23. Guy
GUY
I wake up to hushed voices.
I slowly open my eyes and am shocked when I can only see out of one. I put my hand up and feel the bandages over my left eye. “What?”
A woman, I assume a nurse, stands over me. “Mr. Brody, you’re fine. You have a concussion and some swelling to the left eye, but we’ve run tests, and there is no internal bleeding.”
I put my hand down and close my eyes again, but the voice continues. “You have some visitors here, and they refuse to leave until they see you, but you need to get some rest.”
When I don’t respond, she tries again. “I’m going to give them five minutes and then I’m clearing the room.”
She pats my arm, and then I hear her say. “Five minutes and then he needs some rest.”
There are a few murmurs of acknowledgement, and then when I hear a door shut, it’s like the space around me is filled with people.
“Brody, you okay, man?”
I open my eyes, thankful that the lights are still dim.
“You okay, baby?”
My eye flies open. That’s not Nicole. I stare up at the woman that I used to date. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I hear a “damn” and a chuckle from someone else, but my gaze stays on Katelyn. “Katelyn, why are you here?”
She blinks at me. “I was at the game. I was lucky that the ambulance driver recognized me because he let me ride to the hospital with you.” She brushes her hand through my hair. “But you’re going to be okay, I’m going to take care of you.”
I close my eyes and shake my head. “No, you’re not.”
I look around the room at my teammates and then back to Katelyn. “You need to leave.”
Her mouth falls open. “But—”
I shake my head, and pain shoots through my temple with that small amount of movement, so I stop. “We broke up, Katelyn. I don’t want you here.”
One of the guys had told me that the guy she cheated on me with, the linebacker from the Jasper Eagles, had broken it off with her. I should have known she’d show back up and try to pick up where we left off.
She tries again. “But Guy, I just—”
I don’t let her finish. “Katelyn, thanks for stopping by, but I don’t want you here. I’m sorry.”
She grabs her purse and walks out with a huff.
I hear the door open and close, and Finn stands over me. “Damn, Brody.”
I close my eyes because it hurts so much. “Anyone call my family? Nicole? I’m sure they’ve seen or heard about this by now.”
Finn puts a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, Ozzy and Miller are flying in and should be here in an hour.”
“Nicole?” I ask again.
Finn pauses. “Uh, I’ll ask Grant to get a hold of her.”
I peak one eye open and look around. “He’s not here?”
I’m surprised because it feels like more than half the team is in this tiny room. Finn answers. “Dude we’re packed in here. I’m sure he’ll come by, but I’ll make sure he gets ahold of Nicole.”
I let out a breath. “Did we win?”
Everyone starts talking at once. I make out that we did in fact win, and another teammate, Mack, says “Don’t worry. They said you’ll be out a few games is all.”
I nod. As the conversations go on around me, I can’t shake this feeling. I have never felt more alone in a room full of people before.
Finn corrals the others. “Guys, we should go. Guy, your brothers will be here soon, and I’ll get with Grant, but if you need anything, call us.”
Each of the guys give me a fist bump on their way out, and only when I’m left by myself do I hit the call button on the bed.
The nurse comes in. “Everything okay, Mr. Brody?”
“Did my things make it here?”
She opens a closet door. “Yeah, one of your teammates brought your bag. It’s all in here.”
I strain to look where she’s pointing. “Will you please get my phone for me? It’s in the front pocket.”
She does as I ask but is quick to point out, “You really should be resting. You’re on concussion protocol, and someone will be in every hour to wake you up and check your eyes, but you should be resting in between.”
I take the phone she’s holding out to me. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“Your doctor will be the one to answer that, but I do know he wants you monitored for at least twenty-four hours.”
I huff and hold up the phone. “Thanks.”
She opens her mouth to say something but quickly closes it. She walks out of the room, and I hit the speed dial for Nicole. It rings and rings, but she never answers. Fuck. I grunt, leaning my head back.
I look at the missed calls and texts and see all the ones from family and friends, but not one called or missed message from Nicole. She said she would be watching the game.
Ozzy and Miller both come in, and they’ve already talked to the doctor about my discharge.
They have arranged to fly me back to Whiskey Run, and I’m going to stay with Ozzy until I’m recovered.
At least that’s what they think. They don’t know that as soon as I get out of here, I’m going straight to Nicole’s.
As we’re waiting for discharge papers, Grant comes in. His face is void of any emotion, and he seems to be measuring me up. I still haven’t been able to get ahold of Nicole, so I ask him. “Have you talked to Nicole?”
He nods, and I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. I was beginning to think something had happened to her.
Both Ozzy and Miller shake Grant’s hand and start talking about the game. Grant asks me, “Can we talk?”
Miller stands up. “Guy, me and Ozz are going to go down to the cafeteria. We’ll be back.”
The whole thing has me sketched out. Grant is being really weird. As soon as my brothers leave, I ask him, “Is Nicole okay?”
He just stares at me.
I sit up in the bed. “Grant, what is it? Is she okay? She’s not answering my calls or my messages and—”
Grant blurts out, “She was here when you were brought in.”
I shake my head, confused. “She was here? Why didn’t she stay?”
Grant paces back and forth. “She flew here to San Antonio to surprise you. She was at the game and saw you get hit. She came here, and somehow she got past security—they wouldn’t let her up since she’s not family—and she was here… in this room.”
I try to remember, but it seems like last night was a blur. But I definitely don’t remember seeing Nicole. I would remember that. “Why did she leave? Where is she?”
Grant crosses his arms over his chest. “Because your ex-girlfriend was here by your bed, holding your hand when she got here. She told Nicole to leave.”
I move to the edge of the bed. “She was here when Nicole came?”
Grant rubs his jaw. “Look, my daughter is wrecked. I’ve never seen her like this. She’s completely devastated that you’re hurt, and she’s hurt by all this.”
I put my hand to my head. “Grant, you have to believe me. I didn’t ask for Katelyn to come here. We broke it off a long time ago and—”
Grant nods. “Yeah, Finn told me you ran her off and seemed surprised she was here.”
“I was,” I assure him.
He shakes his head. “Well, your girlfriend—”
I cut him off. “My ex.”
He grits his teeth. “Your ex told Nicole that you had arranged for her to be here.”
I put my hands on the bed to help me stand up. “Well, she was fucking lying. Where are my clothes? I gotta get out of here.”
Grant comes to stop me. “Sit down. You’re in no shape to go anywhere.”
The room starts to tilt. “Fuck. I have to go see her. She won’t answer my phone calls and—” I almost break down. “I love her, and if this ruined everything, fuck, I just need to talk to her.”
“You love her?” Grant asks in disbelief.
I look him straight in the eye. They removed the bandage after I demanded it, and even though my vision is a little blurry, there is no way he doesn’t see the sincerity on my face or how much all this affects me. “Yes, I love her. I love her more than anything.”
Grant falls into the chair next to the bed. “Fuck.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Listen, I’ll get her to come see you, but I’m not giving her any excuses or anything. You’re going to have to fix this on your own.”
“Please,” I plead with him. “Just bring her here, please? I’m begging, Grant.”
He blows out a breath. “I’ve never seen her this upset, Guy. She’s downstairs. Give me a few minutes.”
My eyes widen. “She’s here? In the hospital?”
I stand up again, and Grant pushes me back onto the bed. “Sit tight.”
I point at him. “Grant, don’t let her leave…”
He towers over me. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her.”
I suck in a breath. “I know, and I hate this happened, but you have to know I would never have wanted that. I haven’t talked to Katelyn since we broke up. I promise.”
He searches my face and nods. He gets almost to the door when I say, “Maybe I should go with you.”
He shakes his head. “She’ll come. It’s killing her not to know you’re all right. She’ll want to see you before she leaves.”
I sit back on the bed and take a few deep breaths. Nicole is here. She came to San Antonio. She was at the game, and even though she had told me that she needed space and time, she came anyway. And just like that, it all clicks into place. She loves me.
I have no idea what I’m going to say to her when she comes through that door, but I know I’m going to make sure she knows she is the only woman I want in my life.