Chapter 91: Justin’s Return


    “You guys did amazing tonight. Get your shit together and get to the bar. We’re celebrating.”


    The team was silent for a few moments after I spoke. Enzo continued to stare down at me with an


    expression on his face that I couldn’t read, although I could tell that part of him wanted me to hit him


    before, as if violence would solve his issues with his father. I felt horrible just for even considering doing


    such a thing to him, tears started to well up in my eyes at the thought of intentionally hurting Enzo,


    making me turn on my heel and storm out of the silent locker room before anyone could see


    It was dark now in the stadium when I re-emerged. Everyone had already left, and soon the custodians


    and the


    Zamboni operator woulde to clean up the stadium and resurface the rink Just then, someone


    stepped out of the shadows, making me practically jump out of my skin as my heart leaped up loto my


    throat. I stumbled backwards, clutching my chest and cursing under my breath as my fight or flight


    instincts momentarily kicked in before


    I realized who it was


    It was Richard, Enzo’s father


    “What makes you think you’ve earned the right to undermine me, git?” he said, stepping toward the


    with his ans folded without so much as an apology for scaring me


    I scoffed. It felt as though he was trying to intimidate me, and it wasn’t working Without answering, I


    went to walk around him but he put his a out to stop me


    “I asked you a questions”I froze, feeling my heart rate quicken as a million things raced through my


    mind.


    “You don’t need to speak to Enzo or the rest of the team like that,” I said, mustering up my courage to


    turn and face Richard. “They won that game by andslide. Just because they didn’t perform up to your


    standards during the first round doesn’t mean that they deserve to be punished.”


    Now, it was Richard who scoffed.” That’s riching from someone like you, who can’t even fathom


    the weight of this tournament.”


    “What, so you and another CEO can fight over who gets to run some dinky little town in the middle of


    nowhere?” I asked. “It’s ridiculous. You two should. work it out like men instead of making your sons do


    the dirty work for you.


    Suddenly, Richard’s face twisted into a snarl and he roughly pushed me up against the wall, pinning me


    by my wrists.


    “You have no idea what any of this means,” he growled into my ear, making me shudder. “You’re lucky


    that I’m even entertaining your little rtionship with my son for the time being”


    Before I could respond, the locker room door swung open. Just as quickly as he osted me, Richard


    stepped away, releasing his grip on my wrists, and teleported away without so much as another word.


    “Are you alright?” Enzo asked, seeing the panicked look on my face.


    I nodded, not wanting to upset Enzo, and stepped away from the wall.


    “Yeah,” I replied, ignoring the burning sensation in my wrists from where Richard had grabbed me “I’m


    fine. But I think I’m going home early tonight… You guys can go to the bar without me.”


    Enzo cocked his head and gave me a disappointed look. “Are you sure?” he asked. “You were gonna


    come just a few minutes ago.”


    I nodded, talking a few steps backwards. “I just.. I have a lot of homework to do, that’s all,” I lied, not


    wanting to reveal that Enzo’s own father had just scared the hell out of me. “I forgot that I have a paper


    due this weekend.”


    RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Saturday morning, I woke up to the sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window. When I sat up,


    yawning and rubbing my eyes, I noticed that the notification light on my phone was blinking. I picked up


    my phone and read the notification: it was a text from enzo.


    “Drill sergeant made us practice this morning. Could use the team doctor in case anything goes


    wrong… And bagels, maybe? I’ll pay you back.”


    I frowned as I read the text. Had his father still convinced him and the rest of the team to train this early,


    and on a Saturday morning, no less? Sighing, I climbed out of bed and started getting dressed with


    conviction. If they were going to be training this early on the day after a match, then I was going to have


    to be there as their team doctor, training while exhausted was nothing but the perfect storm for injuries.


    I quickly got dressed and headed out, stopping at the dining hall to pick up enough coffees for


    everyone and bagels, then started to precariously make my way toward the hockey arena with the tray


    of coffees in one hand and the bag of bagels in the other, taking care not to spill anything.


    “Need some help with that?” a familiar voice said.


    I looked up, astonished to see Justin standing in front of me.


    “Justin?” I said, nearly dropping the tray of coffee out of shock. “Where the hell have you been?”


    Justin furrowed his brows and gave me a confused look. “What are you talking about?” he said. “I’ve


    only been on campus.”


    I shook my head. “No, you’ve been missing for, like two, maybe three. weeks now. Everyone thought


    you dropped out.”


    Justin only chuckled and walked toward me, gingerly taking the tray of coffees from my hand “Nice try,”


    he said “Where are you taking this?”


    “To the hockey team,” I replied warily, half expecting him to drop it all over the ground out of anger for


    being kicked off the team. But, much to my surprise, he simply smiled and nodded.


    “Cool,” he said. “I’ll walk with you. I wanted to talk to Enzo today.”


    Before I could say anything else, Justin turned on his heel and started walking toward the hockey


    arena. I bit my lip, utterly confused by Justin’s sudden change in attitude and apparent dismissal of his


    weeks-long disappearance, but decided to follow him anyway. At the very least, he was now headed


    straight for Enzo, who would at least see what was happening first-hand and would maybe have some


    insight on the situation.


    “By the way,” Justin said as we walked, his voice nonchnt as ever, I’ve been so busy, I never had the


    chance to thank you for helping me out that night in the woods. I feel like an idiot for taking those drugs.


    But I’m all better now, and it won’t happen again.”


    “Um That’s good,” I replied, stunned by his words as I thought back to his rogue rampage in the forest


    that night. The image of the woman’s bloody leg shed through my mind, and I shook my head to


    dispel it. “Is that what you’ve been up to?” I asked. ” Getting better?”


    “Sort of,” he replied. “I realized after you guys left me in the woods that night that I had to get my shit


    together if I wanted to get back on the hockey team. So I decided to get some help Like, professional


    help. And now I feel better than ever! I’m certain now that Enzo will let me back on the team.”


    I stopped in my tracks as Justin mentioned getting professional help Could it be?


    “Justin, who did you get help from?” I asked.


    Justin stopped a few feet in front of me, his back turned. He stood like that for several moments, as


    though he was thinking deeply, before he slowly turned back to face me with a stic- looking smile on


    his face.


    “Edward helped me.”