Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Hope’s POV

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The door to the rehab room opened, and I stood, not expecting to see someone here so early. However, the moment I saw who it was, I couldn’t help the worry that flooded my heart.

“Are you really alright, man?” Desmond asked as he helped Levi inside. “You need to get it together for the final game. That Connor bastard didn’t even come today. I doubt he’s going to come at the final game, too.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Desmond let Levi sit on one of the beds. The latter hadn’t said anything until now, and it looked like his mind

was somewhere else.

To think that we were just so happy this morning…

“He fell when I bumped into him and landed on his shoulder.”

My heart dropped.

“It wasn’t a hard fall,” Desmond clarified quickly, but it still didn’t ease the unease clawing at my heart. “It was just a friendly bump after practice because I missed playing with him.”

“But he’s been absentminded throughout the entire practice. You’re the only one he really listens to, so…” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Thanks for bringing him here,” I said to Desmond.

He winked. “No worries.”

After he left, I turned to face Levi, who still looked incredibly down.

I knelt beside him and caressed his cheek. He wouldn’t even look at me, as though he was hiding something too painful to put into words.

“Do you need something?”

I waited for him to respond.

It took a while before he slowly shook his head.

“Does something hurt?” I asked, my concern for him growing heavier with every passing second.

“Here,” he murmured, pointing toward his chest.

“Did something hit your chest?”

I studied his face, and the moment our gazes finally met, my breath hitched.

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Chapter 157

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I realized then that it wasn’t physical pain. It wasn’t his chest that was hurting.

It was his heart.

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Before he could respond, I opened my arms and wrapped him in a hug. I held him tightly, hoping that, somehow, the warmth of my embrace could ease even a fraction of the pain crushing his heart.

It only took a second before he wrapped his arms around me, too, holding me just as tightly.

“Fuck,” he muttered roughly. “Even after everything, I’m still her son. How can she continue to do this to me?”

“I know, I know,” I whispered in the gentlest voice I could manage. “It must’ve been so difficult. You’ve been through so much already.”

I didn’t know what his mom had told him this time, but if I had to guess based on how she spoke to him back when I was invited to Zayla’s birthday, then she must’ve said something just as cruel.

A small sound escaped my lips when I suddenly felt myself being lifted off the ground and onto the bed. I instinctively glanced toward the door to make sure it was closed.

It was. It wasn’t locked, though.

I unconsciously tried to sit up, but the sound of his broken voice made me stay where I was.

I looked at him, my heart shattering because this was one of those rare moments when he allowed himself to look vulnerable.

It felt like my entire world trembled the second I saw the tears brimming in his eyes.

“Babe,” I said immediately, cupping his cheeks. “What happened?”

He slowly opened his eyes, and I saw how red they were.

I gulped when I saw the tears cascade down his cheeks.

I wanted to be the stronger one between us.

I wanted to hold myself together for him.

But I couldn’t stop the sting in my own eyes.

Before I knew it, I sniffled, and tears began streaming down my cheeks, too.

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

He sat us up before gently pulling me onto his lap. Then, instead of letting me wipe away his tears, he carefully wiped away mine.

“Babe, why are you crying?”

I couldn’t form any words.

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10:51 Mon, Aug 3

Chapter 157

“Because of me?” he softly asked.

Well…

At least now, there was a small smile on his face.

I simply nodded wordlessly, and he pulled me closer into his embrace.

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“Gosh, what am I going to do with you? You’re so loveable, Hope. You’re crying for me for the third time.”

“But you look so sad,” I whispered, wiping away the tears still falling from my eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Just you being here already comforts me,” he muttered, slowly rubbing my back.

“Still,” I murmured. “Can you tell me what’s on your mind?”

He looked hesitant, so I held his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“From now on, let’s tell each other everything, hmm, Levi? I know you handled everything so well with what happened with the team and Margaret. You’re always there for me.”

I tightened my hold on his hand.

“So… I want to be there for you, too.”

I looked into his eyes, silently begging him.

I wanted him to share his burdens with me, too. Not carry them all alone.

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