Page 9

Chapter Nine

MARCUS

Harper

What does your schedule look like today?

Marcus

Practice until 2 then I have to be at the rink by 6 for warm-ups

Meet me at 3 at the chapel

How about I meet you at the hotel so we can talk before we go?

This doesn’t require talking, Marcus

Please?

Fine. I’m staying at the Flamingo. Room 8074

But we’re keeping this short and sweet

I’ll be there right after practice

Short and sweet, Marcus

I’ll text you when I’m on my way

S miling, I lock my phone and stuff it into the top of my locker before grabbing my stick and heading out to practice. The energy between the guys is a real, live, breathing organism. It’s always like this before the first game of the season.

We’ve played Vegas a few times over the years, but being here now and seeing Harper today? It’s bringing back a whole slew of emotions.

I still remember that first assist I ever got, knowing exactly where Harper would be in the stands. Wearing my jersey.

Why is there nothing sexier than a woman wearing your jersey?

“Shooting and passing drills in the neutral zone. After that, we’ll break off into three stations. Face-offs, d-point shooting, and one-on-one puck protection.” Coach Andrews blows his whistle and everyone skates into action.

This is easy. Something I could do in my sleep. A straightforward practice before our first game of the season tonight.

Our moves are flowing—everyone is exactly where they need to be as we pass the puck back and forth.

It helps put me in the zone. Being on skates is the one place I can drown out all the noise. It’s just me, the ice, and my teammates.

We go through our stations. Everyone is gelling. It feels good. No. It feels fucking great .

When Coach Andrews blows the whistle, all the guys are grinning from ear to ear.

“Anyone else feel like that was a great practice?” Noah asks. “It wasn’t just me. ”

“I know it’s a throwaway, but it did,” Graham agrees.

“Glad it wasn’t just me,” Dax confirms. “Makes me feel good about the season.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, boys.” Jasper passes by all of us as we head to the visitors’ locker room.

I roll my eyes at him. Typical Jasper. He was a pain in the ass my rookie season and has been ever since. More so lately.

“Anyone grabbing a bite before we have to head back?” Bode asks. He changes out of his gear and hangs it in the plain metal stall of the visitors’ locker room.

I shake my head as I quickly change and head to the shower. “Nah. I’m good. I’ll meet you guys back at the hotel for the ride over.”

“Everything okay?” Noah asks.

“I’m good.”

Noah studies me. “You sure say that a lot.”

I swat at him. “Because it’s true.”

“Okay.”

I don’t remember the last time I’ve ever showered and gotten dressed after practice so fast.

I pull my phone out of my locker and fire off a quick text to Harper.

On my way

“You got a hot date?” Bode asks, slapping my back as he walks by. “Is that why you’re ditching us?”

“Not everything is about women, Bode.”

I don’t waste any more time as I head out of the arena and wave to the security guard manning the visitors’ entrance.

Hailing a cab, I give him the address and try not to fiddle as I wait through traffic. I’m part nerves, part excitement, wanting to see Harper.

It might very well be the last time ever because she hates me, but after talking to Noah and Graham, I admit she needs to know the truth.

No matter how shitty it is.

The hotel and casino are hopping. A few eyes notice me, but I ignore them, following groups of people to the elevators.

Pushing the button to the eighth floor, I try to gather my thoughts on what I’m going to tell Harper.

Finding her room when I get out of the elevator, I take a deep breath and knock. There’s no answer. No sounds from inside.

Did she leave?

Just when I consider knocking again, the door swings open.

There’s Harper.

In nothing but a towel wrapped around her torso and her blonde hair dripping down over her shoulders.

“Oh. It’s you.”

She goes to close the door, but I throw a hand out to stop her. “Why’d you answer the door in a towel?”

“Because I thought you were room service.”

Harper slinks inside the room, and the fact that she’s not slamming the door in my face is a good sign.

Well, one I interpret as a good sign.

“I know you want to head to the chapel, but would you rather talk now or later?”

“Let me finish changing. ”

Harper disappears into the bathroom with her clothes before I get an answer out of her.

Shit. This really isn’t going well.

Stalking toward the wall of windows that overlooks the strip, I stuff my hands in my pockets. There has to be a way to break this stalemate.

Christ. I scrub a hand over my face and watch the cars and people down below. Signs from the strip are flashing. The sun is blazing hot as it floods the room. Fountains dance on the other side of the street. If we were down there, we’d be jostled by all the people walking with tall drinks in hand.

Pressing a hand to the window, I remember the last time that Harper and I were here.

It seems like a lifetime ago.

Then one call changed everything. The woman in the next room is practically a stranger now. I have no idea what’s happened to Harper these last seven years. Where has she lived? Has she been a teacher this entire time? Does she have the same friends?

And God forbid, has she dated?

The thought makes me sick to my stomach.

I have no right to any opinion. I lost it when I walked out. But the thought that Harper could have moved on with someone else doesn’t sit well with me.

“You want to talk?”

That sweet voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. I spin on my heel, and the sight of her takes my breath away.

Blonde hair is now dry and flowing over her shoulder. Her lips are shiny, likely from her strawberry shortcake lip balm that she always used. She’s in a simple pair of black jeans and a sleeveless denim shirt.

It pulls a smile from my face. She told me it was always her favorite outfit. That it made her feel like she could take on the world.

I miss that more than anything. Knowing these small things about her that I knew without even trying before. That not many people knew about her.

“You want to sit?”

There’s a small couch next to the window. Harper drops down onto the corner of the bed, crossing one leg over the other.

I drop down onto the sofa and scrub my hands over my pant legs. “This isn’t easy for me to talk about, Harper, but I need you to know why I left.”

My eyes are locked on hers. She sucks in a deep breath, her blue eyes widening. “Okay.”

I fist my hands on top of my knees, needing to ground myself. “My sister and brother-in-law died.”

“What?” Harper gasps, hand flying to cover her mouth. “Jamie and Dan?”

I nod. “They were driving home late and got into an accident. Sam and Sadie weren’t with them, thank God.”

“Oh my God. The girls. Your daughters. It’s?—”

“Sam and Sadie. Jamie and Dan’s daughters. I adopted them,” I confirm. “They were with my parents that night. I got that call while we were on the road in Seattle.”

Understanding dawns on Harper’s face, but she doesn’t say anything.

“I flew straight home,” I continue. “My mom was hysterical. Sobbing. Screaming. I left everything behind and got on a plane. A few days later, my dad died from a sudden heart attack.”

“Marcus. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I drop my head, squeezing the back of my neck. “My heart got ripped out, Harper. Jamie and I always said we’d take each other’s kids if anything happened to the other. It was always said in jest. Something that wouldn’t happen. But it did. All of a sudden I had twin one-year-old girls. How was that fair to you?”

Harper’s face changes from one of shock to anger. “Fair? Do you want to talk about fair , Marcus?”

“Tell me.”

“How is it fair that I thought something happened to you? That one morning I woke up and you were there and the next gone? I was terrified, Marcus. Thinking the worst thing happened. The only reason I knew you were okay was because I saw you on TV. I went to the rink that night. Your first game back.” Her voice wobbles. “I went to the players’ door, wanting to see you. To get answers. Security kicked me out.”

I wince. “I’m not proud of that. But I knew if I saw you, I’d cave. You didn’t deserve to be tied down.”

“I should have been allowed to make that decision, Marcus!” Harper shouts. “You broke my fucking heart by walking out on me. I was a wreck.”

Tears slide down Harper’s cheeks and they might as well drown me. My heart aches, and my hand shoots up to my chest, rubbing at the familiar feeling. I hate myself for making her cry, for the choices I felt I had to make.

“I know, I?—”

“No, you don’t!” Harper jumps up, stabbing a finger in my chest as I look up at her. “I had no idea why you left and I was heartbroken. We were married one week, supposedly not the next, and then I was alone the week after. You don’t know what that’s like. That wasn’t fair, Marcus.”

Harper is pacing the room now. There’s not a lot of space, so I watch her.

“You can hate me if you want,” I tell her.

Harper draws up short, resting her hands on her hips. “ That’s the problem, Marcus. I don’t hate you. It would be so much easier if I did.”

“Then what do you feel?” I stand, approaching her with the caution of a lion stalking its prey.

“Sad. I’m heartbroken for you for having to go through all of this alone. For those sweet girls of yours for losing their parents. Your mom for losing her husband, son-in-law, and daughter all in two weeks. I feel sad for me too, because I didn’t get to be there for you. I loved Jamie. She was always so nice to me when she came to visit us at school.”

A few stray tears escape my eyes. “I’m sorry, Harper. I didn’t know how to handle anything back then. I was a twenty-two-year-old idiot who had never had to deal with any hardships in his life.”

“I hate how mad at you I am,” Harper cries. She bites down hard onto her bottom lip, crossing her arms. “But I’m mad at myself right now too.”

“Why?” I whisper.

“Because…” Harper doesn’t finish, but instead comes over and wraps me in a hug. I’m shocked senseless, my arms hanging limply at my side. “I’m so mad at you for keeping me in the dark and not telling me. But I’m also so sorry, Marcus. I know how much you loved your sister and Dan. And your dad. I’m so sorry. But mostly I’m mad at myself because I can’t be mad at you after you’ve been through so much.”

I hold Harper to me, sinking into the feel of her in my arms. Having Harper in my arms feels like I’m taking the first deep breath in seven years. The calm to the chaos in my life.

I don’t know how long we stand like this, but the sweet scent of Harper calms all my frayed nerves. It was always like this .

It won’t stay like this. I know it won’t. And all too soon, she’s pulling back.

Harper wipes the tears from her red-rimmed eyes. “We should get going. I don’t want you to be late for the game.”

“Right.” I clear my throat.

I watch as she shutters her face, closing off her emotions. Backing away from me, she grabs her bag off the bed and is at the door, waiting for me.

“Are you okay?” Harper asks as I follow her out into the hallway.

“I’m good.” And for once, it’s not a lie. It’s like a weight has lifted by sharing this with her. The one person in my world who needed the truth but never got it until now. “I’m sorry to burden you with all of this, but you deserved to know.”

Harper nods, clasping her hands around the chain of her purse and walking in front of me. Her mind has to be swimming.

If she needs time and wants to talk to me later, I’ll be here.

Because if she wants to talk, that’s a good thing.

It might mean an opening to keep talking. And that means we’re not out of each other’s lives just yet.