Page 79 of Dreams
When she left, he climbed out of bed and started putting his clothes on. As soon as he pulled his shirt down, there was a knock on the door. He turned hopefully, but dropped his smile when he saw who it was.
“Just what I need,” Josh mumbled.
“Hey, bro.” Ethan closed the door behind him and gave a tentative smile.
“Ethan.” Josh nodded, sitting on the corner of his bed. “What are you doing here?”
“You collapsed on the ice,” he said by way of explanation.
“You were watching?”
“Dad and I watch all your games.” He looked away uncomfortably.
The surprise must have shown on Josh’s face, because Ethan moved in closer.
“Doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“You’re my brother,” he said quietly. “I got in the car and just started driving.”
Josh felt his controlled demeanor slipping as Ethan sat next to him and continued talking.
“Michaela called me after it happened. She was going to come.”
“But her wedding is in a few days.” Josh tried to laugh and failed.
“She loves you.” Ethan shrugged. “I told her I wanted to do it.”
Josh tried to ignore the meaning in Ethan’s words. He wasn’t good at situations like this. He wasn’t good at being Ethan’s brother, proving that the last time he was in town.
“Michaela’s mother would have chained her in her room if she tried to come,” he joked.
Ethan laughed lightly and Josh could hardly stand it. Just looking at Ethan brought a wave of guilt over how he’d treated him when his brother needed him the most. Ethan was here, showing up for Josh in a way that Josh hadn’t done.
In that moment, he would have given anything to go back in time to when they’d been close. A time when hockey had just been a game. When it’d been a seemingly unattainable dream. Not the thing that was tearing him apart.
His breathing became painful as a choked sob found its way out of his mouth. As tears stung his eyes, he waited for his brother to tell him to suck it up as he would have when they were kids. He’d have told him that only girls cry, and certainly not tough hockey players.
Those words never came. Instead, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Ethan didn’t tell him it was going to be okay. He didn’t tell him he’d get over it. He let his brother do what he needed to do without judgment.
“It’s gone,” Josh finally said, trying to pull himself together and failing.
“I figured.”
“How?” Josh pulled back and wiped his face.
“I may have convinced the nurse that I was Doctor Walker and gotten a peek at your records.” He laughed, and Josh got a glimpse of the Ethan he’d known years ago, before the drugs. Charming. Smart. Future all-star doctor. “I saw the test and realized you wouldn’t be playing.” He shrugged. “Those couple years in med school were good for something.”
Josh wanted to laugh at his brother, but couldn’t. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”
“Me too.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe because the people you have in your corner scare me just a little bit. Michaela is a tough one. And I met that Maggie chick yesterday. I wouldn’t want to piss her off.”
“You probably will,” Josh said. “You piss everyone off.”
“True,” he grinned as he got to his feet. “Let’s get out of here. I’m taking you home.”
Josh looked around at the stark room once more before following his brother out.
* * *
