20. Logan
Through blurred vision,I read the text from Scarlet.
Scar
Logan!
Logan!
ANSWER ME DAMNIT!
This has Richard’s name written all over it.
Did you know about the article?
The news article with a picture of me and Richard glared up at me. My hands immediately started to shake, the beginnings of an anxiety attack gripping my mind. I dropped the phone onto the soft comforter. When it fell, I just stared at my shaking fingers. The light from the TV cast an eerie glow over everything that I had once thought had been the perfect, romantic evening. Ruined.
Hot Shot Atlanta Braves” Ace, Jaxon Dexter, Has Baby With Rival”s Ex.
The silence between me and Jaxon was too loud in his bedroom.
A glance toward him from the corner of my eye confirmed all my fears. His eyes were zeroed in on his phone, the screen illuminating his face. His eyes were set in a hard glare. He had seen it, too. He was mad at me.
The volume from the television was background noise compared to the drumming in my ears. Black spots danced in my vision while I tried my hardest to focus on breathing. I had to explain this to him—somehow. I had to tell him I didn’t know about it. He had to know I would never sabotage his career.
I opened my mouth to speak, but only a strangled sob tore from my lips, the sound foreign and painful to my own ears. Words were impossible in my current state.
I shook my head, wishing I could find my control.
My lungs begged for air, my chest rising and falling too quickly, my heart beating too fast, the thrumming in my ears getting louder with every passing second.
In.
Out.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.
I clutched my chest with both hands and gasped for air. Jaxon’s wide eyes were frantic when he looked at me. Quickly, he threw his phone off the bed, giving me his undivided attention. My fingers were ice-cold against my hot throat, but nothing relieved the burn from lack of oxygen.
Jaxon cradled my head, his hands ever so gentle, eyes betraying his calm movements. I gasped, my lungs burning, head spinning, speechless as I looked into his eyes and prayed he understood.
“Breathe, Logan. Breathe for me, sweetheart. Inhale. Exhale. You can do this. Breathe, baby.”
I wanted to. I wanted to. I wanted to.
“Please, Logan,” he begged, his voice shaking. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard before from him.
I wanted to scream at him that I couldn’t control this. I wanted to tell him I loved him. I wanted to tell him that the article and whatever it contained wasn’t true because I loved him.
“Don’t close your eyes, Logan. Don’t close your fucking eyes, sweetheart.” I blinked slowly, everything unfocused except for the pain in his caramel eyes.
Is that a tear running down his cheek?
But the dark spots were getting bigger with every passing second, and it was too hard to keep my eyes open.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
I love you, Jaxon.
* * *
“Just tellme how the baby is! I am her boyfriend and the father of our baby. That’s my goddamn baby, and I need to know if they’re goin’ to be alright.” Jaxon’s anger could be heard from a mile away.
My throat ached, my head was pounding, and my entire body was heavy.
Where the hell am I?
“Sir, I believe you, but I can’t release any information about the patient. You aren’t supposed to even be in here,” a female voice answered Jaxon’s demand, and I heard him pacing. He scoffed, and I could just imagine him rolling his eyes.
“She is everythin’—her and my son are everythin’ to me. I need to know they are goin’ to be okay. Do you understand? Name your price; I’ll pay anythin’.” Jaxon was out of his damn mind.
I tried to move, to open my mouth, to twitch a finger—anything—but it was as though I was glued to the damn bed.
“Mr. Dexter, I will not be bribed, and you can be arrested for that.”
“Ma’am, please. I’m beggin’ here. Just tell me she’s goin’ to wake up.” Jaxon’s warm, callused hand gripped mine, and I tried to squeeze back.
The woman sighed, and I wished she’d just ease his fears. “She should be awake soon. Now quit pestering me.” Her shoes squeaked as she left, and in the silence, I finally heard the machine beeping and could focus on the sterile smell of the room.
I hate hospitals.
“I’ll fix this. I promise you, Logan. My manager is already workin’ on it. I’ll make it all go away. I know this wasn’t you. I don’t care if I lose my spot on the team over this. Nobody hurts my girl.” His head dropped to the edge of the bed, his hair tickling my arm.
“What the hell happened?” Scarlett’s loud voice echoed off the walls, and I cringed. I wished I could tell her to whisper.
“Anxiety attack,” Jaxon grumbled, not paying her much attention.
“The baby?” she pressed, scraping a chair across the tile.
“Nurse won’t tell me.”
“Well, make them! You’re Jaxon fucking Dexter. Don’t you have a lot of money for a reason?” If I could move, I’d slap her.
“I already tried that. I was threatened with gettin’ arrested.”
“I hate this. I hate him for doing this to her. I hate everyone for hurting her.” Scarlett sniffled. I hated when she cried; it was always ugly.
“How do you know it was him?” Jax questioned, his fingers tightening around my limp hand.
“Who else would do this? He wants you off the team, and he wants to hurt her for finding you. He cheated on her and used her to make his image look good, so he wouldn’t get kicked off the team. Did she tell you that?”
Scarlett opening her damn big mouth.
“No, she didn’t. I’m goin’ to get him removed. I will fix this. She deserves better.”
“She found you,” Scarlett whispered, finally saying something worthwhile. I could kiss her. “You’re all she needs. You and that baby.”
It was silent for a long time. A nurse came by and checked my vitals, confirming that I should be awake soon, even though with every passing second, I was being lulled back to sleep.
“I love her,” Jaxon mumbled, and immediately, I forced myself to listen.
“I know. Who wouldn’t?” Scarlett whispered.
“I’m goin’ to marry her,” he spoke again, ignoring Scarlett’s jab.
“Good. She wants something small—just your family and me, of course. Oh, and Matt. We can’t forget him now.” She was rambling like an idiot, but I loved her for it.
“And I’m going to find her a damn house with lots of land and a waterfront view.”
“Ah, you’ve seen her list. She’s had that list since her mom died, and every year on her mom’s anniversary, she swears it’ll never come true.” I hated how much she was sharing with Jaxon.
I wished she’d shut her damn mouth and keep some of our secrets.
“I’m goin’ to make that entire list come true, but first, I have to fix this mess and hope they let me play tomorrow.”
The game!
“You’re a good man, Jaxon, I’m glad she’s knocked up with your baby. Otherwise, she would have been too chicken to come and find you again.” Jaxon chuckled, and I swore I flushed about fifty shades of red.
“I can’t wait to meet our boy,” he said, and Scarlett gasped. I hadn’t told her yet.
“It’s a boy! Oh, I can’t wait!” she squealed. I wanted to smother her with a damn pillow. Didn’t she know my head was pounding?
“Pretend to be excited when she tells you, okay?” Jaxon was nervous as he asked her, but she agreed and then started rattling on about all the cute names we should name our son.
* * *
When I opened my eyes,sunlight was streaming into the white room. Jaxon was asleep, his head about to roll off the side of the bed, his body slumped over in the hard, plastic chair.
Our hands were still intertwined together.
A nurse came in, and she checked everything, letting me know I had a major attack, and they had to sedate me. She went on about the baby and how he was perfect, and then, she glanced at Jaxon.
“That man sure does love you.” I let my eyes drop to him—his messy hair, ashen skin, and rumpled clothes—and my heart soared.
“I know. He’s very special.”
She left, and I let my finger slide into his hair, massaging his scalp. He woke slowly, his eyes blinking and focusing. Then, he jolted upright.
“You’re awake!” He rubbed the sleep out of his eye with one hand. I was pretty sure I fell completely in love with him in that moment.
“You’ve got practice, cowboy. You can’t miss it. It’s game day,” I whispered. He kissed the palm of my hand that cupped his face.
“Nothin’ is more important than you. How are you feelin’?” He reached for my face, tracing my lips, and I forgot how to speak.
What are words?
“Better,” I finally managed, and he grinned.
“Good because I’ve got some people to burn today, and I need my girl healthy.”
His girl.
“When can we go home? I hate it here.” He nodded and stood. I immediately missed the loss of his touch as he stretched.
“Give me a few minutes to get you discharged. You’re right. I hate this place, too. And you look better in my bed.” He winked at my blush and sauntered out of the room, like our world didn’t explode last night, like we didn’t have enemies, like everything was just fine and dandy.