Momentum (38 page)

“Mom, can you come home with us?” Ella whispered.

“I think so, and there’s no need to whisper! I’m feeling just fine.” She gave Ella a hug.

“Now, you tell me what’s been happening here?” Mom asked, her eyes twinkling.

Well, if Mom was expecting a summary of theater performances and Jonas Brothers’ updates, she was mistaken. We all held our breath as Ella opened her mouth.

She didn’t stop for fifteen minutes. We watched all the different emotions wash over Mom’s face as she looked from Rupert to Harry and me, trying to absorb everything. No one spoke as Mom furrowed her brow at Dad.

“I’m not sure I understand….”

“It’s okay, Ollie. A lot has happened, but everything will be fine, I promise.” He squeezed her hand.

“But you’re the leader? How will that affect us?”

“As little as I can possibly make it. I want you to be a part of my Sigma-W life, though, as much as you can.”

She nodded. “I guess. This is so hard to take in. Ella said Larry was hurt?”

“Yes, but he’s fine now, and Kellan will be as well. Look, here comes Larry now.” Dad looked past me toward the door. I turned around to see a beaming Dr. Fox walk in.

“Larry! How are you?” Mom sat up straight so she could see him.

“Good! I’m so relieved to see you up. How are you feeling?”

“A bit overwhelmed. Ella told me about Kellan. How is he?”

“Recovering nicely. He’s next door, and he’s asking for your elder daughter.”

“Mom?”

“Yes. Go, Arizona.” She smiled.

I walked into Kellan’s room feeling slightly hesitant. I had left him rather abruptly after having kissed him when his nurse had come in. I was conflicted about the kiss. I guessed he’d just needed the comfort of the closeness. Yet it had made me dizzy and longing for more. He was probably back to normal again and had probably felt nothing but sore from the kiss. I decided to pretend like it had never happened. We were buddies, after all.

I opened the door to his room and looked toward the hospital bed in trepidation, hoping that the transport hadn’t made Kellan any worse. My heart skipped a beat. Two beats. I gazed into Kellan’s eyes as he held me spellbound. He was perched on the corner of the bed wearing his jeans and black biker jacket. His nose was still covered in a bandage, and his face was covered in small band-aids, but he still took my breath away. My whole body tingled when his mouth broke into a smile, sending my stomach twisting.

“Kell, you look… good,” I said, my throat all raspy.

“And you look beautiful,” he said softly, walking toward me.

EPILOGUE

I
was seriously pissed off. I lifted my stick, glared at the puck, and then slammed it as hard as I could into the goal. Then, I skated behind the goal and back up to the end of the line. It was our last practice session before the big tournament. David should be here. He was supposed to be the captain.

“Good going,
A
!” Phil turned around and thumped me on the shoulder. “Ready for the game tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“What’s up with David? Is he going to be playing, or are you captaining?”

I shrugged. I didn’t have a flipping clue. David had just taken off, in the middle of a make-out session! One minute we were kissing, and the next his phone rang, and that was it. He’d turned around and fled like his boxers were on fire. Then he hadn’t even bothered to call me for ages and when he did it had been a short call. It was a totally dumpable offense.

Something was going on, though. He’d sent Morena over to my house to hang out with me for a while. She said that Kevin was in danger again, that Dan and Sophie were back. She’d told me that David was over at her place, so I’d caved and called him. That was when it got worse.

A girl had picked up the phone, my age by the sound of her
hello
. That was all she said before I had spoken and asked for Morena-deciding not to ask for David just in case something was going on. She clammed up as soon as she heard my voice. I could tell she was still there because I could hear her breathing. What was up with that? Why was she scared to talk to me? Was David cheating on me? I found that hard to even imagine, but the question had to be asked. I wasn’t about to become one of those stupid girls who lived in a delusional world, thinking their boyfriends could do no wrong. I had asked him when the girl finally passed him the phone. He’d blown me off with a vague explanation, which I hadn’t even listened to; I was so creeped out by the whole situation. I hadn’t let him have it, though. I just couldn’t bring myself to fight with him, not over the phone anyway.

I was back in the front of the line again. It was my turn to jam the puck into the goal, which I did just before Coach blew his whistle.

I started skating toward the bleachers, but came to a dead stop when I saw David standing by Coach. He was back. I turned away from them, skated to the other exit, and rushed to the changing room.

David was leaning against the wall outside when I came out. I ignored the urge to wrap my arms around him, opting instead to glare daggers at him as I walked right past him.

“Hey, Arizona! Hold up.” He came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. I shook it off, turning around and staring at him. His smile turned into a deep frown as he held my gaze. “I’m sorry–very sorry. I thought I explained it, though. You seemed to be all right about it when we spoke.”

I kept glaring.

“Hon, talk to me. What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Nothing!” I spat at him. I was so tired of people walking out on me. Dad did it all the time. Now David? I wasn’t going to put up with it. Better not to have a boyfriend than to have one I couldn’t rely on. I turned around and started stomping off.

He slid my hockey bag off my shoulder, putting it on his. Then he followed me to the parking lot. Phil was waiting to give me a ride home.

“Hey, David! Where have you been? Playing tomorrow?”

 
“Yeah, I sure am. Can you give me a lift as well?”

“Sure, hop in!”

Thankfully, Phil prattled on about our three-day tournament in Boston the entire drive. We were traveling the next morning, and the whole team was pumped. We made it to my house in no time, and David got out with me. I walked inside to Gertrude throwing herself at me. Then she made her way to David and covered him in doggie drool.
 
He sat down on the sofa with Gertrude in his lap. He showed no signs of leaving.

“Where’s your dad?”

“Guess?” In Atlantic City, as usual, but I didn’t have to tell him that.
 
I rolled my eyes and sat in the armchair opposite him.

“Hon, I’m really sorry.” He blinked, raised his eyebrows, and made puppy eyes at me.

I tried not to let that wear down my scowl. I intensified my grumpy look. He exaggerated the puppy-eye thing even further, so much so that he looked ridiculous. I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching.

He stood up with Gertrude still in his arms and strode over to sit on the arm of my chair. He put Gertrude in my lap. Then he bent down and kissed my head.

I didn’t want to be angry with him. I wanted him to be perfect. I wanted him to have a really good explanation. I looked up and whispered, “Explain.” Then I sat back in the armchair and listened. I listened to David tell me that his dad had been abducted by Dan and Sophie, that they had tied him up and been violent with him. By the end of his story, I had a lump in my throat. “Is he okay now?”

“Yeah, but he’s still shaken up from it.”

“Are Dan and Sophie in jail?”

He seemed to hesitate. “Yes... yes, they’re in
custody
. You’re safe now.”

“What about Raj?”

“In custody as well.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Do you forgive me?”

“Who was the girl who answered the phone at Morena’s? You were so vague. Every time I asked, you just said my name back to me!”

“Remember when we met, I told you that I had a friend named Arizona?”

“Yeah, I thought it was weird, but I guess it’s not a totally unusual name. Was that her?”

“Yes. She needed my help with something.”

“Are you going to tell me what?”

“It’s personal and not important. Do you mind if I don’t?”

I shrugged. I did mind! But I guessed if it was personal, he shouldn’t. I’d get it out of him eventually, though. “Why did she clam up when she heard my voice?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Bet she has a crush on you, and she knew I was your girlfriend.”

He smiled. “Maybe. But it’s not important.
You
are important.” He bent and brushed his lips against mine. I didn’t resist, moving mine against his. Gertrude squirmed in my lap.

“I should take her for a walk,” I whispered huskily. Poor Gertrude, she’d been stuck in the house for hours.

The doorbell startled us, and Gertrude jumped down and scampered to the door with her tail wagging furiously.

“That’ll be Morena. She’s looking after Gertrude while we’re at the tournament.” I opened the door and let in a smiling Morena. Gertrude jumped on her in delight.

I went over and hugged her. “Great to see you!”

David kneeled down and put Gertrude’s harness around her. “Tell you what. Morena and I will take Gertrude for a walk before she has to head off, while you take a shower. Then I’ll come back and take you out to Mediterra.”

“Sounds good! Thanks, David, and thank you, Morena. Do you want to join us for dinner before you take off?”

“I’d love to, but I can’t. I have to leave pretty much right away, but I have time for a five-minute walk.”

“Aw, so you’ll be gone before I’m done showering? Let me say my goodbyes before you go then.” I hugged her again. “Make sure you have longer when you come back with Gertrude! I want to go shopping with you!”

“I’ll come and sleep over,” she promised.

I kneeled down, smushed Gertrude’s face with mine and hugged her tight. I kissed her little forehead and hugged her again. My little love. “Take care of her.” I looked up at Morena, who nodded.

Then I waved them off and headed for the shower.