Chapter 64
Chapter Sixty-Four
NATHAN
I don’t need to stay for overnight observation. After my leg is wrapped and I opt for crutches instead of a wheelchair, I’m able to hobble into the hallway.
Riley is right beside me. Her warm hand is steady on my bicep and I appreciate the support.
I’m still dazed from the news.
I can play hockey again.
I shift my attention to the woman power-walking next to me like a bodyguard, on high alert.
As my head spins, two familiar angels poof on my shoulders.
Angel 1: You made a promise, Nat. Three minutes ago, you told her you’d choose her.
Angel 2: That was before he realized he could play hockey again. The promise doesn’t count anymore.
Angel 1: Is that who you want to be? A liar?
Angel 2: It’s not a lie. He meant it in the moment. But that moment is over.
Angel 1: You can’t go back on your word now. What does that say about the kind of man you are?
My stomach roils.
When I turn the bend, I’m surprised to find the hallway teeming with familiar faces.
Max straightens from where he was leaning against the wall. “Campbell.”
Renthrow frowns in worry. “What’d the doctor say?”
“The pain was from a splinter.” Riley takes over the explanation, which is a relief because I wouldn’t know how to express myself in this moment.
At the end of her recount, McLanely looks at me strangely. “Have you been in pain this whole time?”
Kinsey folds his arms across his chest, staring me down.
Max arches a brow. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want to let the team down,” I mumble.
“That’s bull, Campbell, and you know it,” Max says sternly.
Riley stiffens beside me, but I put my hand on her arm to stop her from jumping to my defense. I deserve way more than a mere scolding from my teammates.
“Let’s not dogpile the guy after he was rushed away in an ambulance,” April says patiently.
May pipes up. “What’s important is that Nathan is going to be fine.” She elbows Max in the side. “You can give him the eye of doom later.”
“Agreed.” Riley uses her strict-teacher voice and it would be amusing to observe it being unleashed on someone other than me.
Except my head is still reeling.
Do I keep my promise to Riley or do I choose what makes me happy?
“Yeah, you should get some rest,” Rebel says, tugging on Kinsey’s arm.
My teammates back off reluctantly.
Renthrow nods to me. “Are you sure you don’t need a wheelchair?”
“I spent a lot of time in wheelchairs after the accident. I’d rather not use them if I can help it.” I smile at them. “Thanks for being here, guys, but I’m fine. Really.”
Beside me, Riley grumbles about me sacrificing my leg for a ‘stupid game’, but she doesn’t pick a fight.
After some more coaxing, I convince Rebel and Kinsey to leave.
April and McLanely follow.
May bounces on the tips of her toes, smiling at me. “So how much of your leg is metal? Are you, like, bionic—”
Her question is interrupted when we hear footsteps rushing back to us. The two couples return with pinched expressions.
“What’s wrong?” Riley asks, bracing herself.
“There are reporters in the hospital lobby,” April explains. “They ambushed us with questions about what happened today.”
Rebel points to the opposite end of the hallway. “Better to sneak out the back.”
April narrows her eyes. “What if the reporters have thought of that too?”
“Chance can talk to the journalists at the front to distract them and I’ll head out back and make sure the coast is clear,” May suggests.
“Good idea, squirt,” April says.
May scrunches her nose at the nickname.
Max steps forward, eyes on May. “I’ll come with you.”
She brandishes her hands in an exaggerated ‘after you’ motion.
After Max and May give the all clear, my teammates rally around me. Renthrow and Kinsey take both of my arms and help me hobble out of the hospital on high speed.
Rebel runs behind us, opening the car door for me while my teammates lug me inside.
May stows my clothes and personal items into the backseat while Riley leans over me to push my chair back and buckle in my seatbelt.
“Is that comfortable?” she asks.
“I’ve got it,” I tell her, taking the seatbelt out of her hands. Cracking another smile, I say, “It’s my leg that needs surgery, not my arms.”
“Nat, you look like you’ve lost ten pounds in ten minutes. You don’t need to smile right now,” she says quietly. “Not for me.”
I let the grin drop from my face.
My friends wish me well and promise to check up later. I give them a weak wave and settle back in my seat as Riley starts driving.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
I close my eyes. “Honestly?”
“Preferably,” she says in a clipped tone.
I guess I deserve that. “Exhausted and drained. And a little embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed?”
“Not a fan of being taken away in an ambulance.” I turn my head to look at her. “I put so much effort into hiding my injury and not being a strain on the team. That plan totally went up in flames.”
“That’s true.” She gives me a tight-lipped smile and I sense I’m going to be in for an earful later.
But ‘later’ doesn’t come.
After parking in my driveway, Riley helps me out of the car and hands me my crutches. She holds my arm as I hobble inside. I want to pretend I don’t need her assistance, but I can’t. At this point, my eyelids are dragging down and it feels like aliens have siphoned all my energy.
“Careful,” Riley mumbles as I settle into the couch.
“Must be the pills,” I tell her, setting my head on the back of the sofa. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
“The doctors said you’d be kind of loopy for a while,” she assures me. Checking her phone for the time, Riley says, “You can take a nap. I’ll wake you up when it’s time for your pain meds.”
My eyes fall shut, but my mind is still racing. Memories from my last stint in the hospital filter through my mind. Those dark days after the accident changed me—not just physically but mentally.
Layla broke up with me, and I came to the conclusion that being single was for the best. I never want to drag my loved one into a cycle of hospital rooms, anxiety, and caretaking.
Yet here I am.
Riley’s voice sounds distant. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to pick up a few things.”
I nod and the door clicks shut.
I’m not sure how long she’s gone because I fall asleep on the couch. When I wake up, a warm blanket is over me and the smell of fragrant soup fills the air.
As I acclimate to the ceiling lights, I remember the last few hours.
The score on the ice. The pain. The ambulance.
Riley holding my hand in the hospital room.
Riley driving me all the way back to Lucky Falls.
Riley helping me inside the house.
Angel 1: After all she’s done for you, you still want to choose hockey over keeping your promise to her?
Angel 2: What’s wrong with being selfish? It’s his life. He can do what makes him happy.
I sit up and notice the pain in my leg has returned. It’s sharp and throbbing and I can’t wait for the surgery to be rid of it.
Riley hurries over with a bowl of soup and a little plastic bag. “You’re up. Right on time. I have your next dose right here.”
I blink slowly, watching her. In some ways, I’ve found myself right back at where I was after the accident.
But there are a few key differences.
I still have a team.
I’m sure I can play hockey again.
And this time, Riley is the one beside me.
“I went to The Tipsy Tuna for something to eat and, funnily enough, Mauve already had soup prepared. She asked me to bring it to you and said she’d be praying for you to get well soon. It was so sweet. Honestly, I’m starting to understand the appeal of small towns.”
Riley sets a tray down on the coffee table, moving briskly. She’s not complaining or pouting or scolding me—although she has every right to after I kept the truth of my leg from her. She’s just quietly filling in all the gaps, organizing everything I need, and selflessly looking after me.
“You’re a well-loved guy, Nat. Your phone’s been going off all night.” She sets the device on the sofa. “Chris sent some voice messages. So did Renea. Your parents called too. They heard what happened at the game and they said they’re flying out.” She hands me the pills.
I accept it and the glass of water. “I’ll call them. Tell them it’s no big deal.”
“Good luck with that,” Riley says as I swallow the pills. She extends her hand to take the cup from me while I settle back against the couch. “By the way, I kind of told them we’re dating.”
She winces.
My eyes widen and I sit up straight, moving a little too fast.
The pain in my leg protests, but I can’t help but smile through the ache. “I thought you wanted to keep it a secret?”
Riley throws her hands up. “While we were talking, they brought up Layla’s video.
I tripped all over my words. Your mom picked up on it and wouldn’t drop the topic.
I didn’t know what else to say, so I told her everything.
” She groans. “My mom is going to freak if she hears I told your parents before I told them. You know how she gets about things like that.”
“I’ll tell your parents about us instead. Your mom won’t mind as much if the news comes from me.”
“Oh, yeah, she loves you.” Riley blows on the top of my soup and that simple act makes my stomach flip over.
I’m reminded once again of her selflessness and consideration for others.
I don’t deserve this woman.
And in that moment, what I need to do becomes crystal clear.