CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sabrina
Dean Edwards and I stared at each other across his desk. It was the first time I’d been back since the tree incident. So much had happened since then. And as I sat there, with my phone in my hand, I wished I’d told him what I’d known right from the beginning. It would have saved us all a lot of unnecessary trouble.
I placed my phone on the dean’s desk, turning up the volume to be sure he didn’t miss a word. Mathews’ voice filled the office, our earlier conversation recorded specifically for the dean.
Dean Edwards sat there, watching my phone.
The audio switched to Jeremy’s voice and our conversation outside the dining hall played. Every word a near confession of his guilt. Sure, it would never be permitted in a court of law, but it had to be enough concrete evidence for the dean to finally hand out a punishment to the right person.
Dean Edwards stared at my phone, even after it stopped playing.
“Obviously, I have the video,” I said, knowing I’d fight tooth and nail to stop from having to show it to him. “And I’m sure Mathews will confirm his involvement if you call him in.”
He shook his head, outwardly disgusted by what he’d heard. “I’ve heard enough.”
“Jeremy’s been putting Crosby through hell since he got here,” I continued. “And even though Crosby won’t talk, I don’t believe Jeremy deserves to get away with it. No matter what issues he has with Crosby’s family.”
Dean Edwards pressed a button on his phone and his secretary answered. “Find the phone numbers for Jeremy Potter’s parents. I need them to come to campus immediately.”
“And if they ask what this is about?” his secretary asked over the speaker.
“Tell them their boy is fine, but that this is an urgent matter.” He disconnected that call and pressed another button. Campus security answered.
“I going to need two officers sent to pick up Jeremy Potter.”
Relief washed over me. Crosby may not have wanted to take Jeremy down for fear of the repercussions, but I felt damn good knowing the asshole was about to get what he had coming.
The dean hung up the phone. With a deep exhalation, he looked to me sadly. “All I ever wanted was for this university to be a safe place for students. I hope you don’t think I was too harsh last time you were here. I was just following protocol and trying to get to the truth so I could punish whoever tried to hurt Crosby.”
“I understand that now.”
He nodded. “Crosby’s here because of me. His mother and I were classmates. So, when she contacted me about the potential problems facing Crosby if he stayed in Texas, I allowed him to enroll here. I promised her I’d take care of him.”
“And the first thing that happened when he arrived was he got hazed,” I said, finishing his thought for him.
“Exactly. Not only had I let him down by not giving him the safe place his mother sought for him, but I let her down.”
“Crosby’s okay. He’s a lot stronger than people think. And, he’s got me looking out for him.”
A sad smile tipped his lips. “He’s lucky to have you. I’m sorry I couldn’t have helped sooner.”
Crosby
The puck flew across the ice. I waited to the left of the goal and stopped it with ease, firing it at our goal. Our goalie nearly got his glove on it, but it sailed past him. Coach blew his whistle, signaling a change of drill. I stopped where I stood, waiting for Coach to tell us where to be. He’d finally allowed me back to practice, but kept Jeremy and me apart at all times. He clearly knew something had happened between us, even if I didn’t blame the cup stunt on him.
A door slammed and two campus cops entered the arena, their steps determined and echoing off the rink walls. Everyone on the ice turned, watching them approach our assistant coach, the closest one to them. They said something to him before he signaled Coach over.
With rapt attention, we watched their interaction with Coach. The cops did all the talking. Coach listened and then reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His thumbs pounded away at the screen before he lifted it to his ear. He listened to whoever he’d called while pacing up and down the bench area for a good three minutes. As he did, the color drained from his face. Anger brimmed in his eyes. And his steps became louder. He made a few comments into the phone then listened some more. After another few minutes, he disconnected the call and jammed his phone into his pocket.
He stared off into space for what felt like an eternity, pondering whatever he’d just heard.
His eyes eventually moved to the ice, moving slowly over every one of us, his mind clearly plagued by something. “Jeremy,” he called.
Jeremy looked around confused, before skating over to him.
We remained motionless as Coach spoke to him.
Whatever he said sobered Jeremy’s features. Coach shook his head as Jeremy protested. Given the anger in Coach’s eyes, he wasn’t hearing it. Jeremy yanked his practice jersey over his head and threw it into Coach’s chest, before skating off the ice.
The cops met him at the door of the rink and followed him to the locker room.
What the hell just happened? I met Xavier’s eyes on the opposite side of the rink. He shrugged his confusion. I glanced around at all of Jeremy’s friends. They looked like they wanted to crawl into holes and disappear.
I looked back to Coach. He spoke to his assistant, his hands tunneling through his hair. After a few minutes, he blew his whistle and gestured for us to come over. We skated to the bench, gathering around him. “I know how rumors spread and I want you to have the truth from me before you hear lies from anyone else. Jeremy is no longer a student here.”
My teammates exchanged nervous looks, all of them too scared to say a word.
Coach pegged each of them with his eyes. “Hazing is against university policy—whether you’re the one doing it or a witness who doesn’t try to stop it. Either way, it will no longer be tolerated on this team.”
My teammates lowered their heads like the guilty cowards they were.
“Xavier will be taking Jeremy’s spot in tomorrow night’s game,” Coach said.
Xavier didn’t even bother hiding his excitement, punching his fist into the air. I didn’t have to wonder. I knew it was a combination of him getting a starting position and Jeremy going down.
“Now, I want you all back out there running drills,” Coach said. “Crosby, I need you for a minute.”
All the others skated off with our assistant who fired off directions at them. Xavier beamed as he skated out to his new position.
Once they began their drill, Coach turned to me. “I reported the cup incident to the dean.”
My face dropped. “How’d you know who did it?”
He cocked his head. “He was the one you slammed into the boards.”
I scoffed.
“But since I didn’t have proof it was him, the dean was hesitant to expel him.”
“So, what changed?”
“He received evidence of Jeremy’s motives.”
“Jeremy’s motives? Coach, I’m not following.”
“He just met with Jeremy’s lawyer and parents. Somehow, they were able to secure a deal that would keep him out of jail. He’s about to find out now.”
“No one hates the guy more than me, but could he really go to jail for hazing?”
“This was more than hazing, Crosby. He was trying to destroy your life the way your parents destroyed his family’s.”
My eyes couldn’t have stretched any wider. “What?”
“You didn’t know?”
I shook my head, a hundred thoughts swirling through my head at once.
It hadn’t been hazing.
It hadn’t been jealousy.
It had been payback.
Payback for what my parents had done.
How had I not seen it?
“You’ve got nothing to worry about now,” Coach assured me.
But that was the last thing I heard before I saw red. I took off like a madman toward the locker room. I rounded the corner and somehow, even with my skates and pads on, I flew across the room, shoving Jeremy into the lockers behind him and leveling him with a right hook to the face.
The cops who stood nearby lunged forward.
“That was your one free shot,” one of the cops said as he pulled me off Jeremy.
The other grabbed hold of Jeremy who bent over clutching his cheek.
With my chest rising and falling and adrenaline rushing through me, I glared at Jeremy. “You’re lucky they’re here. You’re lucky I didn’t kill you for what you did to me. What you did to Sabrina.”
“What about me?” Jeremy asked, spitting a wad of blood on the floor.
“You?” I blinked furiously. “I did nothing to you.”
He stared at me with a red cheek and swelling eye.
I hated that my parents hurt other people—and under other circumstances I might’ve felt bad for Jeremy, but it didn’t mean I deserved to be hurt anymore because of them. “You need help,” I said. “Get it. And then you’ll see we both got fucked over because of my father. It wasn’t only you he hurt.”
“Are you good?” the cop holding me asked. “I need to get him out of here.”
“Yeah,” I said.
He released me and helped his partner escort Jeremy, with his head hanging down, out of the locker room.
I dropped onto the bench, the last few minutes proving too much for me to even fully process.
Coach burst into the locker room, searching the now empty space.
“He’s gone,” I said.
“Did you hit him?”
“Yup.”
“Feel better?”
I shrugged, having no fucking clue what I felt. I was still reeling from the information. Still pissed the fuck off. Still scared to allow myself to believe it was over.
“The dean wants you to file a restraining order, but now I’m wondering if Jeremy will be taking one out on you.” Nervous laughter followed his words.
I didn’t bother looking up at him as I unlaced my skates that suddenly felt too tight.
“Once you file it, he won’t be allowed to contact you,” Coach assured me. “If he does, the authorities will be called and he’ll be facing serious repercussions.”
I said nothing, my mind still struggling to make sense of everything he was saying. Everything that had happened to me. Everything that happened to Sabrina because of me.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Coach asked, likely noticing the dazed expression on my face.
I nodded.
“I wish you would’ve talked to me,” he said.
My eyes finally lifted to his, still stunned Jeremy’s vendetta against me ran so deep. “He had me by the balls, Coach.”
He shook his head, clearly disgusted by the turn of events. “You’re lucky to have such a determined girl.”
My forehead wrinkled. “What?”
“Your girlfriend. She’s the one who brought the proof to the dean.”
My head fell back and a delirious laugh escaped me. I’d underestimated what a stubborn and determined girl Sabrina was. She didn’t get the information she wanted from me, so she found it out for herself.
All the emotions I’d been holding back since she’d shut me out flooded my body. She did care. She did have my back.
Coach stood. “Okay. I’ve gotta confiscate all the guys’ phones now.”
My brows inverted.
“Apparently, the dean has an IT guy waiting at his office to rid them of any potentially harmful videos.”
It was as if a giant boulder had been lifted off not only my shoulders but my entire body. No one else would see that video. And no one else could share it. Sabrina would remain unscathed.
Coach walked to the exit, turning back as if he’d forgotten something. “Oh. And Crosby. I’m gonna have to get that scout back out here to see you play.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and relief filled my body. This thing was finally over. My life could proceed. And I might just get the ending I’d been hoping for. “I won’t let you down this time,” I assured Coach.
“I know, kid.”