The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 95
Aria paced around my room, her eyes darting left and right. It was if she had
succumbed to mania upon hearing Bruce on the other end, a voice she had
never had the misfortune of hearing until then.
“I'll decide on the location,” Bruce said finally, and I could hear the delight in his
gravelly voice. “There's not backing out now, so you'd better show that pretty little
face of yours.”
I cringed as he let out a rough laugh, pleased with himself. It dawned on me that I
was choosing to be in his presence once more, inhaling his stale scent and
taking in that eerie smirk of his. This would have to be the last time, because his
very existence was like a tricky shadow casting itself over my existence.
“All right then,” I said, my voice clipped. I hung up before he could answer, but
kept the phone pressed to my ear. My fingers trembled against my clammy,
numbed skin.
When I tucked the phone away, Aria eventually stopped and plopped herself
down beside me. She
leaned in close, then pulled the phone away from my ear with a surprising
amount of effort. I eventually came down from my state of shock and my grip on
the phone loosened, allowing her to take it away.
“It'll be okay,” she cooed, chucking the phone away. Even with it at a distance, I
could still hear Bruce's grimey voice coming through the receiver. “We're going to
put that bastard behind bars.”
“We'd better,” I said, wrapping my arms around my torso. “I already screwed him
over before, so this could turn deadly if we're not careful.”
“Deadly?” Aria scrunched up her face, but then the realization slowly took over.
She nodded, then hesitated to say the name, as if it were forbidden, “From
when.... When Timothy got stabbed.”
I slumped my shoulders, still feeling the awkwardness of our last discussion.
Telling Aria about my history with Timothy was something I never thought I'd have
to do. Of course, I was foolish to believe that since most secrets don't stay kept
for long.
12:27 Fri, 22 Mar
Chapter 95
Still, here she was offering to assist me after I had lied to her for a good portion
of our relationship. I wasn't even sure how she felt about Timothy at this point,
having been a dedicated fan of his for so long. I don't want to know if it was the
lie that crushed her or the destruction of her fantasies.
“You can say his name, you know,” I said quietly, giving her shoulder a nudge.
“It's not that serious.”
“Stop, Evie,” said Aria coolly. “Just the thought of him recording you like that
makes my skin crawl. Ugh, and to think I had a bunch of posters of him in my
room.
“Have,” I corrected, lifting an eyebrow. “I know you're hiding them in your closet.”
“I was trying to be a loyal friend,” she stated firmly with a fire in her eyes. “You
know what? I'm throwing them away.”
1 almost choked at that. “A-Aria! You don’t need to do all of that.”
“Evie, I have to do this.” She was already making her way to her room. “Our
friendship matters more to me than his extremely handsome face.”
As she ravaged her room for all evidence of Timothy merchandise, I couldn't help
but laugh. She was
going the extra mile to prove a point, and I'd argue that she was more
determined than I was to erase his existence. I had let him in after what he'd
done, but part of me wondered if he'd actually tried that hard.
Maybe I was weak from the start? Even without the sex tape, how much was
going to truly change between us? It seemed like the men in my life all acted the
same, even years later.
My father never pulled away from the booze, even when he knew his daughter
needed him. Bruce was still desperate to make my life miserable, and he'd
moved on to more deadly measures. Even my boss was adding himself into the
line of men who sought to tear him down further.
Timothy might not have been so different after all. Even with all the stories and
smiles that we've shared, I could only believe that things would go downhill from
here.
Aria came rushing out, a bunch of rolled up posters tucked under her arms, as
she
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Chapter 95
made her way to the kitchen trash can. I followed her into the kitchen and she
made a point of looking me in the eye before hastily stuffing each one in and
jamming them down with her foot. I looked on, wondering how long until she
retreated, but then she took the pitcher of old coffee and poured it into the trash.
I shook my head, already hearing the hysterics to come. “You're going to hate
yourself in a week," I said, suppressing a chuckle.
She slapped the imaginary dust off of her hands and grunted. “Maybe. But at
least I can’t salvage them now.”
is
“Right-" I started to say right as the doorbell went off, startling us both. We
exchanged glances before
Aria decided to answer, shoving aside the shoes that we'd lazily kicked off at the
door before opening it. When Timothy appeared on the other side, Aria gasped.
“You!” she shouted, and she moved to slam the door before Timothy stuck his
foot in the frame. “Wait a minute!” he began. “Aria, please, just...”
“She doesn’t want to see you,” said Aria.
Timothy poked his head in, meeting my gaze from across the room. “Evie, it's
important. I swear I wouldn't bother you for any other reason,” he explained
desperately.
After Aria had given him a good amount of struggle, I found myself relenting.
“Let him in,” I told her, and she shot me a look. She waited for me to change my
mind, but I stayed firm in my position. Eventually, she gave in and stepped to the
side, allowing Timothy to slip through.
He stopped just a few steps away, looking more disheveled than before. There
were dark circles beneath his eyes and his clothes were barely clinging onto his
frame. Had he lost some weight?
It took a moment for him to even react, his eyes trained on me with a certain
intensity. I looked away, finding the attention overwhelming. “What did you want
to say to me?”
He hesitated, wringing his hands. “I need to make things right. Let me help you-"
I scoffed bitterly, anger boiling to the surface. “Help me? After what you did,
12:27 Fri, 22 Mar
Chapter 95
Timothy?”
His face contorted with guilt, and he took a step closer. “Evie, I'm so sorry. I never
meant for that video to hurt you. I only showed it to one person, and I never
expected him to spread it.”
My anger flared, and I pointed a trembling finger at him. “You think that's an
excuse? You think a half- hearted apology erases what you did to me?”
He was getting fidgety now. His eyes darted to the side and I realized that Aria
had slowly edged her way out of the room, likely sensing the privacy of the
conversation.
“No, Evie, it doesn’t,” he continued, “I know I can’t make it right, but I want to try.
Please, let me help you.”
I shook my head, my voice choked with emotion. “I don’t want your help, Timothy.
I've managed to keep my life together despite what you did. I don’t need you
involved with Bruce again.”
Timothy's eyes widened, and I saw the flicker of recognition in them. Bruce. He
knew. A shiver ran down my spine, and I could feel the past closing in on me,
threatening to swallow me whole.
“Evie,” Timothy whispered, his voice desperate, “I need to know the truth. Is
Bruce involved in this?”
I clenched my fists, torn between wanting to confide in Timothy and wanting to
push him away. “Don’t pry, Timothy. Some doors are better left closed.”
“He could hurt you again, Evie,” Timothy pressed. “Remember last time?” “I don’t
need the reminder,” I spat. “I'm sure you don't either.”
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His lips thinned and he dropped his
gaze to the floor. For a moment, his
hand. lifted to wherg head been

rt
stabedNnthe stomach by Bruce, but
it fell just as quickly. Right as he
opened his mouth, Aria walked back
in, her eyes zeroing in on Timothy.
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Timothy looked at Aria, his eyes pleading. “Please, I just want to help. I can't tell
you enough how sorry I am, Evie.”
Avria's brow furrowed, and she stepped closer to me, her voice low and soothing.
“Evie? Do you trust him?"
12
Chapter 95
Trust. The word hung in the air, heavy with
my life. The word felt meaningless.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
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Aria studied me for a moment before
turning to Timothy with a 0 m

: wT; . Pv]

Sie Tiraothy, thin it's best
iffyod [eave now. Evie needs some
time to sort things The content is on
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chapter there!
ouL.”
Timothy's shoulders slumped, and he nodded. “Alright, I'll go. But please, Evie,
think about what I said. I'm here.”
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As Timothy left, the door closed
behind him with a soft glick, leaving
me along with Aria ihe dimly lit
apaHiment. Aria crossed her arms,
her gaze unwavering. The content is
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chapter there!
“You okay?” she asked.
I sank back onto the couch, turning my attention to the far wall. I heard Timothy's
door slam in the distance, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice trembling. “I'm okay.”
I needed to solve this on my own. As always, Bruce is my problem.
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