Chapter 32 Empty
I felt a sharp pain in my chest. "I don't want to leave you both here," I whispered. "Everything is falling apart, and it’s all my fault."
Leo sighed. He looked exhausted. "Elena, don't start that."
"But it is!" I cried. My voice shook. "If I hadn't looked at Jaxson, Dad wouldn't be hunting him. If I weren't a Vance, the team wouldn't be calling my brother a traitor. I’m a medical student. I’m supposed to help people, but all I’ve done is bring a disease into this house."
Jaxson stepped forward. He reached out and took my hands. His grip was firm. "Elena, stop. Look at me."
I looked up at him. His eyes were dark but soft.
"Leo," Jaxson said, not breaking eye contact with me. "Can you give us a minute?".
Leo looked at us. He nodded slowly. "I’m going upstairs to check the security cameras. Don't be long. We need to turn the lights off soon."
Leo walked out and closed the basement door. It was just me and Jaxson in the dim light of the guest room.
"It is not your fault," Jaxson said. He spoke slowly so I would hear every word. "I was the one who kissed you. I was the one who decided to stay. Your father is a mean man, El. He was always going to find someone to hurt to keep you under his thumb. It just happened to be me."
"But your career," I sobbed. "The team hates you. They’re burning your jersey, Jax."
"A jersey is just cloth," he said. He pulled me closer. "I can get another one. But I can't get another you. You are the only person who saw me as a person, not just a player on the ice. If I have to lose hockey to keep you, I’ll do it."
I leaned my head against his chest. I could hear his heart beating. It was fast, just like mine. "I'm scared that if I move back to the dorms, I won't be able to protect you. I won't know if you're safe."
"I'll be okay," he promised. "Leo is here. And I've spent my whole life hiding from people who wanted to hurt me. I'm good at staying in the shadows."
We stood there for a long time. It was the last time I would feel his arms around me for a while.
Tomorrow, I would be back in my small dorm room, and he would be stuck with these boys.
The next morning, the sun was too bright. It felt like it was mocking me.
Leo helped me carry my boxes to my car. We didn't talk much. We both knew the neighbors might be watching. I put my anatomy books and my stethoscope in the back seat.
"Call me the second you get to the room," Leo said. He looked around the street nervously. "And Elena? Be careful. Marcus and the guys are still looking for someone to blame. Don't talk to anyone about Jaxson. Not even Chloe."
"I know, Leo," I said.
I got into the driver’s seat. I looked at the house one last time. I saw a curtain move in the basement window. A small wave of a hand. Then it was gone.
I drove to the campus. The dorm was busy with students moving back in. I saw Macy waving at me from the entrance.
"Elena! Over here!" she shouted.
I walked toward her, trying to smile. But as I passed the bronze Viper statue in the middle of the quad, I stopped.
Someone had spray-painted something on the base of the statue. It was in big, messy red letters.
"VANCE = TRAITOR"
People were stopping to take pictures of it. They weren't just talking about Jaxson anymore. They were talking about my family.
I hurried into the building. I got my key and went to my room. It smelled like fresh paint and cleaning supplies. It was safe, but it felt like a cage.
The front door clicked shut. The house was silent for a moment. Then, the heavy thud of Leo’s boots moved across the kitchen floor.
He walked down the basement stairs. The wooden steps groaned under his weight.
Jaxson was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had been staring at the wall for hours. When he saw Leo, he stood up. He looked at Leo’s face and saw the dark bruise forming on his jaw.
"You’re back," Jaxson said. His voice was raspy. "What happened to your face? Was it oje of the guys?".
Leo sat down on the old wooden chair in the corner. He looked exhausted. "Marcus. He is loud and angry with his fists.”
"I’m sorry, Leo," Jaxson said. He looked down at his hands. "I never wanted you to get hit for me. You’re the Captain. You should be at the team dinner right now, not hiding in a basement with me."
Leo rubbed his eyes. "I’m the Captain because I protect my team. And whether Marcus likes it or not, you’re still on my roster. But things are getting ugly. The fans... they’re burning your jersey in the quad."
Jaxson winced. "I saw the photos on the blog. I’m worried Elena would think it’s her fault."
"She’s a Vance," Leo said with a dry laugh. "She thinks everything is her fault. She thinks she’s the one who brought the storm. But this storm was coming anyway. My father has been watching you since the first game, Jaxson. He doesn't like anyone he can't buy."
Jaxson walked to the small window. He looked up at the street level. All he could see were the tires of parked cars. "Why are you doing this, Leo? You don't even like me. You spent the whole summer telling me to stay away from your sister."
Leo was quiet for a long time. The only sound was the hum of the water heater.
"I don't like that you put a target on her back," Leo said honestly. "But I’ve watched you play. You have something I don't have. You have heart. Most of the guys on the Vipers are there because their dads paid for the best camps. You’re there because you’re better than them. I can’t let my father destroy talent just because he’s bored."
"He’s not going to like that." Jaxson warned.
"That’s his business." Leo muttered. He stood up and grabbed a water bottle from the small fridge. "Elena moved back to the dorms today. She’s safe for now. But you... you can't leave this room. Not for a second."
"I understand that." Jaxson said.
Leo turned to leave, but he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Jaxson? If you ever hurt her... if you ever give my father a real reason to come after her... I’ll be the one you have to worry about. Not him."
Jaxson nodded. "I know, Leo. I'm not going anywhere."
Leo went upstairs, leaving Jaxson alone in the dark. The house felt bigger and emptier than ever.