Page 27 of Devil on Skates

IRINA

MY HANDS SCRAPE AGAINST the ground, and I push myself up, panic squeezing my chest when I notice Xavier’s not moving and blood is seeping through the tears in his clothes.

“Xavier!” I rush to him and touch his face, my hands shaking.

He’s unconscious, and his breathing seems shallow and slow.

“Someone call an ambulance!” I scream.

In the crowd that’s gathered around us, many people already have their phones out. Some are filming, and I hope some are calling for help.

The car that hit Xavier came to a stop not too far away, and I look in its direction. Through the window, I can recognize Keith’s face and I think he’s grinning at me. What the fuck is wrong with him? He just tried to kill me, and Xavier...

As some people try to get to Keith, he speeds away before they can reach him, but I don’t have time to worry about him.

I check Xavier’s airway, breathing, and pulse, all while fighting the rising fear in my chest.

“Don’t move him!” I shout as a student rushes over, clearly wanting to help. “He might have a spinal injury. We need to keep him still until the paramedics get here.”

My hands move on autopilot, steady but trembling, as I stabilize his neck, keep checking his pulse, and try not to freak out over the amount of blood.

When the ambulance arrives, the paramedics quickly take over and I have to step away. The cops and campus security come to question me, but I barely say anything because my attention is on Xavier.

“I need to go with him,” I say, my voice full of panic as I dash toward the ambulance.

The lead paramedic looks me over. “Family?”

“Girlfriend. I’m all he’s got right now,” I say. “Please.”

He nods. “You can ride up front. We need room in the back.”

Once we’re at the hospital, Xavier is whisked away to treatment, and I’m left in the waiting room with nothing but my shaky hands and terror gripping my insides. Tears fill my eyes, and I’m unable to stop them.

Xavier, please be okay.

Please be okay.

He threw himself at me to protect me. Keith wanted to run me over, and Xavier risked his life to get me out of the way. I can’t lose him. I just can’t.

Minutes seem to last forever. My phone buzzes nonstop because the news must’ve spread and everyone wants to know what’s going on. I only answer the most important messages, ignoring the social media alerts telling me there are videos of the accident already online.

“Ms. Marshall?”

I look up to see a doctor in scrubs. Her face is calm but serious.

“He’s stable,” she says. “Multiple injuries but nothing immediately life-threatening. A couple of fractures, some soft tissue damage, and a concussion that needs watching.”

Relief and a different kind of worry flood me. He’s not dead, but he’s badly hurt. His future and his hockey career might be at risk.

“When can I see him?” I ask.

“He’s still under medication and unconscious from trauma,” she says gently. “We’re moving him to a room soon. You’ll be able to see him once he’s settled, but he probably won’t respond yet.”

I nod, trying to figure out what to do next. Staying here in the waiting room until I can see Xavier seems like the best option.

“IRINA.” MY DAD’S VOICE behind me makes me jump in surprise.

I turn slowly, bracing myself for his anger or disappointment, but he steps toward me and wraps me in a surprisingly gentle and tight hug.

“Thank God you’re okay,” he says, his voice trembling like never before. “When I saw the video—”

As he steps back, his eyes flicker with relief, but the corners of his mouth are tight as if he feels bad about something. But for once, having him here with me is comforting rather than a source of distress.

“You saw what happened?” I ask.

“Someone posted the video online,” he says. “It was already spreading through the athletic department before I got the call.”

He actually watched Xavier throw himself in front of the car to save me, not just heard about it from someone else. The video is probably terrifying.

“I made mistakes,” he says, and my eyebrows shoot up. “For a second there, I thought I was going to lose you, and... when I saw Keith’s face on the news... I’m so sorry, honey. I believed I was doing what was best for you and securing your future.”

His words change my whole view of him. Rather than trying to control me because he felt like it, it seems he simply didn’t know how to give me what I really needed.

“I never expected Keith to be capable of doing something like this.” His eyes widen with disbelief. “I thought he was a good kid. If I’d even suspected any of this... I never would’ve pushed you toward him, no matter who his family is.”

He’s putting my safety ahead of everything else this time, which is really nice.

“And Xavier...” He hesitates. “I misjudged him. I thought your relationship with him was a distraction, and that he was only using you and would break your heart. I didn’t see who he really was.

Believe me, I just wanted you to be happy and safe,” he says quietly, his eyes glistening.

“So I thought finding a boy from a respectable and wealthy family would give you everything you could possibly want.”

Before I can say anything, a nurse shows up.

“You can see Mr. Gallagher briefly now if you want,” she says.

I’m immediately on the move, my dad quietly following.

In Xavier’s room, the monitors beep steadily, white bandages wrap his injuries, and immobilizers keep him from moving too much. His face is peaceful, but seeing him like this breaks my heart.

I gently take his hand, trying to give him some comfort.

“His recovery will take time but should be full,” my dad says from the doorway. “Maybe he’ll miss out on the rest of the season, but he’s strong. He’ll be back as if nothing happened. You’ll see.”

I nod, hoping he’s right, because the last thing I want is for Xavier to never be able to play hockey again.

“He didn’t hesitate,” my dad says. “Didn’t even think about protecting himself, just you. It’s admirable.”

And that’s why I’m drawn to Xavier. When he does something, he does it from the heart, not out of obligation or anything else. What my dad once might have thought of as a problem now looks like a strength.

Xavier stirs, his eyes fluttering open. He blinks, his brow furrowing. When his gaze finds me, relief floods his face, and then he tenses when he sees my dad behind me.

“It’s okay.” I squeeze his hand. “My dad’s here to help, not cause trouble.”

Xavier’s gaze flicks between us as he’s probably trying to make sense of everything that happened.

“Thank you,” my dad says to him. “You saved my daughter’s life at great risk to yourself. I can never repay that.”

Xavier manages a small nod. “She means the world to me.”

“I get that now,” my dad says. “And I appreciate it more than I can describe.”

As I caress Xavier’s fingers and he smiles at me, I feel like everything’s finally clicked into place.