Page 25 of My Brother's Enemy
“Yeah,” I breathed. A weight that I hadn’t known was on my shoulders lifted. “I’m coming.”
“Hurry,” she rasped, and before I could tease her, she ended the call.
I felt dazed. This was huge. And yet I couldn’t move. I didn’t know how long I’d been standing there, but I was still looking down at my phone when I heard a side door open.
I lifted my head. Rain was just coming off the ice, and she looked wrecked—maybe worse than me, except under her sweat and messed hair, there was a glow to her, a spark in her eyes I’d never seen before.
For some reason, before she could say anything, I blurted out, “Zoey’s awake.”
Her eyes went wide. “She’s—that’s great!” She closed the door and traipsed over on her skates. “That happened today?”
“Come with me.” I said the words before I knew I was going to say them.
We both froze, but I meant it. I wanted her there, and…I couldn’t bring myself to take it back.
“What?” she asked.
“Come with me,” I said again. I didn’t know how to explain it or what to say about why it suddenly felt so right to have her with me, so I said nothing. I waited and watched her.
Uncertainty appeared before it slid away to reveal something else. Warmth? Longing? Then fear. She swallowed, edging back a step.
She was going to say no, so I took a step toward her and repeated my request, softening. “Come with me.”
Her gaze held mine, and whatever she saw there closed her mouth. “O-okay.”
Relief washed over me. “Do you need to shower? I mean, don’t on account of me, but if you want to… Do you need clothes? I keep some extra on hand.”
“I…” She looked down at herself, flushing. Her hands splayed over her thighs and she laughed a little. “Yeah. Maybe. I usually keep a bag in my car, but…” She shivered. Her forehead wrinkled, determined now. “Give me a little time. Or my hotel isn’t far?—”
“You’re still at a hotel?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’m not moving here. I’m just here for the job.”
“Yeah, but won’t that be the entire season? You could do a nine-month lease somewhere. Your job is to help us get to the playoffs, right? That’ll take the whole season.”
“Well, yeah, but I mean, it’s fine. I think the team has some deal with the hotel.” She looked away, pondering something. “Uh, if you tell me what hospital, I can meet you there.”
I shook my head. “I’ll give you a ride to your hotel. I can wait in the lobby while you change, shower. Whatever you need. I’d—I’d rather…” I didn’t know what to say now because the truth was, I wanted to be in her presence. I didn’t want to go to the hospital by myself.
I’d never had this feeling, this desire to be around another human being except with Skylar.
I was a mess. That’s the only thing that made sense.
The trade. My niece’s overdose. The coma. Her waking up. I was just wrecked. But whatever was going to help me right now, I was going with it.
“I’ll give you a ride there and back. It’s no problem. We have time.”
“Okay then. Let me grab my bag.” She gave me a small grin, smoothing her hands over thighs again before disappearing down the hallway.
What the hell am I doing?
18
RAIN
What am I doing?
None of this made any sense. Tyler Griffin was downstairs in the lobby waiting for me.
