Thirty

THIRTY

FELTON

Coming off two wins since the break is a really good way to continue into the season. The whole team is in good spirits as we step into the hotel in Colorado for our game tomorrow night. There's a happy energy, a positive vibe throughout our team.

Once inside, Ren hands me the keycard to our room. "Go upstairs and change. I'll bring dinner up."

I nod and he kisses my lips in a peck. There's never once been any hesitation in showing his affection for me once we began down that path. Not in front of our team, and not in a public space like the hotel lobby.

A grin curls up my face as I head for the elevator with a few teammates. While most of the team doesn't care whether they're in a suit or not for whatever happens after a game, there's always a handful that have had enough of the suit for the day and immediately return to their home or the hotel room to change.

I could go either way; it depends on my mood after the game.

The elevator door opens a few times and one-by-one, the passengers step out onto their floor.

The next few minutes probably happen because I'm far too happy and the universe decides that I shouldn't be allowed this kind of happiness. Maybe I was a bad person in a previous life.

When I get off the elevator, there's a group of people that I don't even look at. I've learned that when you make eye contact, you're opening yourself up to conversation. While I'm grateful for all my fans, sometimes I just need some peace and to be left alone.

So I give the group a vague, polite smile as I move beyond them, pulling out the keycard Ren gave me. Keycards and me have a love/hate relationship. I'd say it's 50/50 that I can get them to work.

Before I even reach my door, I hear, "Felton!"

My blood runs cold as I freeze. Oh, fuck. Please tell me I imagined that voice!

"Turn around and look at me."

Suddenly my stomach is filled with acid. My shoulders tense so hard, they ache. And not the good kind of ache like when you just finish a really good workout. Or when Ren bends me in half to fuck me. This is not a good kind of ache at all.

"Felton Maurice Badcock," my father growls and I wince. "Turn around. You've been ignoring me long enough. Be a fucking man for once."

With a shaking hand, I manage to loosen the death grip I have on my phone and pull up my contacts. I hit dial next to Ren's name as I turn. That's the most I can do right now.

My father is furious. As soon as I meet his eyes, I can feel his anger like a heat wave as it pushes against me and I have to take several steps backward. He's not as tall as I am. Not even close. I'm not sure he's even six feet. Not that I've asked. Because that would be rude. Obviously.

"Where have you been?" he demands. "Why have you been hiding from us? How dare you ignore your family. I didn't think you could possibly be more disrespectful, but you never cease to prove me wrong. Your mother has been worried sick."

I glance at her; but as always, she's standing slightly behind my father with a neutral expression.

"I told you to come home and you completely disobeyed me. What was more important than spending the holiday with your family, to whom you owe everything? I have to get updates about my own child online! But you've even evaded reporters. What new scandal are you hiding now? What new thing have you done to embarrass us this time?"

The world around me spins. I can taste bile in my throat as my vision narrows and tilts violently. Please no. Please just go. I can't do this.

But they're still there. My father is still telling me how much I let him down. How disgusted he is with me. I'm… horrified. Sick.

"How dare you block my number! What's wrong with you? I didn't raise you to be so blatantly disrespectful. To sue your team, who's stuck with you since the beginning of your mediocre career and supported you. For what? They can't improve your game, Felton. That's all on you!"

And then Ren is between us. His presence makes my father stop talking as he looks at Ren, startled. A moment of silence passes between us as he contemplates Ren.

"Do not talk to him that way," Ren orders. I've never heard his voice like that. I know it's him. I can smell his unique, calming scent brush against me. Allowing me to finally take a breath. But I've never heard his tone so… angry. "You're the absolute most pathetic excuse for a father I've ever had the misfortune to know about."

"You're the asshole who refused to let him come home," my father says.

"Yes," Ren confirms. "Which was the best decision for him. For a whole ten days, he learned what it's like to have a family to support and love him without question. He smiled. He had his first happy holiday memory. And I'll be damned if I let you come around again and fuck him up."

"How dare you?—"

My father's words cut off when Ren turns around and gives my father his back. Ren presses his card to my palm. I have no idea where the first one he gave me went, but my hands are shaking so I'm barely able to hold onto it. "Go inside the room," he tells me before pressing a hand to my chest, right over my racing heart. "Sit and catch your breath. I'll be right in."

I can't breathe. He's right that I need to catch my breath. There's a very good chance that I'm going to fall over and land on my face in the next several seconds if I don't.

Giving Ren a nod, I turn for the door.

"Don't you walk away, Felton!" my father nearly shouts.

I wince and pause, but Ren's hand lands gently on my lower back. "Go. I'll deal with this."

Nodding again, I take another step forward. I feel as much as hear my father following. but then Ren is there, blocking his path. I can only hear Ren speaking, but can't make out his words over my father's angry voice.

The quiet beep of the door lets me know it unlocks, so I push it open, thankful that it didn't give me a hard time. Maybe the universe knows that I can't handle fighting with a door right now. It shuts quietly behind me, and I drop my bag. I'm thankful Ren told me to sit because with as wild as my brain is spinning right now, I'd probably just stand here as I try not to get sick.

Instead, I fall into a chair and close my eyes.

My father's voice rises and, while the thick door muffles it, I can still hear him. I shake as I try to push it away. Block it out. He's not here. This isn't happening. I'm still at Ren's house and everything is fine.

Minutes pass. Maybe a lot of minutes. I don't hear Ren come in but his hand on me startles me enough that I nearly lunge to my feet.

"Shh," he soothes, pressing his hand to my cheek and then sinking his fingers into my hair. "It's okay."

It's not though. They're still there. Just outside the door.

Ren steps between my legs and pulls my face to his stomach, his arms wrap around my head. "It's all right, Fel. I promise, it's okay now."

He holds me like that for a long time. It takes me what feels like days to stop shaking. When I finally do, Ren bends down to kiss me lightly. "Go take a shower. I'll join you in a few minutes."

I nod and get up feeling rather numb. I move around in a slight daze, trying my best not to break down into tears. My hands move on autopilot as I strip from my clothes and step into the shower. It's only because he's told me what to do that I keep moving, as if his instructions are what enables me to act. The slap of icy water when I turn the shower on has me gasping, but it slowly warms up as I lower myself to the tile and let it wash over me.

I'm still sitting like that when Ren joins me a while later. I'm rather impressed that the water hasn't turned cold yet. He's already naked when he comes into the bathroom and somehow, we manage to fit inside the shower together.

He kneels in front of me and pulls me into him, wrapping me in his arms so I can curl into his body.

"He's being removed from the hotel," Ren whispers. "Coach is making sure he also has no access to the game tomorrow, or any Winnipeg games, home or away, moving forward."

I wince.

Ren pulls up my face until I look into his eyes. I hate what he probably sees in me. Thankfully, the water falling on us disguises my tears. Probably.

"Listen to me, Felton." I take a deep breath. "You're not what he says you are, or what he's made you believe about yourself. You know the truth."

"How do you know he's not right?" I whisper.

"He's a very miserable, awful man," Ren says. "I can guarantee if I ask literally anyone else what they think about you, not a single person would come close to listing even one of the things your father's called you or said about you."

"If they're not true, then why does he say them?"

Ren shakes his head as his fingers move gently over my face. "I'm not going to try to guess. Some people shouldn't be parents. Yours are among them. Given just the little bit I've seen and heard of them, I'm so very proud of the person you've become in spite of the situation you grew up in and continue to live through."

I shake my head and lower my eyes, but Ren pulls my attention back to him.

"You're strong and kind and thoughtful. Fel, you're incredibly hard-working and talented. You're a wonderful friend, and have done some amazing things that you should be proud of, Felton. And you've done them without their help or support."

"Why did they have to come here?" I ask, my eyes stinging. I'm shaking again, but I can at least pretend I'm cold now.

Ren shakes his head, pulling me into him again so I can lose myself in his embrace. "It won't happen again, Felton. I promise."

I want to ask how he can promise such a thing, but I don't. I want to believe him.

"When we get out of the shower, you're going to give me your phone. I'm going to keep it for the remainder of this trip. And when we get home, we're getting you a new number."

There's no question. He doesn't ask if I'm okay with that. He doesn't ask if I understand. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath as I nod.

Ren's going to make everything go away. He's going to protect me. He can do whatever the fuck he wants as long as he keeps holding me like this.