Page 82 of The Understatement of the Year

“That’s right.” I handed him the helmet. “That’s the only reason.”

Graham fingered the crack in the helmet while everyone watched.

“Coach, just leave me here with Bella,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”

He looked from Graham to me and then to Bella. “You can just add a room with the team card,” he said.

“I’ll just stay in this chair,” I pointed. “Seriously. One night. We’ll leave in the morning.”

“You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m good. They’re waiting for you.”

Still frowning, Coach patted Graham’s shin. “Stay strong, kid. And I’ll see you tomorrow when you get back.” Then he turned and left the room.

I sagged into the plastic hospital chair, feeling the first hit of relief.

An hour and a half later, I woke up with a start. My head lay on my crossed arms, which were propped onto Graham’s bed.

“Sorry,” Bella said from behind me. It was her return to the room that had startled me.

I picked up my head, untangling my stiff neck. Graham was asleep, his fingers curled into the cage of his helmet. “What time is it?”

“Midnight. I got the rental car.”

I yawned and stood up. “You can have the chair.”

She shook her head. “I already asked them to bring in another one, and they said it’s against policy.” Bella rolled her eyes. “So I’m going to the hotel, unless I can talk you into going in my place.”

“Naw. I’ll stay,” I said.

“Thought you’d say that,” Bella said, her eyes downcast. “He wants you, anyway.” She let out another sigh, and then walked over to the head of Graham’s bed. Bending down, she barely touched her fingers to his sleeping head. “Tell me what happened, Rikker. What were you talking about before? Something happened in an alley. Graham got beaten up?”

I shook my head. It wasn’t something I could discuss with her.

But Bella’s laser eyes did not retreat. “Graham didn’t get beat up,” she whispered. “Youdid.”

Ugh. “It was a long time ago, Bella. I’m over it.”

“But he isn’t,” she whispered.

Chivalry be damned, I sat back down in my chair. “I guess not,” I agreed with her in a low voice. “I didn’t really know that until tonight.”

“Was it bad? Must’ve been, if the hospital is freaking him out.”

I didn’t really know what to make of that, since Graham hadn’t even come to the hospital with me. And I didn’t remember it so well, to be fair. “I got through it,” I said, not wanting to go into specifics. “But maybe that’s why I’m over it, you know? I dealt with the injuries. They sucked, but it’s done with.”

Bella looked down at my sleeping boyfriend. “But he’s still duking it out, isn’t he? The hardest-hitting defenseman we have. Trying to intimidate the other team, night after night.” Her eyes never left Graham, even as she spoke to me.

Well, shit. I hoped she was wrong about that. I hoped Graham wasn’t still trying to dole out retribution after all these years. How absofuckinglutely depressing.

Bella leaned down farther, kissing Graham’s hair. “Mmm, helmet sweat,” she said. It was supposed to be a joke, but she looked too sad to pull it off. “Goodnight, sweetie,” she whispered to him. Then Bella walked over to the wall and flipped the overhead light off. “Night, Rikker.”

Then she left.

—Graham

Someone was trying to press my head into a vice. AndChristthat hurt.