Page 164

“Your dad?” I reason.

He nods, his grip on the wheel tightening until his knuckles turn white.

“I had my mom growing up. She was a buffer between us. But my brothers…It’s just them and him. I hate it.”

I frown, processing what he’s telling me.

“Dad remarried pretty quickly after Mom died. So fast, in fact, I can’t help but wonder what the actual timeline of it all was. Mom was only sick for a few months before she passed, and it was like I blinked and Suzanne was in our lives. She got pregnant almost as quickly, and suddenly I had two baby brothers.

“It all happened so fast, it gave me whiplash. I still hadn’t processed that Mom had gone, and there was Dad with a whole new family. And any hope I had that it would distract him from me was quickly banished.

“Suzanne didn’t know anything about hockey, and she made a point not to poke into my life and replace my mom, which I appreciated, but it opened the door for Dad to do and say whatever he wanted.”

“And what did he say and do?”

“He said that I wasn’t good enough.” His voice is cold, detached.

“That’s bullshit,” I snap.

“No, that’s what it’s always been about⁠—”

“No. You are good enough, Cooper. You have always been good enough. Look at you,” I say, gesturing to him. “Look at everything you’ve achieved. It’s mind-blowing. There are so many players in the league who would kill to have your skills.”

He scoffs, not believing a word of what I’m saying. I instantly hate his father for the impact he’s had on the incredible man sitting beside me.

“I’m still not him, though.”

“No, you’re not. Because you’re you. And you’re fucking amazing.”

Cooper shakes his head as if he’s unable to accept my words. “Did you want me to take you home now?” My chest tightens at the thought of him going home alone when he’s feeling so dejected and scared about what tomorrow might bring.

“I’ll understand if you want to take me home. But I’d rather you didn’t.”

My words make him do a double take, and he looks over at me with confusion pinching his brows.

“You…you still want to come to mine?”

“Of course I do. Your past doesn’t scare me off, Cooper.”

“It’s not just my past, though, is it?”

“Maybe not. But it’s a part of who you are, and I happen to really like who you are.”

“Shit,” he hisses, dragging a hand down his face. “So my place then?”

“Your place,” I confirm.

He drops his free hand to mine, still resting on his thigh, and twists our fingers together.

“Thank you,” he whispers so quietly that I wonder if it’s just my imagination.

The rest of the journey to Cooper’s house is in silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. Cooper is clearly battling with his thoughts, and I just hope that my presence makes things a little easier for him.

As we pull up outside his house, he opens the garage, and we slow to a stop as the door closes behind us, finally enclosing us in the bubble we thought we were in at the arena.

“You look exhausted,” I say when I look over and find him resting his head back against the headrest, his eyes hooded.

“It’s been a long night.”