Page 55 of Fake Skating

“I still say you need to go to the hospital.”

“No, I don’t,” Alec said, staring out through the windshield in my driveway.

It was dark, but the streetlight made it possible to see his face.

“But your hand is so swollen, and the gash on your cheek looks terrible,” I said, clueless how to make him listen to me. He’d been angry and quiet since the fight, and I didn’t know how to get through it.

“Only because that jackass was wearing a ring,” he said dismissively.

“That still doesn’t make it any less injured,” I countered. “But fine. Sit still.”

I raised the peroxide-soaked paper towel and pressed it to his cheek, making him hiss out a breath through his teeth.

“I know,” I said, my stomach dipping because that had to sting so much. Benji’s ring had kind of ripped open Alec’s face, and it wasn’t pretty, even in the dark. I’d run into Walgreens on the way home after he’d made it clear he was never going to listen to me and go to urgent care.

But his hand was what had me really worried. It was so swollen.

“I’m sorry,” I said, dabbing at the wound.

“For what?” he asked, and finally— finally —his eyes met mine.

Since the whole thing went down, it felt like he wouldn’t even look at me. Like he was mad at me.

“That I’m hurting you, that this happened, that your amazing night was ruined by Benji,” I said in the quiet of his dark car.

His jaw clenched at the mention of Benji’s name, and I regretted saying it. Everything Benji had implied was a lie, and I was pretty sure Alec knew that, but it still made things between us feel tense.

Why isn’t he talking to me?

“Hey,” I said. “It’s okay. Remember, you’re going to the X.”

His jaw flexed again, like he was holding it so tight.

And he still didn’t say anything.

“Alec.” I didn’t know if he wanted me to, but I ran my fingers over that rigid jawline, wishing it would relax. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I said.

“Is it?” he asked, his voice low and kind of raspy.

“Yeah, this will blow over,” I said.

“I don’t know, Dani,” he said, sounding exhausted. “I’ve done this shit with Ben before and he goes for the jugular. I might’ve just fucked everything up.”

My chest hurt for him when his voice cracked over the might’ve . It sounded like he was holding back so much emotion, and God, it wasn’t fair that he had more to worry about after they got the win.

“You didn’t,” I said, putting my left hand on the other side of his face. “Listen to me. Everyone makes mistakes, and it’s going to be fine. This is just a guy acting like a jerk—happens all the time.”

He put his head back on the headrest and let out his breath. “God, I hope you’re right. Because I’m fucking scared.”

That hurt my heart, the admission and how anguished he sounded.

“I mean, I could’ve just fucked up my chance at playing in the tournament. I could’ve fucked it all up if Ben wants to come after me.”

“He won’t,” I said.

“But he will,” Alec said, making me feel a little better by leaning into my touch.

And by opening up and not being so quiet.

“He’s greasy as hell and you were right,” he said, shaking his head in regret. “I did exactly what he wanted me to. I lost my shit on him and now he’s got the upper hand.”

“Just trust me,” I said, glancing over at Benji’s house. His car wasn’t there, thank God, and all the windows were dark. “It’s going to go your way this time, I just know it.”

“Is this more wisdom from the Harvard brain?”

“That’s right,” I said.

Our porch light flipped on, which made me smile in spite of everything.

“I think my grandpa is telling me to come in,” I said, but everything with my family rushed back at me as soon as I mentioned him. The only good thing about the nightmare at our spot was that it’d made me forget about the situation with my dad.

“Yeah, you should go,” he said. “Sorry I ruined the night.”

“Are you kidding me? We’re going to the tournament, and you’re my new boyfriend. You and Benji together couldn’t ruin that.”

That made him pull me closer by the front of my jersey.

“It was a pretty perfect night before , wasn’t it?” he said, leaning in and setting his forehead on mine.

“The perfectest,” I agreed, raising my mouth for a kiss.

“This has to be fast before Mick sees,” he said, lowering his mouth and giving me the deepest, most thorough three-second kiss that’d ever been delivered.

I got out of the car and walked up the driveway, and even though I was nervous for him, I had a feeling I could fix this. Benji was a jerk who liked showing off in front of his friends, but he’d always been decent enough when it was just the two of us.

Thank God I’ve always been nice to him.

So first thing in the morning—at like seven o’clock, before the police station was even open—I was going to visit my friend next door.

And beg like I’d never begged before.