Page 97 of Fake Out Hearts

I try to open my eyes, but my lids won’t lift. It’s like my body is too tired to even manage that. Images flash in my mind, the last few things I remember seeing. My phone screen, the unfinished text to Theo, and the black-and-white blur of the marble flooring as it raced toward me.

A door bursts open, and the noise startles my eyes open too. Theo is there, racing toward me with a deeply concerned look on his handsome face. He races to my side to stroke my forehead, brushing away my sweaty, tangled hair.

“Becca? Becca, can you hear me?” he asks gently. I nod, but it makes my head hurt, so I grimace. “It’s okay, don’t move. You don’t have to say anything. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I was on the ice when the hospital called to tell me you’d fallen. I left the arena and got on a plane as soon as I got the message.”

“Thank you,” I croak. My throat is dry as bone. How long have I been out?

I don’t get the chance to ask before a doctor walks in behind Theo, wearing an angry expression. He’s probably not happy with Theo for bursting in here like this, but I’m glad he did. He takes my hand as the doctor walks around to the other side of the bed, and just that simple act makes me feel like everything is going to be okay.

“Mr. Camden, I understand your concern, but we’ve run as many tests as we can and as far as we can tell, there’s nothing to worry about. Your wife probably just didn’t eat enough and got lightheaded, leading to the fainting.”

My stomach twists because I know the doctor’s right. I was so stressed out and busy trying to find work that I completely forgot to eat. It’s an echo of a problem I used to have, one I thought I’d kicked, but stress has a way of bringing out the worst in me. It’s the last thing I want to tell Theo on top of everything else that’s gone wrong in the last few days, but if there’s anything that damn video has taught me, it’s that I have to be honest with him. About everything.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to take care of you,” Theo says as he squeezes my hand. I lift the other to point at a glass of water sitting nearby, and he rushes to bring it to me. He puts the bendy straw in my mouth, and I suck down the water like I’m afraid it’ll disappear.

“It’s okay,” I say after a moment, my throat feeling somewhat better. “But there’s something I need to tell you.” Theo’s worried eyes snap to mine, and I wince as I explain, “I… I had an eating disorder when I was a teenager.”

“Becca…” He squeezes my hand again.

“I’ve been working on it for a long time. I’m mostly past it now, but sometimes when I’m really stressed, I forget to eat. That’s what happened.”

The doctor looks at Theo like he’s trying to say I told you so, but Theo ignores him, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “I won’tlet that happen to you again. I promise. From here on out, I’ll always be here to take care of you.”

My heart flutters at the earnestness in his eyes, and then I drift back off to sleep.

Chapter 30

Theo

Becca is still sleeping a few hours later when the doctor comes back to the room to tell me he wants to keep her overnight, just to be safe.

“She did hit her head pretty hard when she fell, and while the x-rays don’t show any signs of a concussion, it’s better safe than sorry.”

“Shouldn’t we wake her up then? I’m pretty sure sleeping is the last thing someone with a concussion is supposed to do. I’m a hockey player. I’m familiar with concussions.”

The doctor laughs. “No doubt you are. But like I said, I don’t see anything to suggest that’s what happened. I just want to keep her out of an abundance of caution in case there are any complications from her neglecting to eat.”

“I understand. Thanks, doc.”

“Of course. You’re welcome to stay with her,” the doctor says and leaves it at that.

I glance over at Becca, who’s still silently sleeping, and my heart wrenches. I knew leaving her alone in the middle of all of this shit with Kaplan was a bad idea. I wanted to blow off going out of town for the game, but Becca refused to let me. She didn’t want me getting in any trouble for her sake.

Like she wouldn’t deserve it.

But speaking of trouble, I had to leave the arena in a hurry, and it seems like Becca is fast asleep, so I pull out my phone to make some calls while she’s resting. I let Dunaway know first that everything is okay and apologize for leaving the game abruptly.

“You don’t have to apologize, Camden. It’s your wife. I understand.”

“Thanks, Coach,” I say and hang up, then immediately dial Noah. He answers after one ring.

“Hey. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. She passed out from lack of food and hit her head, but the doctors don’t think she did any real damage. They’re still gonna keep her overnight.”

“Probably not a bad idea. I’m glad she’s alright though.”

“Thanks. Me too. Although I feel like a fucking idiot for leaving her alone,” I mutter as I look at her beautiful, peaceful face.

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