One month later
“Ev! We gotta leave in five minutes!” I yell as I step into the apartment.
I pull off my sweaty shirt and roll my neck to work out a kink. The extra mile on the treadmill this morning did not loosen up the knots and frustration like I hoped.
Tripping over my travel bag, I curse as I move it out of the way. The team had an away game last night and didn’t get back until late. I really wanted to sleep in this morning, but that couch had other ideas for me. I need a shower, breakfast, and I have five—no, make that four now—minutes to do it in.
“Ev!” I bang on the bedroom door twice. “Ev, you can’t be late again. You have to—”
My sister pulls the door open and shoots me a death glare. “I’m up. Stop yelling. Gosh, you’re such a grumpy old man these days.”
I’m only twenty-two. Not the youngest in the NHL, but the youngest guy on the Wildcats roster. But let me tell you, there is nothing like a teenage girl to make you feel old as shit.
“Homework done?” I ask as I toss my shirt in the hamper.
“Yeah.”
“Even the paper for English class?”
“Yes.” Her tone borders on exasperation. “Declan helped me with it last night.”
“I brought back bagels. Grab something to eat. I’ll just be a minute,” I say before shutting the bathroom door.
I turn on the water and step under the spray, wincing as the cold water blasts me. Awesome, no hot water.
I squeeze my eyes shut and rush to clean my body and hair. I should have taken a shower at the rink after my morning workout, but I was in a hurry to get home and make sure Everly was up and ready to go. It’s her first week at a new high school and it has been an adjustment trying to juggle everything. Especially while on the road. She’s had three tardies already this week. It’s Friday. Thank fuck.
I’m out of the shower thirty seconds later. I wrap a towel around my waist and weave through the mess in my room. Clothes, not mine, are strewn everywhere—the bed, the floor, there’s even something lacy hanging over the lampshade on my nightstand. I shudder and walk into my closet to get dressed.
More of her shit is in here, but since my wardrobe barely takes up a third of the large walk-in closet, I don’t mind…much. For a girl who didn’t bring a lot with her, she has managed to really spread it out.
I need to talk to her about keeping things cleaner. It feels hypocritical since I’m not exactly the picture of organization, but with two of us, the apartment is starting to feel like a hovel.
Funny how it’d felt like a palace when I moved in. I’d never had my own place. I shared small, crappy houses or apartments with teammates while I was playing in the juniors. It still seems crazy that this is all mine. Sure, it’s only six hundred square feet and I’m just renting for now, but up until Everly showed up, it was the first time I had my own space. Something that was just mine. I miss it.
Everly is in the kitchen when I walk out. I missed her outfit earlier in my rush to get in the shower, but as I take it in now, I grind my molars. “You can’t wear that.”
“Why not?” She stands taller and gets a defensive glint in her eyes.
“You got the same copy of the dress code that I did. You tell me.”
She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t read it and I don’t care.”
“Oh no, you do care. Remember?” It was my only deal breaker when I finally agreed she could stay with me: go to school and stay out of trouble.
She unties the flannel shirt around her waist and puts it on. It doesn’t completely cover the three inches of her stomach unless she buttons it, but it’s progress.
So, things didn’t go as planned. One night turned into four weeks and now it looks like Ev is going to be staying with me for the next five months while she finishes high school. Five months…that’s less than half of a year. I probably won’t lose my mind.
We’ve mostly been steering clear of one another, which is difficult in my small apartment.
A knock sounds at the door. I know that can only be one person, so I yell, “It’s open.”
Declan pokes his head in a second later. “Morning.”
“Hey, Dec. Coffee?” I ask as I pour myself some in a to-go mug.
“Nah, thanks. I just came by to wish Ev good luck on her math test.”
My stomach drops.
“You have a test already?” I look at Ev. Fuck, I should have known. Parents are supposed to know when their kids have tests, right? Did I miss a paper syllabus or something? Is that even still a thing?
She nods. “Every Friday.”
“You’ve got it, Little Sharpie,” Declan says encouragingly.
Since Everly came to stay with me last month and hasn’t left, like I thought she would after a night or two, I’ve become, for all intents and purposes, her guardian. She turned eighteen over Christmas break so she doesn’t really need a guardian, but what she does need is someone to keep her in line. Actually, she needs a whole team of people. Aka, my teammates. Declan and a few other close teammates have become like surrogate big brothers.
“Thanks, Big Sato,” she mocks, but she smiles at my teammate.
Of all the guys I thought Everly would bond with, Declan was the least likely. He’s quiet and keeps to himself a lot, but he seems to speak teenage girl better than the rest of us. Who knew the broody defenseman was such a softie?
“Coming to the rink today?” I point my gaze toward his wrist.
“Yeah, meeting with doc this morning.” His mouth tightens and he makes a fist with his right hand as if he’s checking to see how it feels.
He had surgery last month and has been rehabbing it. The time away and missing games has been hard on him, but a lifesaver for me. He’s been the one to help keep an eye on Everly while I travel. He lives in the same apartment building as we do, a few floors up. Having him stop in once or twice while I’m gone has been clutch.
“All right. See you there.” I look at the time. Shit, we’re already running late. “Ready, Ev?”
On the ride to school, she’s quiet, earbuds in. I nudge her with an elbow. “Things going okay at school?”
“School is school.”
“Can you translate that for me?”
She rolls her eyes. It’s her very favorite thing to do when I’m around. “It means school sucks, but it’s whatever.”
I start to pull into the parking lot, but Everly unbuckles. “Here is fine.”
“I have time. I thought I could go in with you and—”
“No way. I’d rather die.”
Dramatic much? I pull over and stop the car.
“Thanks for the ride,” she says.
“Hey.” I stop her before she gets out. “Coach Miller and his wife went out on a limb for us. If this doesn’t work out, then it’s back to Iowa.”
“Yes, sir,” she says, but it has less bite in it. She knows I’m right. Not that she’d ever admit it.
“What time do you need me to pick you up?”
“I’ll find my own ride home.” She’s out of the car before I can object.
With a silent prayer to the teenage gods, I turn the car toward the arena.
Coach catches me as I’m stepping onto the ice. “How’s everything going with Everly? Is she settling into her new school?”
“Good. I think so. She wouldn’t let me go in with her this morning. Apparently, I’m embarrassing.”
He chuckles. “I remember those days well. She’ll be okay,” he assures me.
I let his words settle like a balm, and for the duration of our morning practice, I put it all out of my mind. Hockey has always been my sanctuary, but I’ve never needed it as much as I have since Everly came to stay with me.
I thought it might bring us closer like when we were younger but being responsible for her has only added strain to our relationship. She’s sullen and withdrawn, and I’m grumpy. I know it, but I can’t seem to help it.
We have some big games coming up and I need to find a way to focus. I miss the days where hockey was my only concern. I feel selfish admitting that. I love my sister, I do, but I did not plan to spend my rookie season making sure she goes to school and stays out of trouble.
After practice, I linger in the training room with Declan. We’re both quiet as we stretch and roll out our muscles.
Ash and Leo come in and take a seat on the mats with us.
“What are you two still doing here?” Leo asks.
Dec grunts and gives a one-shoulder shrug. Even though he can’t practice, he still spends all day here. I know because I’m usually here with him, avoiding my cramped apartment.
“I was just admiring all the empty space in here,” I say. “Think they’d mind if I move in?”
Ash chuckles. “Baby sis still driving you crazy?”
I don’t say anything. Admitting it feels shitty.
“I get it,” he says. “I have two sisters. You can love them and still want to kill them sometimes. I suggest ear plugs and a sleep mask.” He kicks my foot. “Better yet, you need a night out. Come over later.”
Man, would I love to say yes. I know that Everly doesn’t need me to hover twenty-four/seven, but I’m not sure how much space to give her. Especially with the things Coach and his wife have done for us. It’s only because of Mrs. Miller’s recommendation that I was able to get Everly into the private high school. She doesn’t work there, but she’s a local teacher and made a few calls to help me. Turns out two suspensions in a year does not make you a highly desirable prospective student.
“I can’t. I’ve barely seen Ev all week with travel. I’m going to take her to dinner and see if I can get some idea of how school is going.”
“Bring her over for dinner at my place. I’ll grab some pizzas.”
He and Leo are good guys, always offering up whatever they think I might need, but I don’t take them up on much. Trusting other people, even my teammates, doesn’t come easy. Everly and I have that in common. Call it a defense mechanism from being let down one too many times if you want. I call it smart.
“Thanks. Maybe another time.” My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out and stare at the number.
“It’s the school,” I say and stand. “I’ll catch you guys later.”
“Hello,” I answer as I walk down the hallway to the back entrance of the arena.
“Hello, Mr. Sharp. It’s Mrs. Best from Park Academy.”
An uneasy feeling washes over me, but I try for cheery in my response. “Hi, Mrs. Best. Everything okay?”
I push out into the freezing temp in my shorts and T-shirt. Without even realizing what I’ve done, I’m in my car and pulling out toward the school before she gets to the heart of why she’s called.
“Everly is fine, but we did have an incident this afternoon. Would you be able to stop in for a quick meeting?”
“On my way,” I clip. Silence hangs between us and I struggle to form the next words. “Should I be worried?”
“I think it would be better to talk in person. I’ll fill you in once you get here.”
We hang up, and I grip the steering wheel harder. I think maybe I was expecting the call all week. Everly isn’t a bad kid, I don’t think. She didn’t used to be anyway. We used to have a lot of fun together in the summers when I wasn’t playing hockey. We’d go to the lake or walk to the skate park to hang with friends. She was sassy but sweet, athletic and daring. She never cared much for authority, but we have that in common too. When your parents are unreliable, it’s easy to resent everyone who holds power over you because you know they might wield it to an unfair advantage or make promises they can’t deliver.
But I had a bad feeling about her starting school this week because in the month she’s been living with me, nothing has gone according to plan.
I don’t know if I’m happy that she’s screwed up and I can send her back to Mom, have my apartment and life back, or if I’m disappointed that she proved me right so quickly. Her failure suddenly feels very much like my failure.
I’m still mulling it over as I walk through the halls of Park Academy. My tennis shoes squeak on the waxed floors. My gaze lifts to the trophy case lining the walls on either side.
Swimming, cross country, lacrosse, golf, hockey—PA has it all. The banners and signs that hang on the walls and from the ceilings aren’t the kind that were made by students in art class, either. It’s all custom and a little sterile. As bullet points, this high school sounded like the perfect place for Ev but walking down the hall, I feel…out of place and my stomach sinks.
I lived away from home with a host family so I could play in the junior league my senior year. That place was rich, but Park Academy is on a whole other level. This isn’t what Everly is used to.
I wanted her to have every opportunity to turn things around, but I fear I might have sent her to rub elbows with rich kids that eat the poor for lunch.
I’ve met Coach’s wife a handful of times and she’s never given me that impression. Sure, the Millers have money, but they don’t flaunt it in that way that makes other people feel shitty for having less.
Maybe I’m sensitive to it. Even signing a million-dollar contract to play hockey hasn’t made me feel like I’m someone with money. Stupid, I know.
I pull open the heavy door with the words OFFICE printed across the frosted glass. A woman stands behind a desk, the kind that lifts and lowers so you can sit or stand behind it. The door beeps alerting her to my presence, and she smiles.
“Hello. Can I help you?”
I’m suddenly very aware that I’m in shorts and a sweaty tee. I’m sure other parents, not that that’s what I am, show up in far more formal attire. “I’m looking for Everly Kent.”
“Are you her…boyfriend?” Her dark brows rise above the thick framed glasses she wears.
I nearly choke on my own spit. “No. I’m her brother, Tyler Sharp. Mrs. Best called me.”
“Oh, of course, yes.” She comes around her desk. “Your sister is in the art room. Mrs. Best had to see to another emergency, but she should be right back.”
Another emergency? My pulse spikes.
“She’s with one of our teachers cleaning up the mess. I’ll let them know to come to the office now.”
The mess. Oh boy. What the hell did you do, Ev?
