Page 58 of Nailing Heat
“Well, it was a good thing you did. Now I can be free to bang whomever I want,” I tease him.
“Yeah, because that has worked out so well for you in the past.” I know he’s referring to Elise.
“That’s a low blow, even for you.”
“Sorry, just giving you shit,” he replies, and I can hear the sincerity in his tone. “Have you heard any more from her?”
“Nah, the conversation has been between lawyers. She called me though; no voicemail, no text message explaining the call. I think it was an accidental call,” I tell him.
“Probably better you didn’t reach back out to her. Wouldn’t have done either of you any good,” he reasons.
“No, it sure wouldn’t. And I promised her that I would only talk to her through the lawyers.”
“What else does she need? You gave her the brownstone; she got half of what you had and then some from what you said. And she kept the fucking dog. I swear she’s coping way better than you are.”
“Yeah, she probably is. But the whole thing was my fault, August. What was I supposed to do?” I ask.
“I guess,” he replies nonchalantly. “Have you heard from your mom and sisters lately?”
I shake my head but remember he can’t see me. “No, theyhave checked in to make sure I’m doing okay. But other than one-word answers, I don’t keep much of a conversation going,” I admit sheepishly. I was raised by a single mom, so treating my wife the way I had didn’t sit well with them. They know it and so do I. I acted like my father’s son.
Plus, I knew better.
“Well, you should. They love you and as close as all of you were, I’m sure they miss you. Even if you knew better.” He takes the last sentence right out of my mouth. That’s how well he knows me.
“Doesn’t change it,” I sigh into the phone.
“It sure doesn’t but you have to start somewhere. You can’t avoid them forever.”
“I know. You’re right and I will call them at some point. I have to get settled here and make sure that Amelia’s comfortable and all.” The words slip out, but I don’t exactly believe them.
“They love you, you know. Sure, they like Elise, but you are their family. The shame of the screw-up will fade,” he reminds me.
“Thanks, August. I appreciate it.”
“Glad I could be of service. Now go get some rest. You coming in tomorrow or do you want to stay with her? Because if you do, that’s okay,” he offers.
“Thanks, for that. I’ll play it by ear. I want to see how she’s comfortable first and then go from there.”
“Sounds good, man. Call if you need anything.”
“Will do, have a good night, man,” I say before hanging up.
After I hang up with August, I get ready for bed. But before I turn in for the night, I check in on Amelia. Thankfully, she’s passed out in her bed. Good, she needs her sleep. I head into my room to get some of my own.
Chapter Twenty-One
~AMELIA~
I’m lying on the sofa; it’s been twenty-four hours of emotional mayhem. Twenty-four hours of people constantly checking on me, and Dex serving me. He didn’t go into work today; he hung around the house. Cassie, Mac and Hendrix all came by to see me. They brought dinner, which was nice. They even brought dinner for Dex; he ate with us too, which I didn’t expect. I thought maybe he’d hide away, but he didn’t.
He sat beside me and made sure that I was comfortable and had everything I needed. Dex was also great at giving us space when we needed it. But now it’s late at night and I can’t sleep. The painkillers they have me on do help with sleeping so much that I felt like I slept all morning. Now I can’t sleep.
It’s late, after three o’clock in the morning. I was able to come out here quietly, I think. I may have banged into the wall once or twice while I was steadying myself, but I did my best not to wake him. Dex keeps saying that I need my rest, but I think he does too. He spends an awful lot of time taking care of me or hovering, making sure that I don’t need to get up or need anything from my room.
When the girls came over Mac showed me a link to thepictures of Dex carrying me off the field. One of the headlines called him my “white knight.” They all recognized him as the former “Patriots Trainer.” I’m not sure how he felt about that because I selfishly didn’t ask him. I’ve been too busy trying to figure out what this means for me and my future at the Blaze. August says that it’ll be fine, and I’ll have a job. But I worry about the implications for the team and how it will feel miss the playoffs.
I place my head back on my pillows that have been arranged by Dex on the couch for me. Looking up the at the ceiling, I can’t see anything without the light, but I don’t care. I can’t lie in my bed anymore and attempt to get some sleep. So, I came out here, hoping for some different perspective, or at least the TV. The remote in my room is farther away than I’d like it to be, and the one in the living room is placed right by the table that sits next to what is quickly becoming my spot on the couch.
