End Game (Bellevue Bullies 4)

“Thanks.” I shrug, my face twisting with surprise, I guess. I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m still so shocked but then super pumped. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I could be a great trainer, but I always thought I wouldn’t need to be. Or that I’d want to be. But I kind of want to be now. It’s weird. Shaking my head, I look over at Sofia. “Yeah, I guess so. Um, apparently Mikey, the assistant, is leaving the team, and DJ offered the job to me.”

Amelia’s eyes widen as Sofia’s jaw drops. “What?” Amelia roars. “Shut up! That’s insane! That’s, like, a really big honor. So cool. You’re so badass.”

“That’s amazing, Ryan. Congratulations.” Sofia hugs me tightly, kissing my jaw. “I’m so proud.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Too bad you said no,” Amelia laughs. “With the NHL and all.”

I press my lips together as I look at my sister. “Actually, I didn’t say anything yet. I have to decide by Monday.”

“Oh,” she says, her eyes searching mine. “But don’t you have some leads with Chicago?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I’ll get them, and Elli was saying I shouldn’t turn this down. That it’s a big deal.”

“I’d say so,” Amelia says, holding my gaze. “I guess it’s whatever you want.”

“I should probably wait, huh? Don’t you think so?”

Amelia shakes her head. “It’s whatever makes you happy, Ryan. It doesn’t matter what I think. I love you no matter what.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I say, looking down at Sofia, and she’s watching me. “What do you think?”

She shrugs. “It’s not my choice, Ryan. It’s yours.”

“But what do you think I should do?”

She moves out of my arms, looking up at me. “It doesn’t matter what I think you should do. This is your decision.”

“But I want to know what you think,” I say sternly. I don’t get why she can’t just tell me one way or another. It’s not a hard question.

“I’m sure you’re aware of this, but this is your decision. Not anyone else’s,” she says, a tad snarkily.

I narrow my eyes at her. “I am aware, but I want to know what you’d do.”

She holds my gaze. “I wouldn’t take it.” My eyes widen as Amelia gawks at her. “You say your dream is the NHL. You want it, and if you take this, you’ll be settling.”

That’s the second time someone has said I would settle, and it’s starting to piss me off.

“I honestly didn’t think you’d say that,” I say, completely shocked.

“I didn’t either,” Amelia says from the side, but I don’t think either of us is paying attention to her.

Our gazes are locked as Sofia shrugs. “Why wouldn’t I? I want what you want.”

“But I thought you’d want me to take it. I can be here with you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Okay? And then in six years when your buddies are in the NHL, or even your cousins, you can resent me? No way. I’d rather see you once a month, make that the best damn time of our month, than have you hate me in the future.”

“I wouldn’t hate you…”

“You don’t know that,” she says, shaking her head. “Ryan, this is all you. No one can make this decision but you, and I’m sure you haven’t been told that just once today.”

I don’t understand why she is making this so difficult. “I haven’t, but I want to know what you want me to do.”

“It doesn’t matter!” she yells, holding her hands out at me. “I have no place in this decision—”

But before she can say anything more, I step toward her. “It matters to me, and I don’t believe that you want me to wait it out!”

“I can’t help you,” she says, her voice sharp and her eyes wild. “You need to go and figure this out. This is your decision. And yours alone.”

I run my hand through my hair, blowing out a breath. “I thought we were in this together.”

“Oh, don’t you dare,” she sneers, glaring at me. “We are in this together in the sense that whatever you choose, I am behind you, cheering you on. But I will not be the reason for you giving up your dreams and settling for something you aren’t sure you want.”

I shake my head. “Whatever. Thanks for nothing.”

“Go home, Ryan.”

I’m surprised how pissed I am as I look down at her. “What?”

“Go home. I’m not going to sit here and be guilt-tripped for wanting to support you in whatever you want to do. That’s not right.”

“Well, I think that’s all bullshit. I want your help. You claim to love me, want to be there for me, but can’t help me make a huge choice?”

“It’s not my fucking choice to make!” she yells, her hair starting to come loose from her bun. “And how dare you question or even think I don’t love and support you? You know what? Fuck it. I’ll go.”

With that, she turns on her toe and heads for the exit.

“Seriously?” I yell at her, and she shrugs, not looking back at me.

“Call me when you want to talk about anything but this.”

She’s gone, and I’m floored. “What the hell just happened?”

“You’re dumb as fuck.”

I look to my sister with wide eyes. “That was out of nowhere.”

“No, she told you from the rip, this is your decision and she’s there for you. You accused her of not loving you and not supporting you. To me, it seems you’re in the wrong and sort of a dumbass.”

I don’t feel any of that. I expected Sofia to help me with this. Really break it down and we’d make a decision together, but she’s basically saying to hell with that and making me do it all. We’re supposed to be a team, and this bullshit about it not being her choice is crap. What the hell? “And you’re ruining your life by going to Philly with that fuckface Drew. So really, who’s the dumbass in this family?”

She says something, but I ignore her, leaving the gym in a huff.

Well, this day went to shit real fast.