Page 83 of Scoring Zone
The lawsuit is weighing on him. If it would help, I’d pay it so he wouldn’t have to worry, but neither he nor his lawyer will agree to it. It’s eating him alive.
Gray’s in survival mode, and I’m not with him. The insane thought he might be hurt rears up and takes over my mind.
My head swims, and it’s hard to breathe. There’s a knock at my door along with the low voices of my friends. But I’m paralyzed and can’t even call out to them. My survival instinct kicks in, and I drag myself to the door.
Suddenly, I’m surrounded by people. Benz and King guide me back to the bed. Benz’s fingers dig into my jaw, and I’m staring at King’s concerned aqua eyes.
“Breathe with us. There is plenty of oxygen in the room. Inhale.” Everyone in the room takes an audible breath in. “Hold, one, two, three, four, five, and exhale.” It sounds like a bunch of balloons losing their air. “You’re doing good. Let’s do it again.” King leads me through the exercise five more times, as if it’s a team participation activity.
“There’s our captain.” Benz flops next to me when my breathing becomes normal.
“You’re always here for us, and now it’s our turn,” King says.
“We brought dinner.” Lucky holds several bags in the air. “Nothing fancy, just subs.” He and Drake pass them out.
I didn’t think I could eat, but my stomach insists. “Thank you,” I say lamely.
“Ve are here for you,” Liska announces as if it’s a decree of law.
My phone rings with Gray’s song, and I lunge for it. “Hey. How are you? Everything okay? Where were you?” I ask without taking a breath.
My teammates, my friends, pack up their subs and quietly leave my room before I can protest.
“Yeah. Sorry to worry you. I took a long shower after watching the game.” His voice is small, and I want to protect him from the world. “Are you okay?” His question heavily implies I’m not okay.
“Had a bad night for sure,” I admit. “I’ll bounce back,” I say with false cheer.
“Tinny,” he whispers. “I need honesty, not a press answer.”
The silence stretches between us as long as the miles.
“Can’t wait to be home. It’s hard when you’re not here. I’m worried about you.” That’s as honest as I’m willing to be. It won’t do either of us any good to replay my panic attack.
“I miss you too. Don’t let my situation hurt your game.” He moves and there’s a creaking sound from the couch.
“Get in bed, and I’m video calling you so we can fall asleep together. Plug your phone in so it doesn’t die.” I intend to watch him sleep and hear him breathe until morning.
His warm brown eyes hold so much uncertainty I wish I could crawl through the phone. We prop our phones up so it’s like looking at each other from the next pillow.
“Hi, Sunshine.” I focus on his face and block out all the negativity.
“Tinny,” he murmurs, and sweeps his hair back. I like it spilling all over his face as if he were here and I could touch him.
“I’m coming home to you,” I say, and a smile brightens his face. I exhale and give him a rundown of the locker room antics to entertain him.
My eyes get heavy, but so do his. I talk so much that he falls asleep first. His lashes rest on his cheeks, and he’s so peaceful. I’m determined to give him that while he’s awake.
I barrel through the apartment door, yelling for Gray. He stands from the couch, and even with the dark circles under his eyes and matted hair, he is so beautiful. Dropping my bag, I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck, inhaling his warm sweetness.
“I stink. Thought you’d be another hour.” He sags into me.
“Skipped the crap and came straight to you.” I’m usually the last one to leave, making sure everyone has their miscellaneous belongings and answering questions. Today, I bolted.
He palms the back of my head with a shaky hand. “We should talk.”
We should, but first I’m reminding him of why we’re so good together. “After a shower.” I lead him to our bathroom. It’s no longer mine; it’s ours. Everything is ours.
“Sorry the place is a mess,” he mumbles as I start the shower.
