Chapter 26
Lisa
“Hey,” Blake says, his voice hoarse. He looks pale, like he hasn’t slept in days. His smile is familiar, but everything else feels distant and foreign. He looks nothing like the happy, easygoing guy I know. An IV line runs into his left arm, and tape and gauze wrap around his right shoulder.
“Are you ok?” I ask, my voice shaky. It hurts to see him like this. I’ve always known ice hockey is a rough sport. I grew up around it, but this… this is different. Worse than anything I’ve ever seen.
“I am now,” he replies, holding out his hand, waiting for me to take it.
I step closer and gently place my hand in his. His skin feels warm and soft, but somehow different.
“The doctor said the surgery went alright,” I tell him, trying to reassure him. It’s not entirely a lie… just a white one, I convince myself.
“How about Nashville?” Blake asks, and I pause, confused.
Is that the anesthesia talking?
“What do you mean?” I ask.
Blake chuckles, then immediately winces. I see the pain flash across his face.
“Slow down,” I murmur, softly brushing my thumb over his hand.
“We should take a trip to Nashville. You like Ella Langley, right? I heard she performs there often,” he explains.
A small smile forms on my lips.
“You are something,” I say. “And weren’t you Ella’s biggest fan?”
“I’m not,” he says, chuckling under his breath.
“You’re not?” I ask, genuinely confused.
“I only listened to her because you like her,” he admits quietly, leaning his head back and closing his eyes for a brief moment.
“You’ve been listening to her for weeks,” I tease.
Blake grins with quiet pride.
“My brain still feels a little foggy after everything… but we won, right? We beat those buttheads?”
I nod, smiling. “We sure did.”
I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “You won the championship.”
“I wish I could remember the look on Perth’s face,” he laughs softly.
“You did great. I’m sure it’s on camera somewhere,” I reply with a smile. Then my voice softens. “I just hope we can leave all of this behind us now. I want to focus on our future… not our past.”
“Our future?” Blake repeats, sitting up slightly in bed. I can tell the movement hurts, and my stomach tightens.
“Well… yeah,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “You know I’ve been falling for you, Blake. I tried to fight it, but I can’t anymore.”
“You’re just saying that because you feel bad for me,” he says with a playful wink.
His words make me smile, but a tear slips down my cheek anyway.
“And besides… I’ve been falling harder,” he adds, squeezing my hand.
“Stop… you’re making me cry,” I whisper, sniffing back emotion.
“Don’t go,” Blake says softly.
“I’m staying the night,” I smile softly. “Everyone showed up for you, Zane, and Coach, too. Gwen, Tess, and Leo are here as well.”
“Did Coach seem angry?” Blake asks, a hint of worry in his voice.
“Of course not,” I reply immediately. “He’s worried about you as a person, not as an ice hockey asset,” I explain.
“Could you maybe get Leo?” Blake asks, settling his head back onto the pillow. “There’s something I need to do.”
“I will,” I say, placing my hand gently against his cheek. His skin feels colder than usual. “But after that, you need to rest and focus on getting better,” I add softly, brushing my thumb along his cheek.
I hesitate, nervous about returning to the waiting room and facing my brother. Instead, I send Tess a quick text asking her to have Leo come by.
It only takes about two minutes before a soft knock sounds at the door. By then, Blake has drifted off to sleep again. The anesthesia has clearly taken a toll on him.
I lean in carefully, making sure not to disturb him, and press a light kiss to his forehead. Then I pull the sheets up, tucking him in as best as I can, just as another quiet knock comes at the door.
Not wanting to wake him, I quickly move and open it.
“Hey,” I greet Leo with a small smile. “Blake asked for you. He’s asleep, but you can go in. He said he needed to do something; it seemed important.”
“Why me?” Leo asks, clearly confused.
“I’m not sure,” I shrug. “I think he just wants to talk to you.”
“Alright,” Leo nods before stepping past me into the room.
I notice a plastic chair in the hallway and sit down, lowering my head into my hands as I stare at the floor. My thoughts drift back over the past few weeks, everything they’ve meant to me. How Blake found me when I felt broken… and how, piece by piece, he helped put me back together.
Tears begin to fall again, landing softly on my shoe.
“Is everything alright?” Gwen asks gently as she approaches.
“I didn’t hear you come,” I chuckle, quickly wiping my face. “Everything’s fine.”
“You’re strong,” Gwen says with a warm smile.
I stand and pull her into a hug. “Thank you for always being so kind to me,” I whisper.
“We’re friends, right?” Gwen replies with a soft giggle as we separate. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
I glance toward Blake’s room. “I think I’m going to stay here tonight. I want to be here when he wakes up.”
“I figured,” Gwen says, scratching her neck lightly. “Would you like me to ask the nurse for a bed?”
“That’s ok,” I smile. “There’s a chair in the room. That should work.”
“Can I grab some of your things for you, maybe?” Gwen offers, already starting to list options before I can respond.
“You want a fresh set of clothes, a toothbrush, maybe a hairbrush?” she continues.
I pull Gwen into another quick hug.
“I don’t need anything,” I whisper as we separate. A new wave of nerves washes over me. “I’m worried, Gwen.”
“He’s going to be fine,” Gwen says gently, trying to reassure me.
“What if he can’t play anymore?” I ask quietly.
Gwen doesn’t respond.
The silence stretches through the hallway, heavy and suffocating. We both turn our eyes toward Blake’s door, and a knot of dread tightens in my stomach.
“He’s going to be fine. He has to be,” Gwen says after a moment, though I can hear the effort in her voice like she’s trying to convince herself as much as me.
“Is everything ok?” Zane’s voice suddenly cuts in as he rounds the corner. “How is Blake doing?” he asks, glancing toward the room.
“He’s been sleepy and was in some pain earlier, but he seemed alright,” I reply.
“Thanks for looking after my friend,” Zane says with a small smile.
I notice one of Gwen’s eyebrows lifts slightly. Men really can be oblivious sometimes.
“That’s what friends are for,” Gwen quickly adds, smoothly redirecting the conversation.
“Blake mentioned he’s dating a special girl the other day,” Zane continues. My stomach tightens. “Any chance you know her name? I feel like we should let her know what’s going on.”
“All I know is that she’s super special,” Gwen says with a playful wink that Zane doesn’t catch.
“I told Coach I’d give him an update, so I’ll see if he might know her,” Zane adds before turning and walking away.
“I hate this feeling,” I sigh as he disappears around the corner. “I don’t want to keep lying to him.”
“I understand,” Gwen says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “The two of you will be able to tell him soon enough.”
From inside the room, we hear footsteps approaching. The door opens slowly, and Leo steps out looking a bit unsettled. When he notices us, he quickly puts on a composed expression, the kind Gwen and Tess jokingly call his billionaire poker face.
“He’s asleep,” Leo says quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. “I have to take care of something. Are you staying here tonight?” he asks me.
I nod.
“We’ll tell Zane we’re taking turns to keep him distracted for now,” Leo suggests.
I blink, confused. “Is that really necessary?”
Gwen shares my confusion, glancing between us.
“Let’s go,” Leo says simply before walking off without another word.
“I guess I should follow him. I’ll let you know if I can make sense of this,” Gwen shrugs. “I’ll call you later, ok?”
“Sounds good,” I reply with a small smile as she turns the corner and leaves.
I take a breath and step back into the room, finding Blake still fast asleep.
I close the door behind me and pull the chair from the corner closer to the side of the bed. Sitting down, I gently take Blake’s hand in mine.
“You’re going to be fine… because you have to be,” I whisper.
My grip tightens slightly as my voice begins to shake.
“After everything we’ve been through, this can’t be the thing that drives you away from me.” A tear slips down my cheek. “I’m sorry Perth went after you because of me. I swear I’ll talk to him… I’ll make it stop.”
My breath catches as more tears fall.
“I’m sorry, Blake.”