by Laura Ward
We both shot into the air at the same time. Bailing was no longer an option. My only choice was to go through with it like a NASCAR driver and hope we could avoid crashing in mid-air. I threw my flip, aware that Coach was yelling my name. I could sense Caz rocketing toward me.
We slammed into each other, two cannonballs of flesh and bone. The force of Caz’s rotation was like getting hit with a wrecking ball. I was rocked off course, my arms and legs leaving my tight tuck as I reached out for safety. Spotters lunged for me, grabbing for my shirt or leg or anything they could hold onto as I soared over their heads.
I saw Caz tumble to the mat in the grasp of two spotters, and in that split second, I was relieved. I careened away from the safety of my own mat toward the floor. I tried to get my feet under me, but only one foot touched down before it buckled with a loud pop. Pain lanced along my leg as I crashed onto the hardwood and my body crumpled like a crushed can. I couldn’t stop my momentum, and my head snapped back, slamming against the floor. Light burst across my eyes in a blinding flash of agony before my vision went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
TAREN
Crap, fuck, hell, shit, dammit. My heart beat wild in my chest. I was so screwed. Pausing, I checked my phone to text Alec that I was running late. The stupid battery was dead. I ran my hands through my hair, pulling at the ends. I had to haul ass. I pumped my legs, pushing myself to run faster. My life was quickly becoming a shit storm of epic proportions.
I panted, gasping for air. Sweat trickled down my back and my side ached. Damn, I was out of shape. Marathons were definitely not in my future.
With the Xfinity Center in sight, I slowed my sprint to a walk and tried to catch my breath. The sound of sirens echoed nearby. Flashing lights and emergency vehicles were in front of the building.
Shit, shit, shit. My lungs tightened like they were being squeezed. Something bad had to have occurred at the show. Panic slid through my veins, turning my blood ice cold. Ignoring the pain in my chest, I sprinted toward the entrance.
“Taren!” Jon called my name and waved me toward him.
Why was Jon outside? I whipped my head around. A crowd of people were standing outside in Acroletes uniforms. Shouldn’t they be in the middle of their performance? Where was Alec?
A paramedic slammed the back doors to the ambulance shut, and it sped away. I stood frozen, watching the flashing lights against the dark sky. A chill ran through my body and my heart sank.
“What happened? Who got hurt?” I gasped for air. “Where’s Alec?” I looked around and recognized a few faces, but not the one I wanted to see.
Amanda was standing next to Jon. Her lips curled and her face twisted. “Alec and Caz got hurt.” She spoke through gritted teeth.
No. My stomach rolled, and a wave of nausea hit me. “Oh my God.” I turned toward Jon as my hand flew toward my mouth. “How bad are they hurt? Is Alec okay?”
“He and Caz collided during vaulting. Caz is shaken up and has a twisted ankle, but he’ll be fine. I don’t know about Alec, but it looked bad.” Jon’s face was pale. “They just took him away in the ambulance.”
No, please God, no. My legs shook so badly I had to lean against one of the bike racks along the sidewalk.
“This is your fault you know.” Amanda’s voice rose in fury as she stepped closer, jabbing a finger into my collarbone.
“My fault?” My voice faltered as my hand pressed against the skin on my throat. I couldn’t catch my breath. Air wasn’t filling my lungs.
“Not now, Amanda.” Jon tried to grab her elbow and turn her away, but she yanked free of him.
“You heard me. This is all your fault. You were supposed to be here, and you didn’t show. Alec was worried sick about you, so he got distracted. That’s why he had the accident. Because of you.”
He was worried about me? I stepped back, shaking my head no. Guilt crashed over me in waves until I felt like I was drowning in it. I never meant to make him worry. We had an argument, but I trusted he had faith in us. I looked at Jon, hoping he’d tell her she was wrong, but he stared at the ground, rubbing his chin.
“Is that true, Jon?” My stomach churned viciously, and I covered my mouth with my hand, afraid I might vomit.
Jon slowly drew his gaze back to me and frowned. “We don’t know what caused the accident. Alec was upset about something before the performance. He seemed distracted. He kept looking at the seats he saved for you.” His voice trailed off.
I looked away and took a deep, pained breath. “I was running late.”
“And you can’t pick up your phone and let him know?” Amanda sneered at me. “He called and texted you like twenty times.” She put her hands on her head and paced back and forth. “You couldn’t be bothered to pick up your fucking phone and wish him luck.”
I tried to swallow past the regret that was lodged in my throat. “My phone died,” I said meekly, knowing that it was a lame excuse. “I...I was on my way. I was running late. I’m sorry...” Tears filled my eyes. All I wanted...no, all I needed, right now was to see Alec and know he was okay. That we were okay.
“Well, you were too late. Way to make your boyfriend a priority.” Amanda gave me another nasty look as her gaze traveled over me from head to toe. “You don’t deserve him.” She spun angrily, her ponytail whipping across my face as if she’d slapped me before she stomped away.
Amanda was right. I didn’t deserve him, but I wanted to. I would do anything I could to make things better and keep Alec in my life.
“I think you’re Alec’s kryptonite.” Jon focused on the road the ambulance had taken. “But I don’t think that’s going to keep you away, is it?”
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I shook my head. “Jon, I need to see him. I love him.”
Jon turned to me. “Okay.” He nodded slowly. “I was just about to head out to the hospital. You can ride with me if you want.”
Full body tremors coursed through me as I followed him. I let Alec down. I wiped away the tears from my cheeks and took in a shaky breath. He’d forgiven me the last time I hurt him, but I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do that again.
“Let’s go.” Jon headed toward the nearest student parking lot. Neither of us spoke the rest of the way to the hospital. No words were needed. I had fucked up.
Again.
And once again, Alec had paid the price.
***
I shifted in my chair. The small, hot waiting room smelled of burnt coffee. Jon and I, as well as almost every other member of the Acroletes team, had been here for hours. I’d picked off all of my finger nail polish, and Jon had worn a path in the linoleum flooring. We weren’t allowed to see Alec, and we had no idea what was going on with him.
The doors swung open, and my eyes flew up. Alec’s dad walked in, tall and in command. Alec’s mother clung to his arm. Her face was streaked with tears. They walked straight to the front desk, and Alec’s mom leaned in, speaking to a nurse. Mr. Hart turned to face the waiting room.
We took up every chair and bit of floor space available. Every other person in the room wore a red and black warm-up suit. When Mr. Hart’s eyes landed on me, they widened. He bristled and, his mouth formed a tight line. My face flushed, and I squeezed my hands together. He knew who I was. He blamed me for his son’s suspension.
The Acroletes’ coach approached Mr. Hart and introduced himself, drawing the man’s intimidating glare away from me. Coach held out his hand to shake with Alec’s father, but the big man crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to extend a hand. I watched as Coach’s face reddened, and his posture stiffened. The two men spoke, each getting louder with every word. Mr. Hart shook his head, poking his finger into Coach’s chest. The tension in the room was thick, and I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen.
Mr. Hart shouted something at Coach, and Alec’s mother turned from the nurse. She put her hand on her husband’s arm and then spoke in low tones to both men. After a moment, a nurse ushered the Harts t
hrough the swinging doors, and they disappeared without another word.
Coach approached us and cleared his throat. “I know everyone is worried about Alec.” His gaze traveled over the entire group before resting on me and Jon. “His parents have assured me that he is stable. He broke his ankle and is currently in surgery to have it repaired. He also broke a few ribs and has a concussion.”
Worried whispers and questions ricocheted through the room, and the Coach put his hands out in a calming motion. “He’s going to be okay. Once he’s released, he’ll be going home with his parents.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “At least, next week will be spring break, and he won’t miss his classes.” Coach took a deep breath and nodded. His eyes darted around the room before they settled on us. A forced smile spread across on his face. “They asked that everyone go home. They’ll be in touch.”
Right. From the way that Alec’s father had interacted with Coach, a voluntary exchange of information didn’t seem likely.
“Let’s all go get some rest,” Coach said. “We need to be up early tomorrow to get the equipment out of Xfinity. Bad news is the show was cancelled. We won’t be able to reschedule because of spring break, but Alec’s going to be fine and that’s really all that matters.”
People got up to leave and headed for the doors. I stayed right where I was. Mr. Hart could try to keep me away if he wanted, but I wasn’t leaving. I’d let my friends lead me away from Alec in the middle of our fight. I’d be damned if I made the same mistake twice. I was here for the long haul.
Amanda stopped in front of me. “You don’t think you’re actually going to get to go back there and see him do you?”
“What I think is none of your business,” I snapped back. Even if she was right and I was the reason Alec got hurt, I wasn’t leaving without seeing him first. I was his girlfriend.
She snarled at me. “Alec is more my business than—”
“Just go home, Amanda,” Jon interrupted. He placed his hands on Amanda’s shoulders. “We’re all tired and worried, but you heard what Coach said.”
Amanda gave an annoyed huff, but after another glare in my direction, she turned and left.
Jon stood up and grabbed his jacket and keys. “I’ll take you home. Caz is probably ringing a silver bell, expecting me to wait on him hand and foot.”
I sat in my chair and crossed my legs. “Actually, I’m staying.”
Jon’s eyes softened. “I know you want to see him, but his dad hates the Acroletes. He especially hates me and Caz. I don’t know what kind of history you and Alec have, but from the look his father gave you, it doesn’t look like you have any better chance than the rest of us of getting to see him. Best you can do is go home and wait for Alec to call you.”
“I can’t leave without trying to see him. I can’t let him think that I wasn’t planning on coming tonight. You don’t understand. We argued earlier. I have to talk to him.” My voice started out steady and strong, but cracked at the end.
Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t stay here alone. You have no way to get home.”
“I’ll call one of my sisters to come hang out with me.” I lifted my chin high. He wasn’t going to change my mind.
“I thought your phone was dead.” Jon cocked his head to the side.
I sighed. “Oh. Right.” How could I have forgotten that?
“Here.” He dug his phone out of his jacket. “Call your friend. I’ll hang out with you until she gets here.”
“Thanks.” I took the phone from him and dialed Alexis’ number. All of my other friends were probably still out partying and celebrating our win. If I could count on anyone right now, it’d be Alexis. My eyes were full of unshed tears. Tears of worry. Tears of regret. Tears of guilt.
Jon put his hand on my shoulder. “He’s going to be okay.”
“I know.” My lip quivered as the events of today hit me full force. “I’m just not sure if we’re okay.”
***
“Ms. Richards.”
My name was almost a bark, easily rousing me out of sleep. I opened my eyes to see Alec’s father towering over me. I sat up, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. Alexis was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I remembered that she’d come to stay with me before Jon left.
“I sent your friend to get some coffee for the drive home.”
My heart began to pound. “Drive home?”
“You need to leave, Ms. Richards.” Alec’s father stared at me, and my stomach twisted.
I sat up straighter, attempting to look more presentable. “I want to see Alec first. Please,” I begged.
“That’s not possible. He doesn’t want to see anyone. His mother and I agree that what he needs right now is some rest.”
A lump formed in my throat. “But if you tell him I’m out here—”
“He knows, and the answer is the same. Let him get some rest. He had a traumatic accident tonight, not to mention the surgery he had to endure. If he wants to contact you when he’s feeling better, he will.”
Tears stung my eyes. “But—” I stood up, arms outstretched. I had to see him. I had to apologize.
“I’ve had about enough of this stupidity. Losing his scholarship. Risking his life doing unsafe sports. Involvement with worthless distractions.” A look of disgust crossed his face. I looked down at my Greek Week T-shirt, still dirty from the obstacle course I’d run with Pickles. “As for now, there will be no visitors. It’s time for you to go home, Ms. Richards.” With that, Mr. Hart was gone, leaving me with nothing but crushed hope and a heart full of worry.
***
Four days had passed since the accident.
I called and emailed Alec hourly.
He never answered any of them.
I was broken.
And so was my heart.
Chapter Thirty
ALEC
My father loved his lake house in Deep Creek. I hated the place. Probably because he loved it so much. Right now I hated him, so by default I hated Deep Creek and everything in it.
“Dinner time, honey,” my mother said as she came out on the back porch where I’d been lounging all day long. My foot was propped up on a pillow that she insisted on fluffing every half hour.
I felt trapped, which was probably why my father brought us out to Deep Creek in the first place. He said it was so I could recover, but I knew it was so he could keep me under his thumb. The seclusion gave him more opportunity to feed me all the bullshit I’d managed to escape since last year.
“Did you hear me, Alec?” my mother asked, setting her hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah. Sorry, Mom. Just bored out of my mind.” I leaned my head back to look at her.
She ran her fingers through my hair. “Sorry, but the doctor said until your dizziness fades, you shouldn’t do anything that strains your eyes. That means no TV or laptop. You just need to take it easy and relax.”
I laughed to myself. Even if I found a laptop, there was no Wi-Fi connection at the lake house. I was living in the fucking dark ages. Not to mention the fact that my phone was lost. My duffle bag had been recovered from the Xfinity Center and returned to my parents at the hospital, but my phone hadn’t been inside. Which meant that I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a massive headache, a bum ankle, and three broken ribs. I was at the mercy of my parents.
“Come inside and have some dinner.” My mother tugged on my shirt sleeve, and I closed my eyes.
“Is Dad home yet?” The one good thing about the lake house was that my father spent a lot of time fishing or at the local bar.
My mother sighed. “I know your father isn’t easy on you, but he means well. He just wants what’s best for you.”
“No.” I shifted my position. When the jostling sent pain shooting through my leg, I drew a breath in through my clenched teeth. “He wants what he thinks is best for me.”
She sighed again and grabbed my crutches, holding them out for me. “Dinner is getting cold.�
��
“Can I borrow your phone?” I asked instead of taking the crutches. I didn’t care about dinner. I needed to talk to my friends. I wanted to know that Caz was okay. Even more than that, I wanted to know what happened to Taren the night of the show. I’d had nothing but time to rehash our argument and the events leading up to it. She didn’t come to the show or answer my messages. Did that mean she’d made her choice?
“You can on Friday.” she reminded me. “No technology this week. Remember?”
How could I forget? Without distractions, all I had to keep me company was regret and uncertainty. Was Taren okay? Was she worried about me? Or was she spending her spring break partying with her friends, determined to forget me?
***
“I think this happened for a reason,” my father said, piercing me with a glare. Years ago, that glare would have made me grovel to do his bidding.
I looked at him across the table. My mother was seated between us, almost like a referee. Not much had changed since high school. Well, not much except for me.
“Yeah. My timing was off, and I had an accident.” I shoveled food in my mouth so I wouldn’t have to talk to him.
“Alec, it’s obvious that this hobby of yours is way too dangerous. You need to take your future seriously. Once you quit your little gymnastics group, you’ll have more time for your studies.” He took a sip of his drink, watching me over the rim of the glass. “You can switch back to Political Science. I’ll pay for your tuition, of course, with the expectation that you get an acceptable internship next year. I have some good contacts—”
“I’m not switching majors.” The words were sharp and confident as I stared across the table at him.
My father’s face contorted in anger. “Sir.”
“No need to call me Sir,” I said with a smirk. “Just Alec.”
“What?” he bellowed. He stood and slammed his palms on the table. His hands clenched into tight fists and the muscles in his forearms twitched like he wanted to take a swing at me.
“Calm down, Alexander,” my mother said, looking between us warily. “Why don’t you go into the den? I’ll bring you something to drink.”
