Page 32 of Shape Of My Heart
She moved his hand away but he only returned it. Instead of fighting with him she just focused on getting his dirty clothes off and the newclotheson.
She managed to get the shirt off and evade his attempts tokissher.
“Josh, I need you to focus. We have to get to the studio.” They werealreadylate.
“Why are we going there, baby? Let’s just go some place nice. Just you and me.PerfectAmy.”
This was ridiculous, andcrazy.
“Josh, think of football. Think about football. We need to go. Pleasestandup.”
“Football.”
He seemed to consider this and looked like he’d just remembered something, then tried to stand. She took the opportunity to help him. He was able to get the trousers on but no more. He sat on the sofa holdinghishead.
“I can’t do it,” he muttered. “Baby, I’m sorry I can’tdoit.”
She wanted to feel sorry for him but her annoyance took over. “Yes you can.” She grabbed the jacket and helped him get it on, and didhistie.
All he needed was shoes and they’d be ready. He didn’t look as sharp as she would like, but he wasdressed.
Since she knew she would need help, she grabbed that phone book on top of the fridge and called Corey. He said he’d look out for them when theyarrived.
She just hoped like hell she could pullthisoff.
Josh slept the whole journey there. Amy allowed him to with the hope that it meant he would wake up when they arrived. In the meantime, she tried to keep her fury undercontrol.
She couldn’t believe he would do this. No matter what had happened he knew they had to be here early today, and if they weren’t it would jeopardize everything. Absolutely everything. She doubted that if he knew her situation it would have mattered to him, but surely he cared enough about himself to worry that he’d be cut fromtheteam.
Maybe they wouldn’t cut him off. Maybe that’s what he thought, but if he did, why then did he make such an effort yesterday. It didn’t make sense. Her feeling was that he would get cut from the team, he just didn’t think of the impact when he decided to drown himself in booze lastnight.
She hated relying on people. In her life, she’d never done herself any favors by putting her trust in anyone. Her father was to blame for that. When she was little she used to believe he could do anything, and that as long as he was there everything would be alright. She wouldn’t suffer or go through any form ofdisappointment.
She remembered the last time she saw him. Like Josh, he was drunk then, too. Always drunk and off-his-face wasted. At the time, they lived in a little house in West Atlanta and she remembered him having the worst argument ever with her mother. Her father took everything her mother earned. He spent it on booze and women. Her mother knew this but still gave willingly. That last day, with that terrible argument, he just walked out of the house with his bags. Amy ran after him. She was only eight years old at the time. She threw her arms around him, told him how much she loved him, and begged him to stay. But it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough and he just picked her off him like a bug and tossed her into the heap with the garbage. That was what she wastohim.
To this day she still remembered how she felt as she watched the back of his pickup truck drive away, never to return. Those feelings gave her a rude awakening and served as a reminder to never trustanyone.
It was just a shame that she had to be forced to place her trust in Josh. Someone as selfish and self-centered as him. Because of him her mothermightdie.
Panic rose in her throat at the thought and she could barely control the wheel as she entered the grounds of the studio. She could see Corey waiting for them, andZelda.
And another official-looking man. She parked near them and they all came overtoher.
“Hey, you okay?” Corey asked. At least he looked genuinely concerned. Zelda, on the other hand, took one look at Josh and her face darkenedwithrage.
She looked like howAmyfelt.
“Amy, this is Coach Simpson.” She took a deep breath as she looked at Josh, asleep in the car. Amy got out and walked around to the passenger side of the car to openthedoor.
“Has he been asleep the whole time?” Zeldaasked.
She looked up at her and nodded. She was too afraid to talk because she was so angry she couldspitfire.
“We’re on the air in twenty minutes,” Coach Simpson said. He, too, did not lookpleased.
Amy lowered to Josh and tried to shake him. She felt that maybe if she tried again she could wake him up, maybe the sound of her voice would annoy him enough to wake up and tell her off the way henormallydid.
“Josh, please wake up. Please,” she said close tohisear.
