as hell. The latter is more fun for me, of course, if not for the fact I know he’s doing it to distract himself from whatever’s going on with his dad. He’s been spending a lot of time with his uncle, too. I hope he never stops thanking Cooper for giving him a quarter of a million dollars. When he told me the exact amount, my stomach crumpled like a car in a wreck. That’s a lot of money to give someone, even with the best of intentions.