Page 95 of Hung Up
He’s in surgery. If they can fuse enough of the bone back together they say he could ride again with enough PT.
Me
That’s a relief. We’re on our way.
When I look up, I see Rylie glancing at me through her rearview mirror. I give her a gentle nod, not wanting to get Georgia’s hopes up, and see her release a heavy, relieved breath.
But I feel no relief knowing that it’s not the bone we have to be worried about—it's the tissue damage he sustained.
All we can hope for is a miracle.
37FAITH
FORT WORTH
who says it first
To saythat last night was awful would be underselling it. Kai was in surgery for four hours. During that time, almost every single bull rider had shown up and camped out in the parking lot to await an update. Georgia was a mess—their relationship was still so new she didn’t know what to do, and of course it ended up being the first time she’d met Kai’s mother.
The news we got once he was out of surgery wasn’t great. Apparently, the soft tissue damage was immense. They cut some of the scarring away and are hopeful that, with enough rehab after the cast comes off, he’ll be able to be back to full range of motion. But they said it could take up to a year to get to that point.
Which meant that he’d probably be out for the entirety of next season.
That knowledge gutted everyone, but especially Jesse. We were up until two in the morning working through his complicated feelings. Kai’s injury means that Jesse moved up to first place. Of course this isn’t how things were supposed tohappen, and getting first because someone else could no longer compete was making him feel like he hadn’t earned it. Like he doesn’t deserve it.
He informed me that, after Kai had woken up and he went in to speak with him, Kai told him that if it were to go to anyone, he was glad it was him. Kai wants Jesse to take home that buckle. And I mean, yeah, that’s definitely motivation and will give Jesse the fire he needs to finish out this season, but it obviously doesn’t make it any easier.
And to make matters a little more complicated, I was receiving requests and questions from other media outlets who were finally showing an interest in bull-riding and are trying to cover it now that it’s becoming more well-known. Everyone wants to be the first to cover Kai’s injury and make that report, to try and get ahead and take advantage of the momentum I created, not to toot my own horn. Alicia and I had been trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Yes, other news outlets will push others out of a story to get the best for themselves, but we also didn’t want to risk tainting our reputation—but Alicia also didn’t want this to be taken away from me, either.
So when Kai told me he wanted to give me a statement and not talk to any other reporters, he made our decision for us.
I was up after Jesse and I had talked, working on my press release while he slept, his head-on my thighs just above my knees, my laptop resting in my lap as the television had hummed quietly. And the thing is, I don’t remember falling asleep. But when I awake a few hours later, I’m laying in bed, covered by the blanket, my laptop on my nightstand. I rub my eyes as I sit up and realize I’m alone, but I see a note waiting for me on the spare pillow.
If you’ll let me, I’ll give you all the love you don’t believe you deserve.
I smile to myself and sit up, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes before I swing my legs over the bed and slip my feet into my slippers. Walking around the foot of the bed, I see that Jesse has already put a K Cup in the Keurig for me, a mug sitting under it waiting to be filled.
Little moments like these made it so much harder not to fall for Jesse Hayes. The gentle, reassuring touches he’d give me whenever he noticed I was overwhelmed, the way he always took interest whenever he walked in on me working on an article, being aware of what flowers I like most based off the reactions I’d give him, the way he noticed the order I use my face products, the notes, knowing my coffee order, they all mean more to me than those large moments.
Yes, him protecting me and standing up for me will always make my heart soar, but those quiet gestures that are just for me, to show he cares about me and isn’t doing it for show, are the ones that let me know how he feels about me.
And I know that Jesse Hayes is in love with me, even if he hasn’t said it to me yet.
At this point, it’s just a matter of who says it first.
Because I have, without a doubt, fallen in love with my favorite bull rider.
The arena is even more packed than it was yesterday. According to the arena guys, they even sold out of standing room only tickets, which is the first time that’s happened in almost twenty years. Bryce has become the one who paces before his rides,having a tough time coping with his difficult season. This is the first time he hasn’t been in the top ten heading into the ride for redemption, and he claims if he has to compete in those two days, he’s just going to forfeit—not that we believe him, but we’ll see.
Wyatt moves up to fifteenth with a perfect ride on Titan, and Lee moves up to sixteenth. Stetson ends up keeping his spot in ninth, more than happy with that outcome if his evident relief was any indication. Bryce, on the other hand, slips from twenty-fourth to twenty-fifth and refuses to be interviewed by anyone.
Rylie has been a godsend throughout the finals; having to interview every rider in the top twenty-five after their rides every single day would’ve probably killed me. Being able to tag-team it like we have been has made the process go a lot smoother, although the write-ups at the end of the night were a bitch and a half with so many notes and transcripts to run through.
Thanks to Bryce declining an interview, I’m able to stand with Rylie in the tunnel and watch Jesse ride. He’s back on Doze You Down, who is rumored to be one of the bulls selected for the championship rounds. Per usual, I find myself nervous as I watch him climb on, especially after his injury. I know he says he’s been feeling better, but after what happened to Kai, I know that anything can happen at any time, and the riders have very little control.
But I should’ve known that Jesse had it in the bag. His ride seems to be over as quickly as it started, those eight seconds flying by as he expertly rode the all brown bull. He lands in the dirt, stumbling a bit and falling on his knees with his eyes on me. With his hat in his hand, he waves in my direction as he pushes himself back up on his feet before blowing me a kiss. There’s a very audible “aww” from the women in the arena that has a soft blush rising to my cheeks.
“Go interview your man,” Rylie says, bumping her shoulder into mine.
