The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 49

He is still quiet. With one last glance at him, I quictly left the room.

As she walked down the hospital corridor, I felt the exhaustion return in full force. I had crossed so many of my own boundaries just in the past couple of hours. It made one issue of mine more evident:

Timothy and I were far from over.

I stumbled through the door of the apartment, my body weak with exhaustion and hunger. The events from the woods still weighed heavily on me, and I felt like I could barely stand.

Aria popped up from around the corner. As soon as she saw me, she came rushing towards me, her eyes wide with worry.

“Oh, my goodness, Evie! What happened? Are you okay?” Aria asked rapidly.

“I–I need to get his blood off of me,” I blurted out, tripping over my words.

They didn’t seem to register to her at first as she stood there and blinked at me for a few seconds. Finally, it seemed to commute, and she backed away, holding her hands up.

“Oh! Yeah, go take a long bath,” she begged, clasping her hands together.

I nodded, already shuffling toward the bathroom down the hall. Just before I closed the door, she shouted, “I’ll make you some dinner!”

I stood before the mirror, my reflection a dark expression of my reality. My face was ashen, smeared with dirt and blood. My brown eyes, usually bright with determination, were red and strained.

With a deep breath, I tore my gaze away from the mirror. There was work to be done, decisions to be made, and I couldn’t afford to dwell on my appearance any longer. Besides, Timothy was in far worse condition than me.

I stepped away from the mirror and switched on the shower, already relaxing at the sight of the powerful streams shooting from the shower head. I peeled off my clothes and stepped in.

The water cascaded over me, mingling with the tears that streamed down my

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cheeks I grabbed the shampoo and squirted it in my hair before working it in with my nails. The red film of blood on my skin washed away at my feet and swirled down the drain, erasing all evidence of its existence.

If only the water could wash away my thoughts. As the water flowed over my face. I couldn’t stop replaying the event of Bruce’s knife sinking into Timothy’s skin. Bruce didn’t even think Timothy would risk it, but he had been wrong.

My relationship with Timothy was a dangerous dance on the edge of disaster. He was my client, and I was his lawyer. Yet, there I was kissing his cheek in the hospital.

I could chop it off to pity, but I was just as pitiful for caving in.

I scrubbed my skin raw, breaking off the last remnants of debris until I was left with a sense of purification.

Wrapping myself in a towel. I stepped into the bedroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the body–length mirror. I still looked weathered, and a bruise I hadn’t noticed on the side of my face was visibly purple. But I was clean.

I got

dressed in some sweatpants and a large sweatshirt, the cold still clinging to me, before stepping back into the living room. Aria was at the stove, stirring pasta in a large pot as marinara sauce sizzled in the pan beside it.

The tangy aroma lifted my spirits ever so slightly and I drifted into the kitchen. As I slid onto one of the seats at the counter, the chair legs squeaked beneath my weight. This caught Aria’s attention as she then whipped around. spoon still in hand.

hunched over. She looked ready to burst with questions, but I could tell she was

don’t know where to start,”

dripping sauce everywhere, before walking over to

hands on my arms and suddenly snatched them away. Without a second thought, she rushed to grab a blanket from off the couch, then draped

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Chapter 49

down in one sitting.

Aria encouraged, rubbing

money,” I said finally. “But I told him that I wouldn’t give it to him, so he

“That monster! I can’t believe he would

me until Timothy came. Then he-” I cut myself, reminded of Timothy’s pained cry as he collapsed. “I was so scared,

hand and held it tightly. “You’re safe now, Evie. He won’t hurt you. again,” she assured

“He‘ still out there!”

grunted. “Then we need to call the police. They need to find Bruce and make sure he can’t hurt anyone

bitterly. “They’ll investigate, then

go of me. “He

What if it’s just his word against mine? The police might

beside me. “I understand your fears, but we have to at least try. We can’t let him continue to

in my eyes once again. “I’m just so scared, Aria.

shoulder gently. “I won’t let that happen. We’ll

heavily. “What if he finds a way to manipulate the situation again? I can’t go

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my eyes. “I promise you, Evie, you won’t have to face this alone.

trying to steady my nerves. Aria’s words offered me

I said finally, wiping away my tears. “But can

Aria gasped. “The pasta!”

boiling over the whole time.

water.

will eat, mark my words!” she promised, and I found myself laughing at the absurdity

become a heavy burden. I longed to check on him, to see how he was faring. I’d caught the news

with signs posted up that wished him a speedy recovery. Others were holding peculiar rituals,

work.

be back soon, but the fear of facing him, of seeing the pain I had caused him, held me back. That didn’t last

as I was going to go check the mail, I noticed the light blink. above the elevator doors. When they opened, Timothy emerged, accompanied by

still work, you

take care of you, for once?” the man retorted, following Timothy inside. The door was left ajar and I stood still,

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Chapter 49

lip, torn between wanting to know how Timothy was and wanting

the man walked back out, saying goodbye to Timothy before shutting the door behind him. He stopped to

voice was low