The Play (Briar U Book 3)

I have no fucking idea what’s going on as I charge into the locker room. The guys are all suited up. I’m the only one half-dressed and I don’t give two shits right now. Demi’s father is on my heels, startling every single one of my teammates by his appearance.

Coach’s eyebrows fly up. “Who’s this?” he demands.

“This is Demi’s father,” I explain. “Dr. Marcus Davis.”

“Wow,” Bucky blurts out, gaping at the newcomer. “You got here fast! This news literally just broke.”

“What exactly is going on?” Dr. Davis demands, ignoring everyone but the other adult in the room.

Jensen sticks out a hand. “Chad Jensen, and I’m afraid I can’t answer that for you. All we have is a grainy picture on a phone.”

“It’s Demi,” I say through gritted teeth.

Dr. Davis nods grimly. “That’s my daughter. Where is this place exactly? Bristol House?”

“It’s a dorm on the west side of campus,” Matt supplies. “Ten-minute walk, two minute drive.”

Dr. Davis is already back at the door. “Davenport,” he barks. “I need you to show me where it is.”

My feet stay rooted to the floor. Because…the team’s about to hit the ice. This game determines who goes to our conference finals, and from there it’s on to the national tournament. The Frozen Four.

But I can’t play hockey right now. My girlfriend is up on a goddamn roof in the middle of February, trying to talk down a suicide jumper. I skimmed several tweets in the stream Matt showed me, and it doesn’t sound like it’s just two people simply hanging out up there. TJ is clearly threatening to jump.

I rake both hands through my hair. My fingers are shaking wildly. I’m geared up in my lower pads, hockey pants, and socks. But up top I’m in a wife-beater. My shoulder and elbow pads spill haphazardly out of my locker. My chest protector is on the bench.

Swallowing hard, I sweep my gaze around the room. I’m about to break every rule in the captain’s handbook.

I wanted to be a good captain. I wanted to put the team first, support my guys, be patient with them, follow all the rules I’ve been compiling since the season started. I promised myself I wouldn’t let girls interfere with hockey, and now I’m about to throw the rulebook out the window…for a girl.

But there is literally no other choice here for me. Guys like Garrett, Dean, Logan—I think they’d understand. I think they’d never put sports ahead of their women. So if my team hates me, so be it. All I know is, if Demi’s in trouble, then she comes first.

“Guys.” My voice is rough. “I’m sorry. I can’t play tonight.”

Nobody utters a word.

Guilt spirals through me and forms a tight pretzel in the pit of my stomach. “Trust me,” I continue desperately, “I don’t want to miss this game, but even if I went out there right now and played, I would only be a detriment to you. My head isn’t here, it’s with Demi. I won’t be able to concentrate until I know she’s safe and—”

“She just climbed onto the ledge,” Matt blurts out, his eyes glued to his phone screen.

Dr. Davis freezes in the doorway. I’m sure the sheer terror in his eyes reflects my own.

“She did what?” I demand. “What’s happening now?”

“I dunno. This tweet just says there’s now two people up on the ledge. No other deets.”

My heart pounds so fast I feel faint. I suck in an unsteady breath, then scrub my hand through my hair again. I want to tear it out. “I’m sorry,” I tell my team. “I need to go.”

“Dude, why the fuck are you sorry?” Matt demands.

“And why the fuck are you still here?” drawls Conor. The lazy tone is belied by the serious glint in his eyes.

I wearily glance at Coach, who offers a brisk nod. Then I snatch my sneakers off the floor and race out of the locker room.

“This is it,” I announce five minutes later, concern and impatience warring inside me. “The lot entrance is up there on the right.”

But when we try to turn into the parking lot, we find the Hastings police sectioned it off. Across the lot, I spot an ambulance and three police cruisers, along with two campus security cars.

I curse in frustration. “Just stop here on the side of the road. If you get towed, I’ll just give you my car, okay?”

He’s as impatient as I am as we dive out of his BMW. The winter chill slaps me in the face, same way it did when we’d barrelled out of the arena. It’s freezing out. Yet it’s not the temperature that’s making my bones ache. It’s fear. Pure, paralyzing terror.

When I gaze up at the roof of Bristol House, a hiss of horror flies out. “Jesus.”

“Oh my God,” Dr. Davis says at the same time. He lets out a tortured moan, and when I look over he’s covering his eyes with the back of his hand, as if he can’t bear to look again. Then his arm drops limply and he gives a determined nod. “Let’s go.”

We hurry forward, but the police roped off the scene. The scene. Christ, I’m already viewing this as the scene of a crime. Or rather, a potentially devastating accident.

I stare up again, my throat tightening to the point of asphyxiation. Although Demi’s dark hair is blowing in the wind, she stands as motionless as a statue. She’s in a red sweater and black leggings, and she looks so small and vulnerable up there. I wish I could hear her voice or see her eyes.

Beside her, TJ is in a T-shirt and sweats, his skinny arms planted firmly at his sides.

They’re talking. I don’t know what they’re saying. I don’t care what they’re saying. I want to go up there and pull that little asshole off the ledge—and then throw him the fuck over it for endangering Demi’s life.

I force myself to take a breath. Then I notice that Demi’s father is about to hurl himself over the blockade, despite the protests of the young officer who’s attempting to stop him.

“You can’t go beyond this point, sir!”

My gaze flies toward the cop’s face. I know that guy. What was his name again? Alberts? Albertson!

“That’s his daughter,” I explain, stepping between the two males. Albertson’s eyes widen when he recognizes me. “And she’s my girlfriend. You know her, Albertson—she was the one in the holding cell with me.”

Dr. Davis turns to glower at me. “What holding cell?”

I wave off the question. “Please. Albertson.” Somehow my voice sounds calm.

The uniformed man throws a discreet glance over his shoulder, then dips his head in a tiny nod and allows us to rush past him.

We skid to a stop about twenty yards from the entrance of the dormitory. Near the front doors, several officers are engaged in intent conversation with a man in a suit. The dean, I realize. Other faculty members are also present, along with a small crowd of observers that the cops are trying to corral to one area.

Dr. Davis grabs my arm suddenly. I flinch, because his steel grip is definitely going to leave a bruise. “Do you know how to get up there?” he demands.

I hesitate. Because I do know. It’s not a well-kept secret that Bristol is the place to go if you want to hang out on the roof and smoke J’s. But the wild look in his eyes tells me it’s not a wise idea for him to be anywhere near Demi right now. Hell, I can barely keep my own cool, and she’s my girlfriend. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I was looking up there at my daughter.

Fear and desperation form a lethal cocktail in my bloodstream. My hands won’t quit shaking. I can barely stay upright without stumbling, and my bare arms are covered with goose pimples.

“Even if I did, there’s no way the cops are letting us enter that building. I think we’re gonna have to stay out here.”

Rage burns hot in his dark eyes. “And you claim to give a shit about my daughter?”

“I do give a shit.” I exhale weakly. “Dr. Davis. Marcus. Look at her—look at them.”

His anger dissolves into agony as he tilts his head back. His scalp is shiny under the glow of the streetlamp at the foot of the path.

“Trust her,” I urge.

He blinks. “What?”

“Just trust her. I know you want to run up there and storm the roof, but all you’re going to do is scare the shit out of TJ. Trust me, if I was up on that ledge and you came out…?” I shake my head in warning. “You’ll make things worse, I promise you that. I know how much you love your daughter—I mean, you drove all the way from Boston to order me to stay away from her. Which I still don’t understand, by the way, because I’ve done nothing but love that girl with all my heart. And because I love her, I have faith in her.”

He visibly gulps. His massive Adam’s apple bobs like there’s a whole other entity in his throat.

“She’s so smart,” I tell him. “And she knows what she’s doing—she and I spent the entire semester working on a project that required her to pretend to be my therapist. If anyone can get through to TJ, it’s her. Trust her.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

All the fight seems to drain out of him. His massive shoulders sag.

After a second of hesitation, I reach over and touch his arm reassuringly.

His eyes narrow at first, but then his expression softens. “You do love her,” he says brusquely.

“Yes.”

We both turn our attention back to Demi. Time ceases to exist. It’s frozen like the air. Frozen like the ground beneath my feet. Frozen like the fear in my heart. Minutes pass, or maybe it’s hours. Days. I don’t know.

What I do know is that I don’t breathe easy until Demi finally takes TJ’s hand and safely helps him off the ledge.