The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 38

As soon as I stepped into the apartment, a shard of glass shattered beneath my shoe. I looked down and saw that it had belonged to the large lamp that had been on the small table near the door.

“What on Earth!” I stumbled inside, almost tripping over the debris on the floor. I heard a set of keys jingling behind me and whipped around, my senses on high

alert.

Aria was standing in the doorway, gawking at the display. Her eyes met mine, wide and perplexed.

“I just got back from work…” she said softly, taking it all in. Her eyes scanned the room and her face twisted up. “What the hell happened here?”

“Someone broke in!” I shouted, rushing toward her. There was broken glass everywhere. The photos on the wall had been knocked down, leaving trails of wood chips and torn paper.

The couch had been slashed and the cotton was spilling from every own slit. Like everything else, the kitchen was in shambles. There wasn’t a piece of dishware that didn’t look shattered.

Aria took hold of my arms and clung to my side, fortunately more alert than before. Her wide eyes darted across the room. “Who could’ve done this?”

I already knew the answer to that. “He just won’t give up.”

Aria narrowed her eyes. “Who’s ‘he? You know who did this?”

I bit

my lip and looked to the side. “I just assumed it was a man that did this,” I said, and she looked far from convinced.

“You said he won’t give up,” Aria pointed out. “Which implies that there have been other instances. Who is he?”

When it looked like she wasn’t giving up any time soon, I sighed and plopped down on my bed. Aria sat beside me. I didn’t catch her being serious all too often, but she was at her scariest when she was.

“I think it might have been Bruce,” I said carefully, unable to meet her gaze. “He’d been sending me texts for a while, but I didn’t think he’d

go this far.

1/6

7

Chapter 38

Aria stood abruptly, her hands clenched into fists. “Bruce? As in the Bruce, the scum bag that calls himself your family!?!”

I nodded weakly and she slapped a hand on her forehead, turning away.

“How could I not have known?? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to freak out!” I said, my voice cracking with the onset of tears. “Hell, I was freaking out so much, and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even

hear from

whole room with a wave of her arm. “Well, he’s made his

I needed, and he made it evident in the most destructive way possible. It felt like sanity kept slipping

her phone and I grabbed her wrist

“What are you doing?”

at me. “Calling the police, obviously. Whatever

her ear. It took a few rings

stepped out of the room, leaving me to curl into a ball and sob on top of

He’d already ruined my day just from leaving a letter. I guess he figured one warning

back into the room and stopped with. her hands on

wiped

harsh stance weakened. After a moment, she sighed and sat beside me. She rubbed

2/6

III

Chapter 38

into her lap and started running her fingers through my hair. My sobs grew louder, as I didn’t have the strength to hold them back

Aria led me out into the living room and sat me down on the couch before answering the door. There was

Hills. We got a call from this address saying that there had been a break

“Yes, that was me.

inside and showed them around the apartment. They took note of the

person was after something?”

over at me and shrugged. “Evie, you might have to answer

I could just disappear. I pulled my knees to my chest and shook my

member done something like this before?” asked Brody. “If

first time he’s done

officers exchanged glances with one another, then looked around

much around her that incriminates him. It might be in your best interest to consider moving somewhere safer anyway. This part of town’s

couldn’t help but scoff at

you have some place you can stay for now? Somewhere safe?”

|||

Chapter 38

“We have a friend near

tucked away his notepad and motioned for Hills to follow. He opened the front door and looked back at

tuft of cotton off the sofa

marched away from the door and into her room. She pulled out a suitcase and

she said, practically out of breath. “We need to get out

removed myself from the couch and shuffled to my room to gather my things. Three days‘

our things, I’helped Aria move our bags into the car. Since she was still far from sobriety, she let me drive all the way to Lucas‘ apartment. He lived in a much finer place, which had

and hit the call button to Lucas‘ apartment. As late as it was, I didn’t expect him

ringing?” he asked between