“It is. We just have to wait for someone to organize the cast. Not sure how long that’s going to take.” Exhaustion caressed each word, making my heart pang.
“Where are you? I’ll come as soon as I’ve showered.”
When he didn’t respond, I glanced at my phone, making sure we were still connected.
“Eddie, you there?”
“Yeah,” he croaked. “You don’t need to come here. I have no idea how long we’ll be. We could be just thirty minutes or five hours. You must be beat.” His voice dipped low. “I’m so sorry about the game.”
“Yeah, me too. Sucks. But it is what it is, right?” I said, aiming for upbeat but not sure I pulled it off. “But I don’t mind coming and waiting with you guys.” I tensed, waiting for his answer, suddenly nervous at his quiet responses. Sure, he must have been shitting it, worried about Lottie, but there was something off in his voice that sounded like more than general exhaustion and parental fear.
“I know you don’t.” A huff of air traveled down the phone. “But it’s late. We’re both exhausted. Plus, you need some food in you before you crash.”
This man was always looking out for me, but who took care of him?
Clenching my jaw, I steeled my resolve. It didn’t make sense that he’d be trying to push me away, and if he was for whatever jacked-up reason he had in his head, he could fuck right off with that. “Let me worry about what I can handle. What hospital are you at?”
“Grace Memorial.”
“That wasn’t too hard, was it?” I pushed levity I didn’t quite feel into my tone.
“Pearce—”
I cut him off, saying, “Just know when to shut up. See you soon.” I ended the call and turned back to my locker, catching Cassius’s gaze.
“Well, that’s one way to end a call.” Wide-eyed, he snorted. “Sweet-talking like that is not going to help me win the cash, you know, Pearce. You need pointers? I’m always here for you.”
A real chuckle tore out of me, surprising us both if the startled laugh from Cassius was anything to go by. After tonight’s epic loss and my very real concern over Eddie and Lottie, I hadn’t thought I had a laugh in me.
“I can just imagine what your advice would be,” I fired back, trying to shake off the post-game funk pressing down on the locker room. I stripped down and grabbed my towel.
“If it includes dicks and mouths, you’re on the money.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed while Joel threw a sweaty sock at Cassius. Our very straight young friend was more than used to Cassius’s oversharing and often warped advice.
“Says the man who has more knock backs than a drunk.” Joel angled to look at me. “You going to the hospital?”
I expected the whole locker room had heard my discussion, and if they hadn’t, they’d soon hear what my deal was. Shit rarely remained a secret on our team.
“Yeah.”
Joel frowned. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“What do you mean?”
He waved his hand in my general direction. “You’re hardly going to blend in and go incognito. Sure…thatwon’t piss off the hospital staff when they’re dealing with crowd control.”
I groaned as I wrapped my towel around myself, ready to get showered. “Fuck.” I shook my head, sounding a little petulant when I said, “Well, Eddie’s there and isn’t swamped by the press.” At least I didn’t think so.
At my side, Cassius snorted. “No offence to your hot DILF, Malcolm, but he’s been out of the League for a fair few years now.”
“And he didn’t just get knocked out of the championship,” Joel added. He followed with a sad shrug that I felt all the way to my disappointed bones.
“So you’re saying it’d be selfish of me to race on in there?”
Joel shrugged again. “I don’t know, man. I suppose it’s about why you’re going in the first place. Do you need to be there? You going for yourself or for Lottie and Eddie?”
My answer was quick. “I need to make sure Lottie’s really okay.” The truth of that statement made my chest squeeze. The fog and the mess of the last two hours was finally lifting, leaving behind concern for a kid I loved and her dad who I needed more than fucking oxygen. “Eddie must have freaked and been worried sick. He needs me.” Whether he realized or even admitted it or not was left unsaid.
