“It can be whatever you want it to be. If you feel like you need to talk through things then I’m here for that. If you want to rant about one of the guys, go ahead. If there’s something on your mind that has nothing to do with the game or the team you can tell me. It’s up to you. Nothing you say will leave this room.”
That was hard to believe. “You wouldn’t tell Romney?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I let out a sigh.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, Derrek, but it’s not going to magically disappear. Whatever’s bothering you needs to be resolved.”
He was right. I just hated it.
“Fine.” I looked around the room. It was pretty bare. Not as many decorations or trophies as in Coach Romney or Rust’s offices. There were a few of his old jerseys hanging behind him and a picture of what I assumed was his family, and that was it.
“Well, I’m not a mind reader so you’re going to have to give me something.”
I looked down at my hands. My right hand was already bruising. Angry red marks glared at me.
“I’ve been on the team for a year and a half now. I made sure we made it to the finals last season. I played just as well if not better than Olli while he was injured, but I’m still just some dumb kid to them.” Abrams nodded but didn’t cut in. “I’m not even the youngest on the team. I’ve been in the NHL for three years now. Haven’t I paid my dues?” I rubbed my uninjured hand over my face.
“Are you friends with any of them? I know it’s a close team, and several of them are pretty tight.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know if they consider me a friend. They invite me to dinners and some parties, but when I’m there all they do is take jabs at me.”
“They might think of you like the little brother. Someone they can tease,” he said with a frown.
“I could handle the teasing if I felt like it was in good fun, but it’s constant. I can’t seem to do or say anything right. They just tear me apart.”
He rubbed his neck looking down before meeting my eyes. “I’m not condoning them or what they’ve been doing, but I’ve found that sometimes there’s something we’re doing to gain this sort of behavior.”
“You’re saying I deserve this?” I almost stood and walked out, but he held up his hand.
“No, I’m not. I would expect better of the team, but you can’t control what they do. You can—”
“Only control my reaction?” I interrupted. Yeah, I’d heard that a million times, and for the most part I remained calm and unaffected. Until today.
“No, I was going to say you can only control yourself. Take a second to think about what you’re doing and saying. Is there anything you can change?”
I know I didn’t do anything to deserve the hit I took in practice. I hadn’t even spoken to anyone today. At dinner the other night I’d kept quiet. I didn’t see how this could be something I brought on myself.
“I’m not saying it’s all on you. I just think you should try to be more self-aware for the next week or so. See if you’re doing or saying anything to bring this on.”
I nodded. I might not agree but I could give it a shot, if only to prove I wasn’t in the wrong.
“I want to meet with you again next week, okay?”
“Sure.” I stood up and walked to the door. “Thanks, Coach.”
He smiled at me. “Anytime.”
I expected to get in trouble when I walked into his office. Getting a chance to vent and have someone actually listen was a welcome relief even if it did come with a bit of homework.
4
Amelia
I leaned the small moving box against the wall and held it up with my hip while I knocked on the door with one hand. In the other I clutched the purple orchid I bought at the general store I stopped at in Moab down in southern Utah. It was a tiny thank you for Elena agreeing to let me live with her for the undetermined future.
The definition of tall, dark, and handsome opened the door. His scowl did little to scare me off.
“Nikolay!” I beamed up at the man I’d only met through video chats, and pushed past him into the apartment. It was fully furnished now and looked so cozy, yet modern. The gray walls and white furniture looked homey, although this was nothing like the home we’d grown up in. This building screamed luxury. Good for Elena.
I set the plant and box down on the enormous kitchen island while Nikolay shut the door and called out for her. “Honey, I’m home!”
“Amelia?” I heard her voice coming from the hall. She emerged and ran toward me with her arms open wide. “Why didn’t you tell me you were close? We would have met you downstairs.”
I squeezed her back, relishing the moment. The last time we saw each other was Christmas, two years ago. Her previous job in Los Angeles kept her from returning home for the holidays. “I wanted to surprise you.”
She pulled back and looked me over, just as our mother often did when she hadn’t seen one of us in a while. “You’re so beautiful!”
I backed away from her, glancing at the brute who was still watching me with cautious eyes. “Are you going to call off your guard dog?”
Elena laughed. “Nikolay, what’s wrong?”
He grimaced. “There’s two of you now.”
I slipped my arm around my sister’s waist and smiled brightly up at him. “Isn’t it great? The Curtis sisters reunited once again!”
He grumbled something and shuffled past us to sit on the couch.
“He seems excited,” I whispered.
“He’s used to being outnumbered by girls. Don’t worry, he’ll perk up in a minute.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep my mouth shut. He was usually around when I talked to Elena on the phone, and he knew I wanted to move up here. Maybe how fast it happened had thrown him off. I knew deep down he was a softie. I just had to chisel away at the stone he was made of.
“Is he hungry?” I asked quietly so he wouldn’t overhear us.
“He always is,” she said with narrowed eyes. “Why?”
I moved to the fridge and looked for a peace offering. There was a box of leftover pizza, so I took it out and slapped a few pieces on a plate before glancing at her. “Cold or hot?”
“Hot.”
I nodded and put the plate in the microwave for a minute. While I was watching it spin, Elena picked up the orchid. “You brought a house plant?”
“Yeah, it’s a thank you slash housewarming plant.”
She stared down at it before pointing between the two of us. “You know neither of us can keep anything alive, right? Mom passed her brown thumb onto us.” Her lips pursed. “Oh, remember the aloe Dad planted? They told him it was the easiest plant to keep alive and we killed it in less than two months.”
I held back a smirk and shrugged. “We can try.”
“Poor little guy,” she mumbled.
I took the plate out of the microwave before it could beep and walked it over to Nikolay. “I come bearing gifts.”
He stared at me for several silent seconds before accepting the food. “Thanks.”