Page 77 of Heartless As Puck

I bit my lip. “He had to meet with the team manager. Hazel came over to keep me company while he’s away.”

Alec’s eyes narrowed. “You should be his priority. Not hockey.”

“I’m fine here,” I said weakly.

“Uh-huh.” He crossed his arms, dubious.

So this was happening. My family had arrived and already thought they knew best. Don’t get me wrong; it was lovely of them to come, but couldn’t they be supportive without looking for someone to blame?

“Why don’t you all come to the living room?” Hazel suggested with a thread of uncertainty in her tone. “I’ll get you some cookies, and you can talk.”

“That sounds great,” Mom said warmly and indicated for her to show the way.

Hazel led us to the living room, and I dropped onto a thickly padded armchair and curled around a cushion. Mom and Dad sat on the sofa, and Alec claimed the chair facing mine. Hazel left and returned a moment later with the plate of cookies. The ones on top were steaming hot, so she must have just taken another batch out of the oven. She placed them on the coffee table.

“Can I get anyone a drink?” she asked, her gaze flitting around.

“No, thanks.” I tried to smile at her but couldn’t quite manage to make it happen. “I can get something if anyone is thirsty. Will you join us?”

She backed away a few steps. “I think you need some family time. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

With that, she disappeared into the other room. I kind of wished I could do the same.

“How are you doing?” Mom asked, shuffling forward to perch on the edge of the sofa, so she was as close to me as possible.

“Not great,” I admitted. Who would be, after being exposed to the world in the midst of an intimate act?

She and Dad exchanged a glance.

Dad shifted closer too. “Honey, we’ve been talking, and we think perhaps you should come home for a while. You can lie low, take a break from school, and return when you’re ready. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but this kind of thing blows over quickly. In a couple of months, hardly anyone will remember what happened.”

“I’ll remember.”

“I know. I’m not saying it isn’t awful, because it is, but if you’re at home, then we can take care of you.”

The way we always used to.

The silent words hang between us, unspoken.

Mom took a cookie, perhaps hoping that the movement would break the tension. “Just for a while,” she said with a full mouth.

“I’m happy here.” My voice quavered, and their eyes filled with pity.

Damn it.

I hated that, however much I tried, in their minds I’d always be the shy little girl with a stutter. I was a woman now. An independent one, who’d accomplished plenty on my own.

“Are you?” Alec asked.

I stiffened. Obviously, I wasn’t thrilled with life at the moment, but I wasn’t about to run home with my tail between my legs either. It might be tempting to let them fix all my problems, but I could handle this. I was strong.

“Jane?” Austin’s call echoed through the house, followed by footsteps heading in our direction.

I stood, eager to see him, but as soon as he stepped into the room, Alec intercepted him.

“Why haven’t you been here with Jane?” he demanded, getting up in Austin’s face. “You left her alone when she needed you.”

Austin’s eyes widened and he fell back a step but did and said nothing to defend himself.