Just a Pucking Grumpy Goalie [COMPLETED]

Chapter 47 - Back

Kat

"Oh, my god," Morgan says as I enter the dorm room on Sunday evening. "You're back. Why are you back?" She furrows her brow at me before she hugs me.

I drop my bag and exhale. "I'm back."

"Are you staying? Please don't tell me you're just here to pick up your stuff."

"I'm staying." I look around the room. Most of my things have been packed into boxes. Morgan offered to help me with that and she's been getting it done little by little.

"You couldn't have told me before I packed all your stuff?" She smiles at me, and I know she's not really upset.

"I hadn't made up my mind until this morning."

"So, how come you're back? Did your parents change their minds?" She pulls me over to sit on her bed and I kick off my shoes and shrug off my jacket.

"No. Grandma changed my mind."

"What do you mean?"

I turn to her and sit cross-legged. "All week, people kept telling me how proud grandma was of me for going to UNI. But for some reason, it didn't register with me until I got a letter she left for me in her will. Well, that and some money."

Morgan's eyes go wide. "Aren't we a little heiress?" she jokes and playfully punches my arm. "What did the letter say?"

"It wasn't really anything new, but she wanted me to find my passion. And it hit me that I hadn't even been considering my passion for a long time. I was just struggling to not be miserable. I know my grandma had some regrets in her life. When I'm old, I don't want to look back and wonder what could have been." I shrug. "So, I decided to come back. And I'm changing my major."

Morgan squeals. "Kat, I'm so happy for you. And if you need help with money, well, I don't really have any, but I'm sure we can think of something."

I shake my head and feel my cheeks color. "I don't need help. Grandma left me enough. More than enough."

"Awe, that's great. She's looking out for you even now."

Tears well in my eyes, and I blink them away. "I guess she is."

"What did your parents say? I'm guessing they were not happy."

"Not really. But I told them my mind was made up. Dad still tried to forbid me, but I think mom realized that this is a breaking point for me. He even tried to stop me from going to the airport, but mom put her foot down and convinced him to let me go. I think she got really scared that if they push me away now that I don't need them, then I won't come back."

"Are you going back? I wouldn't blame you if you went no contact."

"I still love them. They're my parents. I'm going home for Christmas and hopefully they'll respect me as an adult who can make her own decisions."

Morgan claps her hands. "And now you can be with Brick. That, by the way, is such a love story for the ages. He's going to be so happy that you're back, he might even smile."

Every ounce of joy leaves me and I stare at my fingers.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I can't see Brick again."

"Why not? Did he do or say something?"

I almost growl when I feel more tears rolling down my cheeks. I've cried so much this last week, it's a wonder I'm not dehydrated.

"JD said he can ruin Brick's career."

"What?"

I flinch at the scream and blink at Morgan as she stands up on her knees and leans toward me.

"How the fuck...? What the fuck...? Who the fuck does he think he is?" She's steaming with rage and clenching her hands into fists.

"He warned me that if I go near him, he's going to make Brick's life a living hell."

"You're going to ignore that, right? Tell me you're not going to listen to that asshole."

I shake my head. "I can't risk it. Brick lives for hockey. It's all he wants. And what we had... it wasn't even a relationship."

"But he came to you to hold you all night long. That boy loves you. I'm sure he would do anything for you."

"I can't ask him to choose me or hockey." My voice fades. "Because I think he-" I take a deep breath. "He loves hockey. I don't think he would choose me. And that would hurt. I don't want to hear him telling me that he loves hockey more."

"Sweetie," Morgan puts her arm around me. "He would never do that."

"You don't know that." I want her to argue. I want her to tell me I'm wrong and that Brick loves me more than anything. But she doesn't.

It's a stab to the heart that she can't assure me. But she knows, as well as I, that Brick never wanted a relationship. He told me so several times.

"It's a really shitty thing JD is doing," she finally says. "He is such a fuckhead."

"He's still my brother," I say weakly.

"I'll still kick his balls if I get close enough."

I lean my head on her shoulder. "Thanks for that."

"Are you really not going to see Brick?"

"JD is his team captain. I'm not exactly sure how much power that grants him, but I believed him when he said he would ruin Brick's chances at professional hockey. People like JD, they say he's a good captain, so I think if he starts saying things about Brick... I just... I don't know what to do."

"Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love him?"

"JD?"

"No, Brick."

I bite my lip. "Yeah. That's why I can't risk his future."

"Does he know you're back?"

"No, JD promised not to tell him."

"What are you going to do when you run into him? Because you will run into him."

"Then I guess I'm going to have to deal with it."

Morgan shakes her head. "This will not end well. As soon as he knows you're back, he's going to come for you."

"If he does, I'll have to convince him that I'm over him."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I don't know, yet. But it's for his future, so I'll find a way."