Chapter 32 Maddox #2
Oh God. What’s his condition? What hospital are they taking him to?
Darius
I’m not sure. And Greenwich Memorial. I’m heading there now.
My blood runs cold and bile rises in my throat. Chandler and I aren’t the best of friends or anything, but he’s one of my nicest guys I’ve ever met. He always remains positive and lifts up everyone on the team after a loss.
I call Elijah’s and he answers after the second ring.
“Dude, I just saw the text,” I say. “I hope he’s okay. Have you left yet?”
“I hope so, too. And I’m getting ready now. Do you think you could pick me up?” Elijah’s voice sounds frantic on the other line.
“Yeah, I can be there in twenty.”
“Okay. Drive safe.”
I sift through my drawers and pull out a pair of shorts and a fresh T-shirt.
Annalise comes out of the bathroom, drying her hair on a towel. “Everything okay?”
“It’s one of my teammates, Chandler. He got in a car accident. I’m gonna go to the hospital to see him after I drop you off.”
“Oh my God!” she says, her hand flying to her mouth. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t know his condition… but I pray that he is.”
I pull up to Elijah’s luxury apartment building and shoot him a text to let him know I’m here. He lives in a penthouse suite in the heart of downtown—the perfect bachelor pad.
I lived in something similar when I was in Houston.
But when I signed with San Francisco, I purchased a home in the suburbs with the intention of retiring in the city where I grew up—and in hopes that I would start a family one day.
Maybe years from now Annalise and I will have miniature versions of ourselves running around that home.
A knock on my window pulls me out of my daydream. Elijah waves at me and I unlock the door to let him in.
“Thanks for picking me up,” he says as he slides into the passenger seat. “I know I live close but I just got back from visiting my cousins in Sacramento, so I didn’t feel like driving.”
“Are you sure it’s not an excuse to spend more time with me?” I ask, raising my brows.
He chuckles softly. “Yeah, you got me. I’m secretly in love with you.”
“Sorry—my heart only belongs to Annalise.” A wide grin spreads on my face as I think about the amazing weekend we’ve had together.
“Aw, look at you cheesing,” he teases. “How was the talk y’all had?”
“It went really well. I finally told her how I feel, and she’s willing to give us another chance. We—” I’m about to tell Elijah about our date, but then I remember she wanted to keep it between us.
He’s my best friend and I know he wouldn’t blab to anyone. But I’m not going to tell anyone until she’s ready.
“I’m happy for you, man. But I’m also sad to lose my wingman.” He sighs, his mouth dipping into a frown. “Andrés is married and Santiago prefers to be celibate. I have no one.”
“Lucas will be a good replacement.”
Elijah starts laughing so hard he snorts. His phone slips from his hand, clattering to the floor. “Please, he has no game. He’ll end up scaring all the women away.”
“Poor guy is gonna be in a relationship with his hand for the rest of his life.”
“That’s for sure.” He reaches down and picks up his phone from the floor. “Who do these belong to?” A smirk dances on his face as he holds up a shiny gold hoop earring. One of the same earrings Annalise wore for our date.
I shrug and try to play it off, hoping he won’t catch on. “Not sure. Probably Asami’s.”
“I’ve never seen her wear hoop earrings before. And I pay attention.”
I scrunch my face up. “Why the hell are you so observant when it comes to my sister? Save that energy for the court.”
“They’re Annalise’s, aren’t they?” he says, smiling knowingly.
Unable to come up with anything, I roll down the window and wave over the valet driver.
A security guard escorts us to the VIP floor where Chandler is staying. The lobby is filled with most of our teammates. Coach is in the corner talking to Andrés.
“Do not mention the earring to Andrés,” I whisper, shooting him a warning glare.
“I knew it was Annalise’s!” he says, a little too loudly. “I wanna know every detail later.”
I roll my eyes at him and approach Coach. “Hey, Coach. What’s the update on Chandler?” Knots form in my stomach as I wait for his response.
“He’s pretty banged up, but he’s okay. He has a few broken ribs and fractured his clavicle, so he’s probably gonna be out of the rest of the season.”
The knots in my stomach loosen and I blow out a breath of relief. “It’s a bummer he won’t be with us for the playoffs, but I’m so glad he’s okay,” I say.
“Thank God he’s alive,” Elijah says. “Can we see him soon?”
“He’s still recovering from surgery but we should be able to see him soon,” Coach says.
“I’m so glad his injuries weren’t severe. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the text,” Andrés says.
“Yeah, same. Driving is so scary. You never know if there will be a reckless driver on the road,” I say.
Elijah and I plop down on the couch next to Andrés.
“It’s gonna be tough without him on the court with us,” Elijah says.
“Yeah, it will be. This means Lucas will be a starter now.” I lean forward, rubbing my temples.
“Yeah. This fucking sucks,” Andrés says, shaking his head.
Our team has built up such good chemistry over the season. We’re familiar with each other’s moves, and our bond is strong. Lucas throws our balance out of whack, and with him being a starter now, I’m not sure how it’s going to work.
“So how was your weekend, Andrés?” Elijah asks.
“It was nice. Katie and I went to the orchestra and had a nice dinner after.”
Elijah puts his arms around both of our shoulders. “Aw, look at both of my boys going on dates this weekend.”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” I say through gritted teeth.
Andrés sits up straight. “What the hell? You haven’t taken any girls on dates since Annalise. Unless…”
Andrés has been out of the loop, so he doesn’t know that we kissed in the elevator, or that we almost kissed again at Chandler’s birthday. But I knew it wouldn’t take him long to figure it out. He knows I swore off relationships after Annalise and I broke up.
“You were on a date with Annalise, weren’t you?” he says, the puzzle coming together in his mind.
“He sure was!” Elijah blurts, grinning like an idiot.
I whack him on the back of his head.
“When did you two get back together?” Andrés asks. “Last time we talked about her, you said she hates your guts and you’d moved on.”
I know these guys won’t leave me alone until I tell them. I swear they can be so damn nosy sometimes. “Let’s grab lunch later. I’ll tell y’all everything then.”
“Okay, but it’ll be your treat since you wanna keep secrets from me,” Andrés scoffs. “I was there for you during the breakup. I’m kinda hurt you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t tell Elijah either,” I say with a shrug. “He just got it out of me.”
“There’s nothing you can keep from me.” Elijah smirks.
“You have a big fucking mouth,” I say with a groan, rolling my eyes.
“Look who just showed up,” Andrés says, and we follow his gaze. Lucas walks in alone, looking completely out of place.
I’m not sure why he showed up. I doubt Chandler would want to see him.
They became friends when Lucas first joined the team, but that changed after the shit he pulled in the locker room.
No one on the team cares for him. We just tolerate him.
Which is why I’m worried about how things will be with him as a starter.
He doesn’t share the camaraderie that we all have with each other.
He speaks to Coach for a minute before approaching me. “Hey, Kamado. Can we talk?” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he fixes his gaze on the wall behind me.
“I have nothing to say to you, Hilton,” I hiss, shooting him an icy glare.
“Can you please hear me out?”
The bruises on his face are starting to fade and I want nothing more than to give him fresh ones. But I’m already on thin ice with Coach.
Reluctantly, I get up from my seat and gesture toward the vending machines in the back corner. “Let’s talk over there.”
Once we’ve stepped away, Lucas stares at the ground and fiddles with his T-shirt. “I want to apologize for my erratic behavior.”
“You think an apology is going to fix anything?” I scoff. “I want nothing to do with you.”
“I’m truly sorry for the way I acted. What I said about Annalise was out of line.” He lifts his eyes to mine and a hint of remorse shines through. “I’m sorry for how I treated you over the years. I’ve always been in love with Annalise, and I got jealous that she chose you over me in high school.”
She didn’t choose. You were never a fucking option.
“I thought I had a chance with her when I ran into her again and found out she was single. She ended it with me the day after Chandler’s birthday party. She said she didn’t see us as anything more than friends.”
Annalise never told me when she ended things with Lucas. But knowing that she realized her feelings for me that day filled me with immense joy.
“I knew that wasn’t the only reason. I saw the way she was looking at you that night.
I was a fool to think that I could ever compete with you.
I just want you to know that I am truly sorry.
For everything. I hope one day we can start over and be friends.
Or at least become acquainted with one another.
” He extends his hand to me. “Let’s put this behind us. ”
He should get an Oscar for this performance, because I almost believe it. But I know his apologies are far from genuine. He hated me for years and now, all of a sudden, he has a change of heart? I don’t buy his bullshit for a second. He will always be a snake.
I want to tell him to drop out of the NBA and move far away from San Francisco so I never have to see his pathetic fucking face again—but I choose to bite my tongue.
“For the sake of the team, I will be amicable with you. But you and I? We will never be friends,” I snarl.
Lucas shoves his hand back in his pocket and his mask slips off. “Here I am, trying to be the better person, but of course you want to be immature and hold grudges.”
My fists clench at my sides, and red-hot rage starts building in me. I take deep breaths to simmer it down and walk back toward my friends. I refuse to take the bait.
Andrés and Elijah ask me what the conversation was about, and I fill them in. They both agree that Lucas’s apology is fake and he can’t be trusted.
After thirty minutes, Chandler’s parents come out to the waiting area to let us know we can go see him. Coach and Darius go in first, and I go in after with the guys.
Chandler is resting in bed, hooked up to an IV pump with his arm in a sling.
His normally kempt blonde hair is disheveled and there are dark circles under his eyes.
He is usually so full of energy and life, so it’s hard seeing him like this.
But I’m grateful that he’s conscious and not hooked up to a ventilator.
His hospital room resembles a studio apartment. There’s a pull-out couch on the side, a 65-inch TV, and a fridge and microwave in the corner.
“Hey, guys,” he says, managing a weak smile. “I feel so loved, having the whole team come to see me.”
We all take a seat on the couch next to him.
“Of course, man. We were all worried about you,” I say.
“I was scared shitless when I received the news,” Elijah says.
“I hate that I won’t be playing with you guys,” Chandler sighs. “This happened at the worst time.”
“It is unfortunate, but we’re just glad you’re okay. How are you feeling right now?” Andrés asks.
Chandler holds up a control with a red button that’s attached to a pump. “This thing has been a lifesaver. When I’m in pain, I just press this button and it delivers morphine. That way I don’t have to bother the nurse.”
“Is your nurse hot, by any chance?” Elijah asks.
“Really, dude?” Andrés shoots him a look and Elijah shrugs.
“Yeah, if you’re into fifty-year-old men with receding hairlines.” Chandler grins and a collective laugh ripples through the room.
“So, what happened? How did you get hit?” I ask.
“I was driving down 16th Street when this black SUV came out of nowhere and T-boned me.”
“Fuck. Did they run a red light or something?” Elijah asks.
“I hope you win a huge lawsuit from this,” Andrés adds.
“I was knocked unconscious, and by the time the cops arrived, they’d fled.” Chandler grimaces and holds his side. He presses the button on his control and falls back into the pillow.
“That fucking asshole. I hope the cops catch him,” I say.
“I hope so too.” Chandler lets out a yawn and his eyelids start to droop.
“We’ll let you get some rest,” Andrés says, getting up from his seat. “Hope you feel better, man.”
“Thanks for coming. Win the championship for me.”
“We will.” I nod.
He pulls up the covers and drifts off to sleep.
Once we’re near the elevator, Andrés turns to me. “Don’t forget—we’re going to lunch. You’re going to tell me everything.”
“I’m gonna text Santiago to see if he wants to join,” Elijah says with a grin on his face.
I scrub my hand down my face. “I can’t stand you guys.”