Page 216 of So This Is War
There’sa knock on my door just as I set my bag down. Sterling and I had a two-hour meeting about tomorrow’s game and how we want to match up with the Renegades. They’re known to be quick on the ice so we determined ways to keep our legs fresh.
After two hours, I’m exhausted, and the last thing I want to do is hear about fucking Levi Posey again.
There’s another knock, and it seems like they won’t go away, so I head over to the door, open it, and—lo and behold—Posey is standing on the other side.
I run my hand over my brow. “I can’t do this tonight.”
“Hear me out, Coach.”
“Why?” I ask. “Don’t you think your teammates have done enough?”
“I don’t think so,” Halsey Holmes says, stepping behind him. Following closely are the rest of the guys.
God Almighty.
This is starting to feel like an after school special.
“I think our friend here was looking for a nightcap . . . of water,” Pacey says. “And he wanted to spend it with you, his leader. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to listen to him?”
These fuckheads.
Christ.
I walk over to the dresser and grab my key card and stick it in my pocket before moving out of my room. I walk ahead of them straight to the elevator, where I punch the down button. I feel them all gather behind me, and I’m wondering if this will be a team thing.
I sure as hell hope not. When the elevator dings,weget on it and ride down to the main lobby whereweget off and head straight to the restaurant bar.We nod at the hostess who allows us to choose our table. We go for one in the far back, away from everyone. Fucking hell. They should be leaving me the fuck alone.I take a seat in the booth while Posey sits across from me. I half expect the other guys to take up the rest of the booth and the top of the table, but instead, they sit a few tables over, watching.
Lurking.
“Quite the extravagant way to boost your image,” I say to Posey.
“Wasn’t trying to boost the image, was trying to portray the truth.”
“Okay, so they said you were a good guy, that you put people first. That was the general consensus. Tell me, why should I give a fuck about that?”
He places his hand on the table and looks me in the eye. “Coach Wood, I’m not here to win your approval. What the boys said was their choice, their decision, and frankly, I have no idea what was said to you. But when I told them I needed help, they came to my side. But like I said, I’m not here to get you to like me. You either do or you don’t. I’m here to show you this.”
He pulls out his phone and pushes it toward the middle of the table.
I glance down at it and feel my heart sink as I stare at a drawing of one of my favorite pictures. It’s of me and Wylie and we’re out on a frozen lake. She’s about five in the picture, and I’m holding her hands as she shakily skates across the ice.
I pick up the phone and observe the drawing and how realistic it is, how it feels like the picture, but also isn’t quite the same.
“Why do you have this?” I ask.
“I took it . . . from your daughter. I emailed it to myself. She’s been working on it the last few days as a therapeutic way to stay connected to you, and I wanted to show you. This is what your daughter is capable of. This is the talent she possesses.”
I stare at the photo, studying the lines she used and the shading to create dimension. It truly is remarkable.Wylie did this? Impossible.This is the work of an established artist, not a young girl.
“You might not believe in her chosen career path, but don’t downplay her talent. A talent that she used to secure a very high-paying job, one that will offer her the opportunity to support herself and pay you back for the schooling you paid for. This . . .”—he points at the phone—“this is her passion. This is what she’s good at. And you needed to see it. You need to see the heart she has, because it comes through in every drawing. She’s really fucking good, and I’ll be damned if you don’t acknowledge how goddamn lucky you are to have such a beautiful andtalented daughter.” He clears his throat. “I couldn’t give two shits if you like me, but don’t throw away a relationship with your daughter over this. She loves you. She wants to be a part of your life. Let her, Will.”
“I don’t need you telling me how to raise my daughter.”
Posey stands from the table and places his knuckles on the edge. Leaning in, he replies, “You don’t. But you do need someone to tell you when you’re being an ass, and you’re being an ass. That’s something I won’t stand by. I love your daughter, I’ve loved her longer than you probably know. I’ve searched high and low for a woman like her, and I’ve waited a long fucking time. I won’t watch you tear her apart. I won’t fucking stand for it.” He knocks his knuckles on the table. “Don’t lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you over pride. You’re better than that.”
Posey moves away from the table and the others join him, walking behind him as a group. Pacey places his hand on his back while Halsey says something to him. Posey nods, and they disappear toward the elevators.
I drag my hands over my face and let out a deep breath.
