The Rival's touch

Chapter 17 The Investigation

For several seconds, I couldn't move.

The words echoed through my head.

Someone reopened the investigation.

Investigation.

Three years ago.

The Winter Classic.

The ambulance.

The blood on Liam's jersey.

Ethan.

Everything suddenly felt connected, but I couldn't see how.

Liam was staring at Coach Reynolds as though he'd forgotten I was standing beside him.

"Who?" he finally asked.

Coach Reynolds glanced around the parking lot.

"Not here."

"Liam—"

"Coach."

His voice was sharper this time.

"Who reopened it?"

The coach exhaled.

"The university received a formal request this morning."

"From who?"

"We don't know yet."

Liam's face hardened.

"That's not possible."

"It is."

"No."

He shook his head.

"They closed it."

"They closed the original investigation," Coach Reynolds corrected. "This is a new request."

I watched Liam's fingers curl into fists.

"What exactly are they investigating?"

The coach looked at me.

For the first time, he seemed to realise I was still there.

His expression changed.

"I think you should go home, Sophie."

I stared at him.

"No."

Liam looked at me.

"Sophie."

"No."

My voice shook, but I didn't care.

"Someone just told me there's an investigation into something that happened three years ago, and everyone keeps telling me to leave."

I looked between them.

"I'm done leaving."

Coach Reynolds sighed.

"I understand."

"No, you don't."

My heart was pounding.

"I've spent weeks being told Liam is dangerous. I've been told he hurt Ethan. I've been given newspaper articles with half the story. And every time I ask what happened, everyone tells me I'm better off not knowing."

I looked at Liam.

"I deserve the truth."

His eyes softened.

"You do."

Coach Reynolds looked at him sharply.

"Liam."

But Liam didn't look away from me.

"She deserves to know."

The coach's expression hardened.

"You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying."

For a moment, the two men stared at each other.

Then Coach Reynolds lowered his voice.

"The request mentions the Winter Classic."

Liam went completely still.

"And the original witness statements."

My stomach dropped.

"What witness statements?"

Neither answered.

I took a step forward.

"What witness statements?"

Coach Reynolds looked at Liam.

Liam closed his eyes.

Then whispered,

"There was someone else there."

───

The coach left a few minutes later.

Liam and I remained standing outside the arena.

Neither of us spoke.

The cold had settled into my bones, but I barely noticed it.

"There was someone else?"

He nodded.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I never saw their face."

"Then how do you know there was someone else?"

His jaw tightened.

"Because I heard them."

I waited.

"That night, after the game, Ethan and I argued."

My chest tightened.

"About what?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember?"

"I remember the beginning."

He looked toward the arena.

"But not everything after."

I stared at him.

"What happened?"

His eyes closed.

"I found Ethan outside the rink."

He swallowed.

"He was angry."

"At you?"

"Yes."

"What happened next?"

"I tried to talk to him."

"And?"

"Someone came from behind us."

His voice became quieter.

"I heard shouting."

I stepped closer.

"Whose?"

"I don't know."

"Then what?"

Liam looked at his hands.

"When I turned around, Ethan was on the ground."

My breath caught.

"What?"

"He was bleeding."

My heart hammered.

"And you?"

"I called the ambulance."

"You didn't hurt him?"

"No."

The answer was immediate.

"I swear."

I believed him.

But there was something else in his expression.

Something he wasn't saying.

"What aren't you telling me?"

His eyes met mine.

"The last thing I remember before Ethan fell..."

He paused.

"...was someone saying my name."

A chill ran through me.

"Someone knew you were there."

"Yes."

"Did Ethan hear them?"

"I don't know."

"Did you tell the police?"

Liam looked away.

"Yes."

"Then why wasn't it in the article?"

"Because the witness disappeared."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"They couldn't find them."

My voice dropped.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know."

"Then how did they reopen the investigation?"

"I don't know."

For the first time, Liam looked genuinely afraid.

Not for himself.

For Ethan.

And suddenly I understood something.

He hadn't been hiding the truth because he wanted to protect his reputation.

He had been hiding it because someone had never been found.

───

My phone vibrated.

I pulled it from my pocket.

One message.

Unknown number.

My stomach dropped.

You shouldn't be asking questions about that night.

I stared at the screen.

Another message appeared.

Some secrets are buried for a reason.

My blood ran cold.

Liam noticed my expression.

"What is it?"

I handed him my phone.

He read the messages.

His face changed instantly.

"Who sent this?"

"I don't know."

He looked around the empty parking lot.

"Did anyone see you get this?"

"I don't think so."

His eyes moved toward the university buildings.

Then the arena.

Then the road.

"Stay with me."

"Liam—"

"No."

His voice was firm.

"Until we know who sent that, you're not going anywhere alone."

I should have argued.

Instead, I nodded.

Because for the first time since this whole thing started...

I was scared.

───

That evening, Ethan was waiting outside my apartment.

He looked furious.

But not at me.

At Liam.

"What happened?"

I looked at him.

"You knew."

His expression froze.

"Knew what?"

"About the investigation."

His face went pale.

"Who told you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Sophie—"

"Did Liam tell you someone threatened me?"

Silence.

My heart sank.

Ethan looked away.

"You got a message?"

I stared at him.

"How did you know?"

He didn't answer.

"Ethan."

He closed his eyes.

"Because I got one too."

My blood ran cold.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed me the screen.

One message.

No number.

No name.

Just six words.

You can't protect her forever.

I looked up.

Ethan's face was completely drained of colour.

"Who is doing this?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know."

Then his eyes moved past me.

Toward the street.

A black car was parked across from my building.

The engine was running.

Neither of us had noticed it before.

Ethan grabbed my arm.

"Get inside."

"Why?"

"Now, Sophie."

The car suddenly pulled away.

I watched its taillights disappear around the corner.

Then my phone vibrated again.

I looked down.

One final message.

Ask your brother what happened before Liam arrived.

I slowly raised my eyes to Ethan.

He was staring at me.

And for the first time in my life...

My brother looked terrified of the truth.