32. Chapter 32
Mariana
My body knots with tension the moment Dom gets hit. Several guys pile on him. I fret he may not be able to breathe under all that weight, until I feel like I'm lacking air too, and I jump to a hundred terrible scenarios in my head.
Worried conversation sets off in the box. From here we can't see clearly what happened, and we focus on the TV replays currently broadcasting into the suite… by my dad's network, of course.
It's hard to make sense of things, even on the feed. Too many people surround him as he's taken off the field on a stretcher. Cora and the team get to work, connecting with the Strike's medical staff and waiting on news.
I'm of no use, and I go back to my seat.
I cross my arms. Chew the inside of my lips.
For an hour, I do nothing but fidget, unable to watch the game being played, or focus on anything else but Dom.
Injuries are the biggest risk for athletes, and I'm terrified for him.
They're saying that preliminary assessment deems it a minor injury, but a full evaluation is needed before that's confirmed.
The way my stomach churns, I won't believe it until I see him and he tells me what the situation is.
After the game is done, Cora tells me the medical team is assessing Dom at the hospital, as they wanted an MRI. She sends me to my hotel room. I'm immediately restless. All I do there is sit on the bed and check the news, the feeds, even the gossip blogs just in case.
Only an hour later, I give up the pretense and go to the hospital. My last name gets me far, more in connection to the GM than anything. It helps that I work for the team as well. I may have made up a couple lies in the process, but I find Dom's room twenty minutes into my search.
He's surrounded by his friends.
"You'll be okay," Logan says.
"I don't want to miss any games," Dom groans in a sleepy way.
The hospital room is as standard as they come, full of beeping machines and monitors and assessment tools hanging from the wall.
Dom's bed is at the center, but I can barely see him through the spaces between his friends.
I focus on his face. He seems relaxed, even happy, and some of the tension loosens inside of me.
I come in quietly, just a few steps into the space, and I don't think anyone notices.
There's a darkened window at the other side of the door, giving view to a different hospital wing and a park.
Another window is at my side, but it's covered by a curtain to give Dom privacy, and I use it to hide myself somewhat. I don't want to interrupt.
"You might have to miss a few games," Rafael says. "So you can recover."
Saint puts a hand on Dom's shoulder. "We need you for the playoffs."
They all study the patient intently, while he looks at everything… and nothing at the same time.
I'm in limbo. Nerves swirl in my stomach, and this time it's a mix of the anxiety I'm feeling for Dom, and the awkward position I'm in. I don't want to leave, but I don't know how to announce myself yet, either.
What will they think of my presence? What if Dom doesn't want me here? What if his friends jump to conclusions? I may have been wrong to come here.
"Call my mom." Dom shakes his head in a weird way. "Where's my phone? I sent her to Mexico with my abuela. She won't know. She'll kill me for not telling her. If she sees it on the news…"
"You have time," Damián says. "You can tell her tomorrow."
"No, you don't understand. Where's my phone?"
Logan grabs the phone from the side table and gives it to him. He struggles getting in it.
"What's my fucking password?" He frowns. He looks half asleep, half in pain. "Pinche teléfono... It's not recognizing my face for some goddam reason."
"He's so high," Bear chuckles.
"How many drugs is he on at the moment?" Rafael asks.
"All the fun stuff, for sure," Saint says.
Dom frowns at his phone as he types. "Got it. Hah."
"Should we check his text to make sure it makes sense?" Logan raises an eyebrow. "It might worry his mom more if it's just a string of typos."
"My text is fine. Autocorrect saves lives." Dom's lips pull up in a satisfied smile, only to immediately pull down. "No. No. I can't call her."
Rafael crosses his arms. "It's your mom. You can call her. We'll even behave and not tease you too much for how drugged up you are."
"No, not Mom. Her." He gets a pained look on his face. "The chain is right there and I just…"
I freeze. My eyes go wide. I both want him to be referring to me and dread it.
What if he calls me and my phone rings right through and reveals my presence? Then they'll know I've been hiding and, God, how embarrassing.
"I can't fuck this up," Dom says. "I'm getting another chance at doing this right and I can't… I can't fuck this up."
"Her, who?" Bear asks.
Dom looks nearly heartbroken. "I'm so glad you guys don't know. She'd hate it. I'd hate it. You guys can't know."
The guys gaze at each other. I shrink in the spot I hope will make me the most invisible.
But I can't leave. Not before I talk to him. Not before I come clean.
"Why can't we know?" Rafael asks.
"You wouldn't understand." Sadness pulls at Dom's mouth, and the whole situation pulls at my own heartstrings.
"We shouldn't ask, should we?" Saint sighs.
"It would be taking advantage." Logan frowns. "Unfortunately."
But Dom keeps on talking, too high to realize.
"It's not going to last. She won't keep me. She'll walk away from me again. This time I get it. I may be a fool, but I'm a fool who learns."
"Uhm… does he mean…" Saint starts.
"And now…" The wrinkles multiply on Dom's brow. "With this fuck— ing injury, how do I impress… them? Anyone. Damn. No petty revenge for me."
"As soon as he's back to normal," Rafael says, "he's getting an intervention."
I clench my jaw until I can hear my teeth scraping together. Fuck. I have to do this. Don't I? Yes. I have to. Even if I hate every second of it.
I take two steps further into the room.
"Uhm, hi," I say.
They all turn to me in one swift move. Shock widens their eyes. My heart beats fast to have their attention on me like that and, in my discomfort, I don't think of anything better than to give them all a friendly wave.
"Whatever drugs they gave me," Dom says, "they're good. I swear I can see her."
It's been less than a minute, but understanding dawns on everyone's face. Some cheekiness takes over most of their faces. Rafael looks at me with some suspicion, while Logan simply frowns.
Intimidating.
But Dom lifts a hand and reaches for me with such longing on his face that pain punctures my chest. I can't say no. Too late to leave, and I don't want to go away either. I step closer and take his hand. Squeeze it tight and gaze at him.
"Mari," he says. "You're so beautiful. To see you again so clearly… to have you near… I have this ache inside of me these painkillers can't reach. What am I supposed to do with that?"
I gulp. The gesture gets trapped in my throat. Overwhelm is flooding my system, fast, and my heart struggles to keep up. His friends study him, then me, then back to him, smart eyes gathering information with the acuity of spies.
Oh boy.
"Dom." My voice comes out thin. "Are you going to be okay?"
His face is worried and doesn't respond.
"He is," Logan says for him. "He's just high."
"I can see that," I respond.
"He was lucky." Bear's mouth pulls to the side. "A mild Grade 2 MCL tear to his right knee. Some other related, minor injuries too, but he'll just need rest and physical therapy for those."
"I can still hear the pop." Dom shivers.
The rest of the guys grimace, but he's already moved on.
He looks at me with the dreamiest eyes I've ever seen on him. "I wish you were here. I've missed you so much."
Half-suppressed chortles reach my ears.
"Should we leave?" Damián asks.
Logan smirks. "He's in good company now."
"They may prefer privacy," Saint says. "For once— for a short while— we might be willing to give them that."
"Don't leave me alone." Dom's eyebrows pull up as if in pain. "I'm going to end up texting Mariana and telling her how much I… care, but… you can't ask anything or tell me anything or make any comments. No interventions. You wouldn't understand why we… why we said we won't fall in love again."
Damián lets out a big sigh. Logan stares at me with a severe frown. I blink and chew on my bottom lip. Dom is getting us in trouble too fast for me to figure out how to stop it.
He pouts. "Like, all of you are in love and Rafa— he was happily married. If he wants to date he'll make… make it happen. Me? When this— this thing ends with Mariana, you guys will think it's 'cause I'm the only one who doesn't know how to make love last."
They all look at him, then at me.
"It's like they gave him a truth potion," Bear says.
"Right." Rafa purses his lips. "Wonderful."
A buzz appears in my ears. Dom interlocks his fingers with mine. I want to comfort him, be caring, but I can't lean into it with his friends around.
"Should we leave?" Rafa asks me.
I can hear my heartbeat, and it's fast and way too light.
I aim for a deep breath but air only makes it halfway.
I'm not sure what Dom would want, or what I should say.
I gaze at Dom, trying to read his mind. He looks so tender.
So sweet. I erase everything else, push it away from sight, and focus on the warmth of his skin against mine.
I caress his arm with my free hand. "Hey. Let's talk about something else for now, okay? You may regret all of this tomorrow."
"You might regret coming at all," Damián says in my direction.
I don't get to respond, or even wonder if I would.
"I won't regret anything." Dom speaks in the same sleepy tone as before. "Not anymore."
"Dom…" I say.