Shut Out (Bayard Hockey #1)(72)

“Hi.”

I can’t even talk. My throat thickens and a burning rushes up my esophagus.

He looks pretty much like I feel—conflicted and miserable. “I wish you’d talk to me,” he says quietly.

“There’s nothing to say.”

“I have some things to say.”

I shake my head and turn away from him.

“Wait.” He curls a hand over my arm, gently. “Did you tell your parents about changing your major when you were home at Thanksgiving?”

I stare at him. “Yes.”

“How did they take it?”

“Well, they say they’ll support me in whatever I want to do.” I bite my lip. “I also told them what happened with Brendan.”

“Jesus.”

I give a dry laugh. “It wasn’t my intention, but I think that might’ve made the news about changing my major a little less disturbing.” I shrug. “They say their main concern is that I’m okay.”

“Of course it is. It should be.”

I nod.

He pauses again, his gaze intent on me. “I really am sorry, Sky. I never wanted to hurt you.”

My spine stiffens with pride. “You haven’t hurt me.”

“Oh. Right. Okay, then.”

“Thanks for helping out tonight.”

Grace returns then and hands me a plate with a piece of pizza on it. “Hey, Jacob. How’s it going?”

“Good. Done my shift.” He bestows a gorgeous smile on Grace. “Seems like a successful evening.”

“I think so! Thank you for all you did. It’s so awesome having the hockey team here.”

“Well.” Jacob looks at me again. “I have to go. The guys are going out before we have to lock ourselves up to study.”

I nod.

“See you, Jacob. And thanks again.” Grace smiles at him.

He gives us a wave, gives me a long, tortured look that has my heart splintering into tiny pieces, and walks out of the restaurant. I stare down at my pizza, my eyes burning. Damn.

—

I’m in bed reading. I’ve tried a couple times to get to sleep and it’s nearly one-thirty in the morning but I’m not sleepy. I hear the front door open and close and then slow footsteps coming up the stairs.

Usually I can tell by the steps who it is—Ella’s are always quick, Natalie’s are heavier, and Brooklyn’s are slow and measured. These steps are slow and uneven.

A soft knock on my door has my head turning. I frown. “Yeah?”

The door opens and Ella’s head pokes in. I blink at her tear-streaked face and smudged eye makeup. Dropping my Kindle, I sit up straight. “Ella. Are you okay?”

She nods. “I am now.”

“What happened?” I push my hands into the mattress, prepared to jump out of bed.

“Long story.” She pauses. “Can we talk?”

My heart bumps. “Of course.”

I chew on my bottom lip as she comes into my room, closing the door behind her. She sits on the foot of the bed. She’s wearing a short black skirt, black boots, and a loose flowered top. She reaches down and unzips the boots, pushes them off, and lets them thud to the rug beside my bed.

I’m waiting.

“I went to Curly’s tonight.”

My lips push out. The Bears’ hangout. Did she see Jacob?

“I was there with Jack Jones. He plays for the Bears.”

I nod. I know who Jack is. I’ve met him a few times, and I think he’s the only hockey player on the team I don’t like.

“We were flirting and having fun, and making out a little. I drank too much.” Her words are a little slurry, so I already figured that part out. “I was going to leave with him and then Jacob came up to us and started talking. He asked Jack if he wanted to stay for another drink.”

I blink. At first I don’t get it. Jacob was trying to get them to drink more?

“Jack said no, we were leaving. Then Jacob told Jack not to do it. He told Jack I was too drunk to be able to consent.”

Oh. Now I get it. Jacob was using some of the Step In techniques to try to distract Jack. When that didn’t work he got more direct.

“And then…Jack got pissed. And I started crying because…because…what have I been doing, Sky?”

Tears flood my eyes. “Oh, Ella.” I reach for her hand and give it a squeeze.

“Jacob brought me home. I was a mess.” A small sob escapes her. “I said an awful thing to him. When he first came up to us. Knowing what he’d been involved in…” She shakes her head. “Never mind. Even though I was a bitch to him, he looked after me and made sure I got home okay.” She peeks up through wet eyelashes. “He told me I should talk to you about Brendan.”

“Oh.” My stomach cramps. My fingers start shaking and I curl them in my bedspread. “I’ve been trying to talk to you about it since that morning you read the text messages he sent me.”

She nods. “I know. I didn’t want to hear. I was so hurt, Sky. I loved him. I can’t believe you didn’t figure that out. And I can’t believe you slept with him.”

“I didn’t. Exactly.” I pause, willing myself to say the words. “He forced me.”