Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

OLIVER

I blinked, my eyes dry and my throat felt like someone had punched it. My body felt that way, actually.

"Don't move, Sutton." Mark, one of the trainers who also happened to be a medic, said as they loaded me into an ambulance. "You've been in and out, so the docs want you to take a ride."

"Did we win?"

The details of the last few minutes were fuzzy.

"Yeah, and you were celebrating when that asshole checked you from behind." He flashed a light in my eyes, and I winced. "Response is good. You might have a concussion. Lay back."

Fuck .

The final minutes of the game flooded my memory, the goals, and looking for my family, Zoe, Eden, Mikayla.

Corey. I had turned to find her, and then, nothing.

Shaw. Noah hated that guy.

At the hospital, the doctors and nurses bustled and ordered tests, until they took me to a private room.

"Finally. It's like they were enjoying making us wait and freak out." Mikayla flew into the room, a tornado of emotions and flailing arms. Ryan, her fiancé, and my stepmom and dad right behind her. "Ollie! Are you ok?"

Ryan rubbed her arms, then pushed his glasses up his nose. "He has a concussion. The doctors told us that."

She turned to him, hands on her hips. "He needs to tell me. I know what they said, CK."

Did I mention he looked like Clark Kent? And shared my love for comics?

"I'm…fine," I said. "Tired."

"Wait, are you allowed to sleep? Mom, is he allowed to sleep?"

"Sweetheart, Ollie's ok. Let him rest, head to the hotel for a few hours. The doctors said he needs quiet. And it's late." Her eyes were red rimmed, but she smiled at me, anyway.

"And Noah is outside, freaking out. I think he forgot to shower. We told them he's your brother."

Dad winked, taking it all in stride. I'd only had one concussion in my career, but he was always the calm in the storm of Mikayla and mom. He ushered them out after I got a tearful hug from them both.

Noah squeezed in as they left, Zoe by his side. "My wife, remember, bro?"

I snorted, but my body still felt a Mack Truck had hit it.

"Shaw's a dickhead. Fucking hate the guy. Even if he's Mason's best friend." Mason, his older brother, played for Vancouver and went to college with Liam Shaw.

"How are you feeling?" Zoe asked, her voice low.

"Ok." I swallowed. "Is C-"

The two of them shared a look. Noah shook his head. "She was, but once the doctors said you were going to be fine, she left."

Zoe pulled a folded up piece of paper from her back pocket. "She gave us this to give to you." She handed it to me, and I hated Corey wasn't the one handing it over. "We are going because the doctor is serious about you resting."

"But I'll be here in the morning, dude. Promise." Noah definitely hadn't showered because he stunk when he hugged me. Thank God Zoe hugged me last to get rid of the smell.

After they left, I stared at the white square, a pit in my stomach.

Dragging in a deep breath, I opened it.

"Ollie,

You played the best I've ever seen you play tonight. And you get better every game. It's amazing to watch, and I am so proud of how far you've come.

But I think I've taught you everything I can, and it's time for us to end this thing we never should have started. You have your entire career ahead of you, and I can't hold you back in any way.

Thank you for everything. And more.

C"

And shut my eyes as my heart broke.

We lost the next series, and Corey avoided coming to the bench or anywhere near the locker rooms, choosing to watch from the suite instead with her dad.

Noah came to every game and got me drunk, along with Zoe and Eden, after we lost.

Lucy whined for Corey by the front door, missing her as much as I did.

We both had broken hearts and no idea what to do about it.

Until Noah texted me in the middle of the summer break. I'd signed a contract with the Revenge, not knowing how things were going to be with Corey still on staff, but hell if I'd make her do anything she didn't want.

NOAH: Holy shit.

OLIVER: Now what?

ZOE: I'm watching Bridgerton with E, this better be good. Cause Ice Cream. Spoon. Duke.

NOAH: Remember when we were talking last week about getting Ollie's girl back?

EDEN: Without Ollie? Yep. And we couldn't figure out a plan, remember?

OLIVER: You were doing what?

Lucy whined next to me, like she knew who they were talking about.

NOAH: Fixing your love life. But that's not important. Guess who is going to the same beach wedding AND is partnered up with my big bro for the wedding party?

EDEN: brETT? Shut the front door.

MIKAYLA: You guys realize time zones, right? AND SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.

ZOE: Oh, you're going.

OLIVER: No.

NOAH: Brett is the biggest player. I bet he makes a move on the bride's BFF. One night and run.

ZOE: Your brother is a hit em and run?

EDEN: Sounds dangerous and sexy and wait…didn't you just tell us this at the bar last night? When you were shit-faced?

NOAH: Moving on, E. Yep. So unless you want that in your head…

Oh, hell, no.

The idea of any other man with my lady sent my blood boiling.

Then I remembered. She broke it off. Corey didn't want me.

OLIVER: She can do whatever she wants. She made that abundantly clear.

EDEN: I swear. Men. Your dicks are either full steam ahead, or dumb as a rock. Go read the note again.

ZOE: Agreed. But not from your perspective. From hers.

NOAH: This is why I love my girls.

MIKAYLA: Go to the beach, Ollie. I'm going back to bed. Love you.

I glanced up at the shelf next to my fireplace. Propped up against my prized comic was the last note Corey wrote. I stood, and Lucy protested since she loved my feet but followed, anyway.

OLIVER: FINE. I'll read it again.

"Ollie,

You played the best I've ever seen you play tonight. And you get better every game. It‘s amazing to watch, and I am so proud of how far you've come.

But I think I've taught you everything I can, and it's time for us to end this thing we never should have started. You have your entire career ahead of you, and I can't hold you back in any way.

Thank you for everything. And more.

C"

Holy. Hell.

ZOE: You see it, right?

EDEN: Our Ollie will get it.

NOAH: Dude.

She never had anyone fight for her. To be her person. She was always bending to what everyone else thought she should be. And she was doing it again.

But she had me. I didn't give up. Especially not on the woman I loved.

OLIVER: I'm going to need a little help.

NOAH: FUCK YES. I have the hotel, beach, schedule, everything.

OLIVER: Dude.

NOAH: I know, Cyclone. Samesies.

EDEN: You two are the cutest. Now go get your girl, let me watch my Duke. And kick Z, cause she's going through ice cream withdrawal from her expression.

I had a girl to convince that she was everything and more, just the way she was.