Despite myself, concern for him made me ask, “Have you talked to a therapist?”
“Just started.The team is worried about me.Hitting Alek and breaking my hand.Trying to slice a bagel and cutting my wrist.”
I gasped.Had he?
He shook his head.“It was an accident.Barely bled, compared to things that happened on the ice and I called Fitch for help right away.But because of all that, the team hired someone to come and make sure I was doing okay.The hand, the therapy sessions, workouts.All that stuff.”
I was getting an idea about why he needed someone, but not me.I spun my hand, trying to make him move things along.My bed was calling me, the adrenaline and anger wearing off.
“The first person they hired recorded me talking to Jess.It was just after a therapy session, so she might have recorded that too.”
My jaw dropped.“What the hell?That’s—that costs you your career.”
“Stuff like that can earn someone a lot of cash.I learned that after my divorce.”
Oh, shit.That was horrible.
“The next person asked for a selfie when I opened the door.I didn’t let her in.And the next guy works for your company—do you remember Ian, from the school paper?”
“They senthim?”
“I’ve had enough.I need someone I can trust.I can’t be digging up old history in sessions with the therapist when I’m afraid someone is listening in.”
“Justin, that’s not how most people would react.You just found a few suboptimal people.”
“I asked for you.I trust you.”
Gaah.How was I supposed to respond to that?As much as I’d tried to avoid any Justin news after we broke up, I hadn’t been able to miss the publicity his divorce got.The personal details that were shared, whether or not they were true.It had been horrible—especially for the guy I knew Justin to be.I could feel myself caving.
“Okay, I think I get where you’re coming from.But you can’t just change my life around to help yourself.I have to consider my family, my son.Working days means I need childcare for after school if Cora isn’t free.Mom can’t do it, not now.”
“She’s worse?”
I nodded.If Mom was having one of her really bad days, it wasn’t just that she couldn’t do things for Arne.She needed help to manage herself.
“Bring him along.”
I blinked.“What?”
“Bring your son with you.Or if you have to, leave early.The team wants someone to check my hand and make sure I don’t knock myself out at workouts.If you bring your son, that’s not going to interfere.”
That would make things easier.Arne was able to amuse himself most of the time, so he’d behave if I had to bring him.And Justin’s place was close enough to the house that I could walk.If the car took a while to fix, I could still handle work.But…
“People are going to talk.”
His brows drew down.“After all this time?”
I rolled my eyes.“Have you forgotten how popular hockey is here?Yes, people will talk.It’s going to seem weird that you want your ex-girlfriend to work for you.”
“We can tell them the truth.I trust you and I wouldn’t trust a stranger.You’re not going to sell my story to the press.”
“I’d lose my job if I did that.”
“But somehow stories still leak.”
He had a point.“Someone actually asked me for a comment after the news got out about…” I nodded at his hand.“People are undoubtedly speculating about whether your hand is healing and if you’re going to play next season.”
He nodded.“I’ve been turning away reporters too.So, will you do it?”