AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I do.” Daniel chimed in.
“Audrey,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m so sorry—you don’t, they just?—”
“I don’t mind.” She waved her hand in the air. “Who are you two?”
“I’m Daniel, and this is Penny.” Daniel glanced at her, then at the ground. “I’ll watch Penny. Go to your meeting.”
Fuck me. Twelve minutes late now. “I have to talk with the coach. My siblings… they… it’s complicated.”
“Hey.” Audrey swallowed and met my gaze. “I’ll hang with them. How long do you think your meeting will last?”
“I have no idea. You don’t—please don’t?—”
“Go. If you’re late, you’re screwed.” She jutted her chin. “I promise it’s okay.”
She had no reason to offer this. None. A small part of me thought she’d do it to mess with me, but her face softened when she stared at my siblings. I had a million questions. A billion, actually. Like why, for one, did she offer this?
“Theo, go.”
“Right.” I took off toward Reiner’s office and paused outside the door. Nerves gripped me. We’d talked before, we had to before the transfer, but this was the first meeting he’d requested, and I was fifteen minutes past. I knocked, mentally preparing myself for the consequences.
“Come in.”
Here went nothing.
I twisted the handle and kept my face neutral. Coaches didn’t want apologies for being late, nor did they want excuses. “I’ll take whatever consequences you provide, Coach. I know I’m fifteen minutes late.”
Coach Reiner nodded as he crossed his arms. The dude had a sleeve of tattoos that made him look badass, but compliments were worthless. “Why were you late?”
“Excuses don’t matter, Coach,” I intoned.
“Sure. I agree with you, but I asked you a question.” He leaned against the front of his desk, not quite sitting on it but also not standing. He also spoke in a consistent tone, not giving anything away.
“I didn’t plan accordingly to make the meeting time.”
“Dude.” Another voice came from the corner of the office.
I snapped my attention toward him, unaware there was even another person in the room. Jonah Daniels, the new assistant coach stood there. He looked like he was about to smile. I nodded at him. “Coach Daniels.”
“JD, please. I’ve always been JD on the ice.” He pushed off the wall and jutted his chin toward Reiner. “You’ll learn how Reiner works this year, but he is legit asking why you’re late. He’s an annoying millennial and cares. You’ll get used to it.”
“Jonah,” Reiner warned.
“You hired me as your assistant, so you get my shit talking.”
Okay, I fought a snort but wouldn’t dare laugh. I focused on the puck sitting on his desk.
“Anyway, Theo, JD is right. If its time management, we’ll work on it. If it’s something else, I want to know. I’m about entire player development, not just what happens on the ice. You’re already drafted to the Acorns. You have the talent, so it’s my job to home in on that and prepare you in whatever way you need.”
“I appreciate that.” I cleared my throat. “I take care of my siblings because my parents can’t right now. You know my mom had a stroke, but she’s not getting better, and if I wouldn’t have driven, my brother and sister wouldn’t have been picked up from school.”
“Shit,” JD muttered.
“Where are they now?”
“Currently in the hallway. Audrey Hawthorne offered to sit with them, but that makes me a little nervous because she hates my guts.”
Reiner snorted. “You and her have something in common. Despite being two years older, she basically raised her brother.”
