13
I look at Chase and when our eyes meet, reality hits me like a punch.
Shit, I completely forgot about him and the coach!
Tense, I look at the coach, who doesn”t flinch and still stares at us, arms folded. Chase, meanwhile, smiles at us, and the mischief in his eyes doesn”t go unnoticed.
Heat rises to my cheeks, and I turn to Liam. He in turn clears his throat and searches for the right words.
“Yes, well... Er...” he starts to justify himself.
Chase raises a hand to interrupt.
“It”s okay, Liam. I”ve known for a while. And I”m happy for you both.”
He smiles warmly.
I”m breathing a little easier. The fact that Chase is reacting positively means a lot to me. I know he”s a very important person in Liam”s life, so I was hoping he wouldn”t take it the wrong way.
Coach Franklyn”s voice rings out from a corner of the room:
“That explains a lot...”
The tension immediately returns and Liam”s grip on my hand strengthens too.
“Liam, I”ve told you more than once that this kind of thing distracts you from what”s important.”
He stares at Liam before continuing.
“But it seems to me to be more than just a distraction...”
A slight smile appears on his face.
“You both gave me a huge scare and I... I”m glad you have someone who cares about you so much. It”s a precious thing,” he finally says.
I can”t believe what I”m hearing. I look at Coach Franklyn in amazement.
Are those tears shining in his eyes?
A nurse chooses this moment to enter the room, and she allows us to focus on something else. She checks the monitors and turns to us.
“Visiting hours are over. I”m sorry, but you have to leave now.”
It”s with some reluctance that I say goodbye to the boys. I”d rather spend the night by Liam”s side. He smiles faintly and I can see both fatigue and disappointment in his eyes.
I take his hand in mine and squeeze gently.
“I”ll be back tomorrow, as soon as I can. I promise.”
He smiles wearily and his hand grips mine tighter.
“Thanks, Em. I”m sorry I scared you...”
Before leaving, I lean in once more and kiss him tenderly. Now that Chase and the coach know, I don”t want to miss out!
“See you tomorrow, get some rest,” I say, shaking my hand.
On the way to campus, I feel a little empty. Even though I know Liam is in good hands and out of danger, I”m worried.
I can”t shake the idea that I could have lost him tonight, right there, all of a sudden, as quickly as the blink of an eye. This fear has lodged itself inside me, and I realize how important he has become in my life.
I rub my hands together nervously.
The positive thing to come out of all this is that both Chase and the coach now know. That takes some of the weight off our secret. And they reacted well! I know it was important for Liam not to disappoint his coach, and I”m glad he didn”t yell at us and say it was a big mistake.
No sooner have I reached my bedroom door than I pull out my cell phone and dial Maddie”s number. I need someone I can tell all this to. When she picks up, the words pour out of my mouth and I tearfully explain the whole situation - my relationship with Liam, the attack, his injuries, my fear, everything...
Maddie”s voice is reassuring when she answers.
“Oh, my darling! Thank God the boys are okay. You”ll be fine, do you want me to come?”
“I”m fine, I was just very, very scared...” I reply.
“I understand, yes. And thank you for finally telling me about your relationship, it took a while, but I”m glad you did.”
I open my mouth and close it again. I pick myself up and move on:
“You... you suspected?”
She laughs.
“Of course! After what you told me last time about you and Liam, about your feelings for him, and all the nights you”d supposedly ‘fallen asleep at the newspapers’ office’, even though I was the last one to close the door, or that you had ‘something planned’ and couldn’t join Cassy and me, yeah I suspected!”
I blush.
“I”m sorry... I shouldn”t have kept it from you.”
“Emily, I”ve told you before, just because we”re best friends doesn”t mean you have to tell me everything. You needed time, so I don”t mind. And I also assume you didn”t want anyone to know.”
“Yes... Thank you, Maddie... Thank you, really.”
I feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.
Feeling grateful and much calmer, I hang up the phone and drop onto my bed.
***
The next day, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation accompanies me on my way to the hospital. I want to make sure they”re feeling better and let them know I”m there if they need anything.
When I knock on the door of the hospital room and walk in, I”m greeted by an impressive array of flowers, stuffed animals and gifts. The room exudes color and warmth, and I can”t help but laugh. Apparently, a lot of people have heard about the incident and want to show their support.
I glance at one of the cards tied around a teddy bear holding a heart in its paws, and let out a grunt when I read that it”s from one of Liam”s admirers.
Yeah... I should have known!
An unfamiliar man sits between the two beds, chatting with Liam and Chase. He exudes authority.
When I enter, he ends the conversation and turns to me.
“I”ll be back to see you at the next game,” he says, before standing up and nodding in my direction.
Is this the agent Liam told me about?
I smile at him shyly and take a step back so as not to disturb him on his way to the door.
Once he”s out, I go and check on the wounded. I greet Chase and kiss Liam, who gives me a beautiful smile.
“So, how are you feeling today?”
“Better, now that you”re here!” laughs Liam.
Chase nods in agreement.
“I”m not happy to see you for the same reasons, but thanks for coming, Emily. It”s so boring here!”
“And yet you have plenty of little notes to read,” I slip in mischievously.
Liam and Chase laugh.
“It”s crazy... I didn”t think we”d get so many. We”re getting out soon and yet it makes the whole campus think we”re dead!”
Liam tightens his grip on my hand and his eyes suddenly sparkle.
“By the way, that recruiter I told you about, Mr. Turner, just stepped out.”
My gaze moves to the door.
“Looks like you both impressed him enough to make the trip in person!”
Chase smiles.
“Well, he”s predicted a pretty good future for us. Which is very reassuring, given that we”re likely to be a little slow in the first few training sessions. But we”ll be back on our feet in no time.”
Liam nods in agreement and I can see the determination in their eyes. The dream they”re chasing is more tangible than ever, and I”m sure they”ll do anything to make it come true.
Time flies with them and I suddenly realize it”s time to go. I have to get back to the New York Post and I can”t afford to be late.
Tingles of excitement run through my belly. It”s a demanding schedule, between my classes, newspaper work, the internship and my relationship with Liam, but it”s worth every minute. Right from the start of my internship, I”ve been given interesting topics to write about in short articles. And so far, the feedback on my work has been positive. Only the hectic pace of the writing process is giving me a bit of a hard time. I feel like I”m constantly working against the clock, because the deadlines for getting everything done are pretty tight over there.
I say goodbye, give my sexy boyfriend a kiss and hurriedly gather my things.
When I leave the hospital and head for the New York Post, I slip into the shoes of Emily the journalist, and push aside the feelings that twist my heart when I leave Liam.
I arrive just in time at the newspaper and my supervisor approaches me at a brisk pace.
“Ready for another hard day”s work, Emily?” he asks with a straight face.
I swallow.
“Yes, Mr. Roberts, I”m more than ready.”
“Well, I”ve got a research assignment for you.”
I”m hoping it”ll distract me a bit, and already he”s handing me a stack of documents.
“There”s an important event next week, and I need thorough research on the guest speaker. I expect a detailed report from you by the end of the day.”
I nod and grab the documents.
As I sit down at my desk, my thoughts gradually drift away from the events of the last twenty-four hours. The task ahead demands my full concentration, and I have no room for error.
As the day draws to a close, I finally gather enough material to write my summary. I sit down at my computer and start sorting through the relevant facts. As I write, a certain sense of accomplishment spreads through me. The work soothes me and helps me put my thoughts in order. It”s as if I”ve found a peaceful island in the middle of a storm. Once I”ve finished my essay, I hand it in to my supervisor and gather my things to go home.
On the way, I take stock of my day. It”s not easy to juggle personal concerns and professional responsibilities. And in the midst of all these challenges, I also have to pay attention to my own needs and those of the people around me.
I sigh.
So, this is what it means to become an adult?
The exhaustion of recent events begins to show as I cross the threshold into my bedroom. Taking advantage of Cassy”s absence, I drop onto the sofa and close my eyes for a moment.
After staying like that for a few minutes, I sit up and take out my cell phone. I text Liam to explain that I won”t be able to come to the hospital tomorrow. It”s costing me, but I need time to concentrate on my university homework, which has fallen behind with my internship. Going back and forth from the campus to the hospital takes time, and it won”t help me... On top of that, I have to admit I”m exhausted.
I hope he”ll understand, even if the idea of not seeing him doesn”t appeal to me at all.