Chapter 31
Thirty-One
Tedi
We’re in the emergency room, Decker and I behind a curtain, waiting for the doctor.
“It doesn’t look that bad,” I say even though it looks very bad. He has two black eyes forming, and I’m fearful his nose might be broken.
Decker just gives me a pissed-off expression, and I don’t blame him.
“You’re the one who accepted the challenge.”
“Well, I wasn’t prepared for a kid to go rogue.” He rocks his head back, closing his eyes.
“At least it was only a kid.” I try to offer a little positivity.
“Would you like to be sitting here? You are aware that the way I earn a living is based on how well I can see the ball, right?” He glares.
I sink down in the seat. “I said I was sorry, like, a million times.”
He picks up his head and sighs, not looking at me. “I get it, Tedi. I get that it’s hard for you with him.”
I stare at my lap.
“I see the way you look at each other.”
I shake my head, still not meeting his gaze.
“Yes. You know, it’s funny. I always had this crush on you when we were younger.”
“What?” I look up, and he’s nodding.
“I’d say it’s just the best friends’ older sister thing. And don’t let your ego inflate too much, because it died quick once I started dating.”
“Gee, thanks. Way to pop my balloon.”
He chuckles. “I remember when you brought Tweetie to Toby’s wedding. You guys were the talk of the night. More so than Toby and Carrie. Everyone said how perfect you two were together. You suited each other so well.”
“We were good together, but that doesn’t mean that?—”
“It was the end of the evening, and Foster was drunk, as well as Theo. The two of them were trying to prank Toby into doing something stupid. I walked into the venue, and a lot of the guests had already left. And you and Tweetie were on the dance floor. Your head was on his chest, his arms tight around you. The twinkle of the lights was scattered over the both of you and all over the dance floor. It was the first time I realized that’s what I wanted. You guys were something.” He shakes his head a little, then cringes.
My nose tickles, but I suck back the tears. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I don’t think ignoring the pull you two have toward one another is the right way to deal with this. It actually surprised me when you asked me to be your fake boyfriend.”
“Why?” I frown.
“The entire reason I had a crush on you when we were younger is because of your ability not to take any bullshit. To meet every bend in the road head-on. To never shy away from what you want. I know when your mom left, you took on a role you probably didn’t want to.”
I stiffen. I don’t want to talk about my mom, or any of this actually.
“Where is the doctor?” I stand and peek out of the curtain.
“We’re in the emergency room in Chicago, it’s going to be a while.” Decker is so calm. He’s the opposite of Tweetie.
I wonder if Tweetie’s questioned why I picked someone so different from him. If he were in that bed, he’d be making some jokes and probably blowing up the plastic gloves. I smile to myself, missing that part of him so much.
I sit back down in the chair. “I understand if you want to tap out.”
He sighs as if he’s thinking about it. “Just not ready yet, huh?”
I shake my head.
“Then I’ll keep up this stupid charade,” he groans.
I’m not sure why Decker has a soft spot that has him helping me so much, but I rush to the bed and hug him. “Thank you. Just a little while longer. And I’ll try to keep you from being swindled into joining the group.”
“Sure, you will.” He pats me on the back as though he’s appeasing me and wants me off him.
“In my defense, I thought it would be an easy two hours. We watch kids play hockey, and then we leave. We showed our faces together. I never imagined it would be this.” I grip his hand.
“Oh, sorry.”
I glance over my shoulder to find Tweetie emerging from behind the curtain.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt, I was just checking on the patient.” Tweetie looks uncomfortable and shifts in place.
“Right now, the patient’s hand hurts.” Decker slides his hand out of my grip, flexing and stretching his fingers a few times.
“We’re waiting for the doctor. You guys should go. You don’t have to stay,” I say.
Tweetie sits in the chair on the opposite side of the room. I guess he’s not leaving. “Jade and Henry took Bodhi home. The rest of us are out there feeling like a bunch of assholes.” He sets his gaze on Decker. “I’m sorry, man.”
Decker shrugs. “It’s not your fault. No one saw that kid coming.”
Tweetie cringes.
I tilt my head because he knows something. Decker doesn’t see it, but I do.
“What?” I ask Tweetie, and his eyes meet mine before he stares at his hands in his lap.
“Well… fuck, this is awkward.” Tweetie blows out a breath. “You guys don’t really know Bodhi, but when Jade came back to Chicago last year, he tried to set his dad up with her. And it worked. They’re engaged and living together.” He side-eyes me, and a floating sensation fills my stomach.
“What does this have to do with today?” Decker asks.
“What can I say? The kid looks up to me. He loves me.” He laughs at his attempt at humor. “Jeez, okay.” His shoulders slump a bit. “I guess Bodhi heard Jade and Henry talking about Tedi and me the other night and thought you were the reason we weren’t together.” He glances at me. “So, that was his friend, Micha, who hit you with the puck. They kind of planned it.”
“What?” I gape.
Tweetie raises his hand. “They weren’t intending for this to happen. They were actually going after your… lower half.” He cringes again.
Decker’s hands go between his legs as if he needs to protect his manhood.
“They’re kids.” Tweetie’s shoulders lift. “But shit, I’m sorry, man.”
Decker narrows his eyes at me. What does he want me to do here?
Tweetie stands and pats Decker’s leg. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”
I don’t miss the way his eyes linger. It’s clear Tweetie feels like an idiot when this entire situation is on me.
“Thanks, Tweetie, and I hope Bodhi isn’t in trouble,” Decker says right before he leaves.
Tweetie chuckles. “Well, I think he’s off his video games for a little bit, but that’s more because he had zero regrets for what he did.” He shakes his head. “Someone needs to tell him that I’m not the one he should idolize.” Again, he glances at me.
It’s nearly impossible not to rush over to Tweetie and throw my arms around him and tell him how wrong he is.
“I’ll see if I can get the doctor to come in.” He smirks. “Use the clout of being the best Falcon and all.”
Decker chuckles at his attempt to inflect humor, but I can’t find it in myself to laugh. In fact, I feel like the worst person in the world.
He leaves, and I hear him asking a nurse when the doctor will be in to see Decker. Tweetie throws his name out and says he can get some tickets to whoever can fix Decker up and get him out of here the fastest.
“That was nice of him to check on you,” I say.
Decker’s eyebrows rise.
“What?”
“He didn’t come in here for me. He was here for you.”
I look down at my lap.
“It’s coming, Tedi. Pretty soon, he’s not going to be able to keep his distance.”
I don’t look at him.
“Because when a man loves a woman like he loves you, there eventually comes a point where he doesn’t give a fuck who or what’s in his way. He’s going to fight his demons and yours to win you back.”
Thankfully, the curtain opens, and a doctor comes in, so I can try to ignore the fact that there isn’t enough armor in the world to protect myself from Tweetie.
It’s one of the things that keeps me up at night. The knowledge that if he does come for me, wanting a real second chance, I don’t have the fight in me to stop us from making another mistake.