City of Champions (44 page)

The tiny flicker of hope those words put in Wyatt's chest was the best he'd felt in days.

"That's because she's an amazing person, sir. I'm so sorry for what I put her through. What I put all of you through."

Blue eyes squinted at Wyatt, and he gave him an appraising look that reminded Wyatt so much of Jenna's expressions and her quick mind, it was actually painful.

"What are you doing out here? Are you going to try to go into the hospital?"

"No, she doesn't want me in there. Even though it's killing me not to be with her right now, I know it will only upset her at the worst time if I try to barge in there."

"But you're out here anyway? After she rejected you?"

Wyatt looked away for a moment, clenching his fists to try and collect his thoughts.

"I have to be near her now, sir. If things turn out badly in there, or if the results aren't good..." Wyatt swallowed hard and continued, "I need to know she's safe in the world, even if I'm not able to share it with her."

Jenna's father gave him the tiniest hint of a smile and reached out his hand. Wyatt shook it firmly.

"I want my daughter to be happy, but she's not good at letting herself feel that way. Maybe you don't deserve her. It sure as hell looks like you don't right now. But if you make her happy, that has to be worth something."

"Sir, I know I made her happy once. I believe I can do it again."

"People make mistakes. That's a part of life. I've made more than my own share. You've made a very big one. If you learn from it, get back out there, and try to make it right…then maybe you can show us all that you're a real man."

"I'm going to do everything I can to turn this around, sir."

"I hope you do. Good-bye, Mr. McCoy."

"Good-bye, sir," Wyatt answered, before watching him walk away.

The relief that surged through Wyatt when he saw Jenna leave the hospital had been short-lived. She'd looked groggy and needed help with every single one of her movements, but at least she was in one piece. It felt like his heart was going through a meat grinder knowing he wasn't allowed to be the one to help her. Every time she winced or leaned on one of her friends, his muscles would jerk with an involuntarily spasm, as though
he
were the one supporting her body.

I'd do anything to be able to feel that pain for her,
he thought.

It was even worse that once Tea had deposited her in the backseat of her SUV, Jenna was gone from his sight all over again. He swallowed his sadness at seeing her disappear and went back to trying to make her world right again.

He wasn't lying to her father when he said he wanted to fix things. That had been all he could think about ever since Olivia's story became plastered across every form of media he knew of, and in multiple languages. It was also how he'd ended up hours later staring at the door of Trey's rented townhome. Luckily, at least some people were still talking to him, and one of them was his sister. Claudia had used her impressive computer skills to help him figure out where the elusive Trey Adler was staying while in Pittsburgh. Though, it had come at the price of listening to her give him hell over the phone.

"Wy, I hope you realize you are a complete asshole," she'd informed him. "I really liked Jenna, you dummy. I'm officially taking her side. If she ever speaks to anyone related to you ever again, I will be her friend."

"Glad you made that clear, Claudia. Were you able to get that address I needed?"

"I was. Though I can't figure out why you want anything to do with this punk. It looks like he spends as much time on the wrong side of the law as the right one."

Wyatt was counting on exactly that.

"Don't worry about it," he’d said brusquely.

"Wow, you're in a rotten mood. Not that I feel bad for you. I'm still mad at you. I thought you liked Jenna? I don't get it."

"I more than like her. I love her. That's why I need this guy's help."

"Okay, but if you do somehow get Jenna back, from now on, please make your decisions based on what will make the two of you happy together. I better not ever hear again that you used your worries about me and mom and abuela to do something messed up like this. Do you know how hurt mom is right now? She thinks she's a total burden. Like she's been the reason you screwed up your life."

"Dammit. That's not what I wanted. None of this is what I wanted."

Claudia finally gave up Trey's information, and he headed straight to him. Trouble or not, there was no turning back. A lot of memories tormented Wyatt, but nothing came close to the torture he felt at his recollection of the look on Jenna's face when she'd left him the day before in that hospital parking lot. Her big blue eyes reflecting how much torment and disappointment he'd caused her.

It had been as though he could hear her heart breaking, could feel her blaming herself, and taste the bitterness in her mouth from his betrayal. Wyatt experienced every brutal sensation right along with her, but his had the added pain of knowing he'd caused it.

Wyatt had forced her to open herself up to him, and he'd gone ahead and broken her.

For the first time, he believed he might be worse than his father. At least his dad had broadcasted to those who loved him just how shitty he was. Wyatt, instead, had hidden his ability to harm behind the love for his family, whether they'd demanded that sacrifice or not.

He knocked on the door. Asking for help wasn't Wyatt's strong suit, but he had no choice. It opened and Wyatt fought the urge to curl his hands into fists.

"If it isn't Shithead McCoy," Trey sneered at him, leaning against the doorjamb. "How's the jaw?"

Wyatt resisted the urge to rub his still-aching face and instead straightened up to his full height. He didn't enjoy eating crow, and he really didn't like Trey, but he was getting frantic.

"Jaw feels awesome. How's the eye?" Wyatt felt a moment of glee when he saw the dark, bruised ring around Trey's left eye.

"Never better. I'm kind of busy, dude. If you need me to kick the shit out of you again, I'll find the time, but otherwise, I'm really not in the mood to deal with your spoiled ass."

"I'm not here to fight. I need your help so we can make things better for Jenna."

"I'm listening."

"You were with her today. Is she okay? How's she feeling?"

"It's none of your business…but she's doing all right.
Griffen is watching after her today. It's not easy, Jenna's being followed everywhere she goes, people are always trying to take her picture, yelling at her. That's not even counting the shit being said about her in the press and online."

Wyatt felt his fury surge and slammed the wall by Trey's door hard.

"Easy dude. Listen, there's a reason why guys like us aren't meant to be with nice girls like her. We will always destroy them, so word of advice from one asshole to another — I wouldn't try to see her if I were you. She's still upset and Griffen may kill you. He's pissed. Wants to fuck you up worse than I did. Hmm, on second thought, let's go over together. I'd like to see that."

"Shut up.
I…look, I don't know what your feelings are for Jenna, but I know you like her."

"Jenna's my friend."

"Right, your friend. I thought guys like you don't have female friends?" Wyatt couldn't help but ask with a snort.

"Hey, fuck you, man.
You're
gonna tell
me
how to treat women? And yes, she's just my friend. She reminds me of…someone I used to know. And she deserves better than the shit you've done to her."

"We can agree on that. I think you know how little I want to ask for your help, but I hear you're good at using computers in a lot of ways."

"That's one way to put it. I'm going to guess that what you have in mind is not completely legal. Am I right
?"

"You’d be correct. That's why Jenna can't know anything about it. I'd do it myself if I had any idea how. What's the problem? Are you afraid, punk ass?"

"Of course not, fucker. Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page.
I'm already in hot water after using my
special
skills to help Griffen with his investigation. I might as well push my luck even more."

"Thanks, man."

"Don't thank me, asshole. I'll try to take care of all this bullshit. But I'm doing it for Jenna, not for you, got it?"

"Got it. Trust me, I'd be happy never to see you again after all this."

"I'm with you there. You might as well come in so we can get started. I've poked around some — trying to figure out why your little friend did this to her."

"Olivia Hayes is not my friend."

"Whatever. You know you started this whole mess. We each need to accept the harm we cause."

"That's why I want to fix it, even if she doesn't want me after all this."

"Good. So I need you to tell me what you know and what you're willing to do."

"I'm willing to do anything to protect her.
Anything
."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jenna gazed out the window in her living room, breathing slowly through the throbbing soreness in her breasts. It had been several days since her surgery and she had a lot to do to prepare for the next phase of her treatment. She could hear the instructions as though she were objectively providing them to a patient herself:
take medicine when you are in pain, rest as much as possible, and try to relax because you've been through an extreme physical event
.

Yet, the words were still hollow to her. She couldn't follow any of the advice, because the pain in her body was a welcome distraction from her much more agonizing heartache. Wyatt had stopped trying to reach her. It was what she'd told him she wanted. Yet, with the loss of his constant calls, she knew it was time to accept that the love bubble they'd lived in for the holidays had truly burst.

She heard the doorbell ring and Aubrey greeting Trey. Jenna gave him a weak smile, before returning her eyes to the window.

"Hi, Trey," Aubrey said, "you've got a lot of stuff there. What did you bring us?"

"I met with Wyatt and got the things she'd left at his place," Jenna was able to hear Trey say quietly to Brey. Her right hand moved unconsciously to the earrings Wyatt had given her. She still hadn't been able to stop wearing them and didn't want to try.

Jenna turned to see her suitcase and the box of the ice skates Wyatt had also given her. She turned so quickly away from the sight she had to breathe in sharply through a responding shot of pain in her chest.

"Dammit, Jenna. I heard that," Brey shouted at her.

"Griffen's worried about her, too. I guess she's not doing so great?" Trey asked.

"No.
She's been over at that window seat all day.
She's refusing to take her pain pills, she's not eating, plus she's testy as hell.
"

"
She
can hear you," Jenna said loudly, from across the room.

"I told you. She's
very
cranky," Aubrey grumbled out.

Everyone was worried about her, but they had to understand she just needed enough time and quiet to get over him. Her plan had to work, because if she spent the rest of her life feeling this way, what kind of existence would she have?

"How are you, Trey?" she asked him, turning carefully to face the middle of the room.

"Good. I brought you something else."

"Oh, yeah? What?"

"Tea’s mac and cheese. She said it’s what heals a broken Southern heart. She made me promise I would say that. I feel like I need to man up now, maybe I should spit or grill something?"

"Your manhood is threatened, huh?" Aubrey asked with a laugh.

"Never threatened — it just likes to be coddled is all."