The Season: Rush (Austin Arrows #1) (40 page)

53

Bianca

Sunday, February 19th

It has been exactly one month since I met my dad. One whole month and it only seems to be getting better. I talk to or text him every single day, and he tells me that he misses me when he has to go back to Colorado. I tell him I miss him, too, and I wish he lived closer. Then last night, when I called him to say good night, he told me he was working on fixing that.

At first I was scared that he would want me and Mom to move to Colorado to be with him, but he said that he likes Texas. Likes that it isn’t quite as cold as it is where he’s at. I think that means he’s considering moving here. I hope that’s the case, because I want to see him, but I don’t want to move to Colorado. I don’t want to leave Gabby or my school.

Then, before I got off the phone, he asked how Mom was doing. I told him that she misses him, too. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Mom has been sad for the past couple of weeks. Ever since we went to Colorado. When she left the hotel room that night, I asked James where she was going. He told me that she went to talk to Kingston.

That made me mad. She shouldn’t be running off to see Kingston when she’s with James. He doesn’t deserve that. I can tell that he likes her and it’s rude for her to be talking to Kingston still. I heard her tell him that they were only pretend dating—I was right—but she told my dad they’d stopped doing that. He’s so nice. He told me that my mom is allowed to care about Kingston and that he understands that she does.

I don’t want him to understand. I want him to fight for her. I want us to be a family.

Gabby:
Why was your mom crying? Because of your dad?

This morning when I woke up, I found my mom in the kitchen. She was drinking coffee and staring at the wall. I saw a tear drip down her face, but as soon as she heard me, she wiped it away. I mentioned it to Gabby.

Bianca:
No. Not my dad. She’s crying because of Kingston.

It makes me mad that he made her cry. I don’t know what happened, and when I asked my mom if she was okay, she pretended she was. I know she’s not. I know that she’s not really seeing Kingston anymore, either.

Gabby:
It really sucks that he made her cry. You need to tell your dad. I bet he’d be mad at Kingston.

Bianca:
Probably.

Gabby:
Or you could text Kingston and tell him that your mom is in love with your dad. Maybe he’ll leave her alone then. She won’t have to cry because then she and your dad can be together.

It actually makes a lot of sense.

I exit out of my message with Gabby and open a new one. I type in Kingston’s name and pull up his contact information. It makes me mad that he made her cry. It’s not fair. He shouldn’t hurt her.

Maybe if I tell him that my mom is in love with my dad, he’ll be hurt, too. Just like her.

And if I’m lucky, she’ll end up loving my dad, too, and we can be a family.

Bianca:
Are you there?

Kingston:
I’m here, Bianca. You okay?

Bianca:
I am. Very okay. My dad’s coming back today to see me and Mom.

Kingston:
That’s good to hear. I’m glad you’re happy.

Bianca:
I am happy. Very, very, very happy. Especially now that my mom and dad are starting to like each other more.

I wait a few minutes to see if Kingston will respond. When he doesn’t, I send another text.

Bianca:
I just wanted you to know so that you’ll be happy for us. He’s taking us to dinner tonight when he gets here. He’ll be staying all week to look for a house. He told me and Mom that he wants us to be closer. I think it means we might get to live with him soon.

Kingston:
I’m glad you’re happy, Bianca. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you and your mom.

For some reason, that text makes me sad.

Yes, I wanted to hurt him, but … I don’t like feeling like this.

I feel bad for Kingston. I haven’t seen him for a while, but the last time I did, I could tell he wasn’t as happy as he used to be when he was seeing my mom all the time.

Staring down at my phone, I reread his last message, and a lump forms in my throat. I remember my dad telling me that my mom deserves a chance to be happy with Kingston. I had asked him if it bothered him and he told me no. I thought he was lying at first, but he never said anything else.

Now that I think about it, my mom’s been sad ever since Kingston stopped coming around so much. Maybe he didn’t hurt her on purpose. Maybe she’s sad because she misses him. She hasn’t said anything, but…

Ohemgee.
I think my mom has a broken heart.

I flop back on my bed and stare at the stars on the ceiling. A tear slips from my eyes and into my hair. Not only does my mom have a broken heart but I think Kingston does, too.

Did they break up because of me? Because my dad came back and they can’t be together anymore because of me?

Is this all my fault?

Kingston

I don’t know why I thought Ellie might come to the Penalty Box on her date with James tonight. Then again, it is a family date night, so it makes sense that she didn’t. I guess it was more wishful thinking than anything. However, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to handle seeing them together. Once was definitely enough.

After getting Bianca’s text, I couldn’t stand to sit at home alone, though. I could practically hear her excitement. She has never texted me a message like that, but I figured she wanted to tell everyone she knows. I get that. She’s a great kid; she deserves to be happy.

“Another beer?” Noelle asks, coming to stand on the other side of the bar from me.

“Yeah.” I’ve already had two, but beer is nothing more than carbonated water for me. It does nothing for my ability to function, but it does manage to relieve a little of my stress.

“You talk to Ellie lately?” Noelle asks as she grabs a mug.

“I heard she was going on a date with James.” I don’t bother to tell her that I haven’t heard from her since the night I practically threw her out of my hotel room. I still get sick to my stomach when I think about how I treated her that night.

“I doubt that,” Noelle snorts.

“I heard he’s moving here, too. That they’re looking for a house.”

“
He
might be looking for a house,” she says, wiping the counter with a cloth. “But she’s not helping him.”

“Not what Bianca told me.”

Noelle slaps the empty beer mug on the bar in front of me with a thud. I meet her gaze.

“She did not say that.”

“Oh, she did.”

“No, she didn’t,” Noelle argues.

“How the hell do you know what she said?” I can feel my defenses fall in place.

“Because Ellie’s not dating James.”

“You don’t know your friend all that well, now do you?”

I can see the anger glittering in Noelle’s eyes. “I know her a hell of a lot better than you do.”

I cock an eyebrow. I could say something crude, but I’m not the kind to soil a woman’s reputation by mentioning that she’s been in my bed or me in hers. I manage to keep my mouth shut.

Noelle leans in. “Let me tell you something, Kingston Rush. That woman is head-over-fucking-heels in love with you.”

I snort.

“This guy is her daughter’s father. It’s not a bad thing that he came into her life. Bianca deserves to be happy.”

“So does Ellie,” I remark.

“And she is,” Noelle counters. “With you. Not with James.”

“What we had was pretend,” I tell her, the same as I told Spencer.

“You’re a jackass, you know that? An oblivious jackass.”

“Can I get my damn beer?” I snap, ready for this conversation to be over.

Noelle ignores my question. “Do you know how long that woman has had a crush on you?”

That gets my attention. I hold her stare, waiting for her to continue.

“I remember when that girl came back from visiting her brother at college. God, that was what? Sixteen years ago? Something like that. Anyway…” Noelle gets animated and her voice changes slightly. “She comes back all smiley. ‘Oh, Noelle. You should meet Spencer’s friend. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone hotter.’”

She’s mimicking Ellie, I assume.

“And for the past sixteen years, I’ve heard the same thing. Remarks under her breath. The way her eyes glaze over when you walk in a room.” She narrows her eyes and slaps her palms on the bar. “Don’t even get me started about how she gets when you flirt with her. She’s been pining away for you for as long as I can remember. Quite frankly, it’s pathetic.”

She says the last part with a smile.

I’m still trying to process her words.

“And Rush … this pretend thing… It’s only pretend in your head. Because it’s very real from where the rest of us stand. I’ve never seen her happier than she is when she’s with you. And vice versa.”

“James is Bianca’s father,” I state unnecessarily.

“Yes. And Ellie hasn’t seen him in thirteen years. I can guarantee, she didn’t fall in love with the man during that one-night stand. And you know her… Ellie’s one of the most level-headed people I’ve ever met. She never romanticized the guy. She never wondered whether he would swoop in and be her hero. From the second Bianca came screaming into this world—and she
was
screaming, I know because I was there—Ellie has been in love with only one person. That kid. She would do anything for Bianca. Including getting to know her father so that she can ensure her kid is safe.”

I have no words. No argument. Nothing to justify my actions. Noelle’s right.

“I thought I knew you better than that,” Noelle says, finally pouring my beer. “I thought you knew
her
better than that.”

She pushes the beer toward me, and I rattle off a thank you.

“The one thing you have to remember, Kingston. This isn’t about you. Right now, while they’re having dinner and Ellie is helping James establish a relationship with Bianca, she isn’t thinking about you. But later … when it’s over and she needs someone to hold her, to assure her that this is the way things should be … the man she’s going to need is you. If you can’t see that, I’m not sure you deserve her, anyway.”

Noelle spins around and stalks off, leaving me staring after her.

I sip my beer, hating that I’ve just been put in my place by a fucking fairy.

54

Ellie

Tuesday, February 21
st

“You’ve made me wait all damn day. Tell me how it went,” Noelle insists.

We arrived at the rink a short time ago. After grabbing a couple of beers and popcorn for Noelle, we finally make it to our seats.

“It went better than I expected,” I tell her as we get situated. I go on to give her the details of my dinner out with James and Bianca on Sunday. I’m a little foggy on some things because I wasn’t really paying attention to what they talked about. I had tried to get out of going, but Bianca insisted that I should be there. “I think Bianca’s trying to work an angle.”

“Okay. Pause.”

I sip my beer.

“What kind of angle?”

I shrug. “I think she still believes James and I might get together.”

“Do you want that?”

“No,” I say, a little too enthusiastically. I didn’t mean it that way. James is really a nice guy, but I’m not attracted to him like that.

“Have you told her that?”

“We both have. Repeatedly.”

“I don’t think she gets it,” Noelle notes.

“Probably not. She’s twelve. It’ll sink in soon enough,” I tell her, meeting Noelle’s eyes. I take another swig of beer. “Plus, she has more important things to think about.”

“Like what?”

“Like picking out the paint color for her new room at his house.”

Noelle’s hand slaps my arm, sending beer over the rim of my cup and onto my hand. I manage to move my legs out of the way in time to avoid disaster.

“He found a house?” she squeals.

I snatch the napkins from her lap and wipe my hand. “That’s what he says.”

“So, he’s just gonna up and move here? What about his clients?”

“He’ll still take care of them. He can travel. And he’ll pick up here. Apparently, he’s really good. Several players are looking to hire him. I don’t think it matters where he’s at.”

“Well, then.” Noelle smiles. “That sounds easy.”

“Probably not as easy as he explains it, but I think he’ll make it work. He wants to be near Bianca.”

“That’s fucking great,” Noelle practically cheers. She sets her beer in the cup holder, then throws her arms around me. “I’m so happy for her.”

I pat her, then pull away. “Me, too. They seem to be hitting it off. It’ll take a little time to get used to—for all of us. It’s a work in progress, I guess you could say.”

Okay, hockey fans. Let’s give it up for your Austin Arrows!

As soon as the announcer’s voice registers, my eyes dart down to the ice. I peer at each person coming out, taking in their pads and their helmet. I’m looking for only one person. The instant I see the thirty-nine jersey, my heart skips a beat.

Kingston.

God, I miss him. I miss him so much it hurts. I would give anything for him to just show up at my house, pull me into his arms, and tell me he really did say that he loved me that night in his hotel room. I’ve replayed that moment a million times over, trying to convince myself that it was real. I want him to tell me that he’s just scared about how he feels and that he wants nothing more than to be with me. I seriously doubt that will happen, but I still hold out hope. Stupid hope.

I watch the players skate around, my eyes constantly moving to Kingston. He’s not playing tonight, so he has taken a seat on the bench. I don’t have a great view, but I still look.

“Oh!” I say, turning to Noelle. It’s my turn to tap her arm, her turn to spill beer.

She glares at me and snatches a napkin.

“That girl called me today.”

“What girl?” Noelle dabs at the mess on her lap.

“The best friend. Tabitha.”

“Oh, my God.” Her eyes widen when she looks up at me. “What did she say? Did she confess for her friend?”

I nod. “She told me everything.” I couldn’t believe the story.

“You have to tell me.”

“Turns out—”

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you’ll please rise and remove your hats. Direct your attention to the flag.”

I get to my feet and immediately place my hand over my heart. My eyes stray to the American flag and I sing along.

A few minutes later, we’re getting situated once again, and Noelle’s eyes are fixed on my face. “If you make me wait until the end of the game, I’m gonna… I just might punch you.”

I laugh because the idea of Noelle punching anyone is absurd.

I lean over closer so I’m not interrupting those around us.

“Turns out, the Wendy girl was dating one of the Detroit players. He apparently had a beef with Kingston over something that happened on the ice. You know, normal hockey shit. The girl didn’t know exactly what. Doesn’t matter. I guess the guy broke up with Wendy, and in an effort to get him back, she decided she would burn Kingston. She thought it would make the ex-boyfriend happy enough to take her back.”

“Did it?” Noelle’s mouth is hanging open.

I shake my head. “Nope. He thinks she’s a psycho.”

“Holy shit. So what happens now?”

“I told the girl she needs to tell the truth, or get her friend to. She agreed to talk to Phoenix, so I passed along the information to Spencer. He said he would ensure it made it to Phoenix so they could address this immediately.”

“What does Kingston think?”

I lean back in my seat and reach for my beer. I offer a quick shrug. “I didn’t tell him.”

Noelle doesn’t look happy with me. “Don’t you think he deserves to know?”

“I figure he has enough shit to deal with right now. The last thing I want is for him to start fretting over it. It might affect his game.”

“
You
affect his game,” Noelle mumbled, turning toward the ice.

“What does that mean?”

“Have you see the way he’s been playing? He kinda sucks right now.”

“He does not.” It’s in my nature to defend both Kingston and Spencer. I can’t believe Noelle would say something like that. Although, it might actually be true. The team hasn’t been doing all that well.

But surely that’s not
my
fault.