Love, Hate and Hockey Skates

Twenty

Ace Huxley

It was silent. Too silent. And she was still. Too still. It had been a whole 24 hours, and neither a sound nor shuffle from her.

It was agony.

"Isla, please, open your eyes." I had begged her a thousand times, but she kept ignoring me. She wouldn't wake up.

A nurse popped her head in. "Excuse me, sir. There is someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"He claims to be your father."

'Fuck.'

"Thank you, I'll be right there." I leaned over and gave Isla one more tender kiss before I left, telling her I would be back soon.

My father was in the waiting room, and he looked pissed, but I could care less. The most precious person ever was lying unconscious in the next room.

He could tear me apart for all I cared.

"What in the hell happened here? You were caught in a basement fire, are you stupid?" He didn't even ask if I was okay, no look of concern at all.

"I'm fine, Dad. Thanks for asking."

"Is this because of that new roommate of yours? I knew she was troubled when I saw her; she reminds me of that delinquent you kept hanging around."

I gritted my teeth and tried to stay calm, I knew he was referring to Isla.

"She wasn't a delinquent, she was suffering under the abuse of her own father, you asshole."

"What did you just call me?"

"Did you hear what I just said?" I yelled.

"Get outside, we'll talk about this later." My father tried to grab me like a child.

"Are you kidding me? I'm a grown fucking man, I'm not going anywhere with you."

He scoffed. "Everything you have, I have given you. What are you going to do without my support?"

"The same thing I've always done, deal with it. I was the one who got myself where I am today, not you. My hard work paid off and is going to get me into the big leagues, something not even you accomplished, and I'm going to do it because she believes I can, not because you forced me to."

He started to laugh. "Unbelievable. You're going to throw everything away, for what, some random delinquent girl?"

"She isn't a delinquent! Her name is Isla Thatcher, and whether you like it or not, she is the one I choose."

"What? That girl dared to lie to me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Get off your high horse. She has done more for me than you ever have as a parent. You should've been supporting your only child this entire time, not pushing him to carry on a dream you could never achieve. Now, leave, before you cause any more of a disturbance here."

I turned around and walked away, knowing very well that I was walking away from all my financial and physical support. After this, I would have to tell Isla that I was left with nothing; therefore, she had nothing.

I took her away from her home by demand, and now I was taking it away by fault. How was I supposed to break this to her when she woke up? Would she hate me for putting her in this situation? She was doing just fine before she ran into me again, and now what?

"Christ, Ace. You've really done it this time."

I heard the hospital doors bang open and expected to see my father behind me, but I was shaken to see Sylvia run in with panic all over her face.

"You, where the hell were you?" I said and charged at her.

She backed down instantly and cowered in front of me.

"I ran back to the dorms; I thought Isla might be there."

"What ridiculous answer is that? I told you to wait outside, she was stuck in there!" I tried to calm down and remind myself that I was in a hospital. The last thing I wanted was for them to kick me out and bar me from seeing Isla.

"I think it's best if you leave. Don't think for a second I haven't forgotten who you are, or what you did."

Her eyes widened and she began to shake. "W-what do you m-mean?"

"Save it, your pathetic cover will only last so long before Isla sees right through you. I'll tell her to go see you when she wakes up." I closed the hospital doors and told the nurse at the reception that no one else should be allowed to see Isla.

She said she would do what she could, but she couldn't dismiss anyone who wanted to see her. I just hoped Sylvia had gotten the memo and left.

I returned to Isla's room where she was still sleeping, the slow beeping monitor the only thing that told me she was still breathing. They removed the air filter off her face and her breathing had returned to normal. They said it was only a matter of time before she woke up.

"Please, Isla, you have to wake up."

My phone suddenly went off with a registered but unknown number. I stepped out of the room to take the call.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Well, after all this time, you still haven't changed your number, Ace."

My body stiffened at the familiar female voice. Every fibre in my body began to burn with rage.

"What the fuck do you want, Amber?"

"I've heard some interesting news recently, and I'm in town. I thought we could catch up," she practically purred.

"Not a chance, you harlot. I never want to see you, ever. You're lucky I never reported what you did, I should've gotten a restraining order on you."

"Oh, but you didn't, because deep down you truly love me, you just keep denying it."

"Screw you! Never call me again!"

"See you soon, Ace." She hung up before I had the chance.

I went to instantly block the number, but something told me this wasn't the last I would hear from Amber. I looked at Isla sleeping peacefully in the bed and wondered what this meant for her.

What it meant for us if this girl really was back.