Eddie shifted in his seat, sent me a look of warning, and glanced quickly away. I chuckled quietly, loving I could distract him so easily.
“Okay, we’re all done.” The doctor stood, drawing our attention her way.
Both Eddie and I eased out of our uncomfortable chairs and made our way over. Lottie was supporting a bright red cast. Despite her drooping eyes, she smiled. “Thank you.”
“I would say anytime, but hopefully this will be the last time you have to pay a visit to the hospital,” the doctor responded kindly, then peered up at Eddie. “Nurse Madison will just collect the necessary paperwork you’ll need to sign, then you’ll be able to head on home.”
Eddie responded with a tired smile and shook the doctor’s hand. “We really appreciate you taking such good care of her.”
My heart stuttered and I extended my hand for a shake, realizing the “we” included me. “Absolutely. Thanks, Doctor.”
“My pleasure. You all take care.” She turned back to Lottie. “And how many legs do chairs have so they’re stable?”
Pink trickled into Lottie’s cheeks, and a shifty smile appeared. “Four.”
“That’s right.” She followed up with a wink and headed out of the room.
I set about tidying away our takeout containers while Eddie got Lottie ready. By the time the room was straightened up, the nurse returned with the insurance paperwork and discharge papers. And then finally, at close to midnight, we were being escorted to Eddie’s car before we were making our way back to his home.
A comfortable silence filled the car on the drive, the three of us flagging after our stressful evening. I was relieved Eddie’s place was so close, else I was sure I’d have been snoring with the lull of the moving vehicle.
By the time we pulled into the garage space, Lottie was barely awake. Eddie guided her out of the car and helped her get ready for bed, while I grabbed us two bottles of water and said goodnight to Lottie with a kiss on her brow before making my way directly to Eddie’s room.
I just hoped like hell he wouldn’t kick me out to sleep in the spare room. Not tonight. We both need the comfort of each other’s arms.
“Hey.” He entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him. I took that as a good start and made my way over to him.
Pressing my mouth against his, I sighed into the kiss, bubbles of relief coming to life when he kissed me back, wrapping his arms around me. Our kiss was slow, tender, gentle brushes of our lips and swipes of our tongues.
When he eased out of the touch, rather than breaking free, Eddie buried his face against my neck. Warm breath tickled my skin, and I squeezed him closer, knowing he needed this as much as I did.
“I’m so sorry we missed the game.” There was a tentative husk to his voice that I didn’t like, but I wasn’t quite ready to let him go yet.
“You don’t need to apologize for Lottie hurting herself.”
At my words, he pulled out of my hold, an unhappy expression on his face. He sighed and offered me a fake-as-fuck smile as he stepped around me and made his way to the bed. When he sat down on the mattress, he clasped his hands and stared down at them.
“What is it?” I asked.
Without meeting my eyes, he said, “You were off your game.”
The statement, while true, was a fuck of a thing to hear from him, especially with such a despondent voice. Something twisted in my chest, but I remained silent.
“Did it…” He huffed out a breath, giving me the quickest of glances. “Were you distracted?” Once again, his gaze connected with mine. Whatever he saw in my expression had him continuing. “I mean, it’s so unlike you, and you didn’t play like you usually do.” A shadow of remorse flickered in his eyes, and understanding slammed into me.
Guilt encompassed him.
“While I like the fact that you only have eyes for me,” I jested, hating the heaviness between us, “you know I wasn’t the only player on the team, right?”
He didn’t laugh. “Pearce, I’m serious.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” I said, feeling suddenly awkward standing in the middle of his room. Nothing about his body language screamed he wanted my comfort.
A frustrated line appeared on his mouth.
“Eddie, just say what’s on your mind and stop dancing around it, okay?” Him taking on this kicked-puppy look freaked me out. In five years I’d never seen him behave this was before.
“I think,” he started, sitting up straight and making a valiant effort to meet my eyes, “you were expecting me there and when I didn’t show, it put you off your game. Iknowyou’re not the only player, and I watched enough of the game to see there were a variety of decisions that were poor ones, but I’m focused on you. My concern is for you and how this thing between us messed up your chances at getting to the finals.”
