“I’ll be fine. Promise.” Baker does his best to comfort me, but by his appearance, he most definitely doesn’t look like he’s going to be fine.
Still, I’ve come to learn Baker is a very stubborn man, and as long as his condition doesn’t worsen, I’ll stop pushing him to get checked out. From past experience living with my father during his fighting career, I know nothing can be done for cracked ribs anyway.
After taking four ibuprofens, Baker sleeps in the passenger seat nearly the entire ride as Milo drives us home in the Mustang. It’s the middle of the night when we finally make it back to the apartment, but oddly enough, Milo has a female waiting in a white Audi parked next to my building.
He gives her a wave and then flips the drivers seat up so I can climb out of the back. I head around the passenger seat and open the door to wake Baker. “We’re home.”
Milo helps me peel Baker out of the low-riding sports car and then has Baker throw an arm over his shoulders so he can walk Baker to my front door. “You’re pretty fucked up, man. Maybe you should—”
“For the last fucking time, no. No doctors,” Baker growls as we help him inside and then help him to bed.
He all but collapses onto the mattress and then winces in pain.
Milo stares at me as he worries his bottom lips between his teeth. “I can stay if you need me to?”
I wave him off. “No. It’s okay. I’ve got this. Don’t keep your date waiting.”
Milo chuckles. “Booty calls are not dates, Sky.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Ew. I didn’t need to know what the two of you are planning to do.”
His smile widens as he laughs harder. “Okay. Call me if you need me.”
“Will do.”
Once Milo leaves, I turn my attention back to Baker, whose face is battered and bruised, while his left eye is nearly swelled shut. Ice and acetaminophen—that’s what he needs.
I rush to the kitchen to look for things that will ease Baker’s pain.
After tending to his injuries the best I can, I crawl into bed next to him, taking care not to touch him. I roll over to face him, and it’s not long before my eyes grow heavy.
It feels like I’ve just fallen asleep when I’m awoken to the sound of Baker violently vomiting into the trashcan beside our bed.
32
SKY
“Oh, my God. Baker, please let me drive you to the hospital,” I beg him after witnessing him dry-heaving for the past thirty minutes nearly nonstop.
“No,” he moans before throwing up again.
“This is your life. Screw the money.” Even I can hear the panic in my voice. Something is majorly wrong.
He shakes his head, still refusing any medical help he may need.
I understand he’s worried about our finances, but I’m not. All I care about is making sure he’s all right.
I pace back and forth in the bedroom and then decide I’m going to call and ask someone for help even though Baker won’t like it.
I head into the living room with my cell in hand, needing to make a call for some guidance on what to do for him.
I dial Luke’s number, and he answers, his voice groggy like I’ve woken him up. “Sky? You okay?”
“Luke, I need your help. It’s Baker—”
“Is he okay?” His voice is clear and concerned.
“I don’t think so. He had a match last night, and he’s hurt pretty bad, but he refuses to go to the hospital. He’s worried about the cost and saving money so we can afford to live together. I can’t convince him to go.”
Luke sighs into the phone. “Stubborn asshole. He’s still covered under our father’s insurance plan. Let me give you the policy information, and then I want you to call a squad to come get him. Don’t give him any more choices.”
I grab a piece of paper and pen from the counter and write everything Luke gives me. “Thank you for this.”
“Of course. Sky…” There’s a pause. “Baker is stubborn, and I know Dad will help the two of you financially. All you have to do is let him know what you need. Since Baker won’t ask, what if I take you to meet our father and you explain what the two of you need? Plus, Dad will make sure anything the insurance doesn’t cover gets paid, then Baker won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
I’m hesitant, but when I glance back at the bedroom door and images of how bad of shape Baker’s in, desperation fills me. He won’t like me talking to his father, but I feel like after everything he’s taken from Baker, he owes him this much. I don’t want Baker fighting anymore—not if this is the possible outcome of every fight. It isn’t worth it.
“Okay. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
After we disconnect, I call 911 and ask for a squad to be sent to our apartment right away.
After Baker is tested for several things in the emergency room, the doctor over his case decides he needs to be kept for at least 24 hours for observation. Baker doesn’t argue because they have him on medication for pain through his IV, so he spends most of the time I’ve sat with him today sleeping.
At four o’clock, I get a text from Luke, asking me to meet him and his father for dinner at five at a restaurant not far from here. My eyes flick from my phone to a peacefully sleeping Baker, and I know I’ll be back before he even realizes I’m gone.
I text Luke back and let him know I’ll be there. I push myself up from the chair, then walk over and kiss Baker on the forehead before slipping out of the room. I make a quick stop at the nurses' station and ask them to let Baker know I went to get something to eat if he wakes up and asks for me. Then I make my way to the parking garage to meet with a man Baker despises.
When I pull into the parking lot in Baker’s Mustang, Luke immediately spots me as he’s waiting in his truck. I park next to him, and he opens my door for me.
“How’s he doing?” Luke asks, wearing an anxious expression. “I thought about stopping in to check on him but thought he may get pissed if I show up uninvited.”
“He’s resting comfortably now. The hospital has been running a bunch of tests, making sure nothing is going on inside him before they’ll release him.”
“Jesus,” Luke mutters and rubs the back of his neck. “I’m glad you forced him to go get checked out. Knowing Baker’s stubborn ass, he wouldn’t have gone and lain around and suffered. He did the same thing when he got hurt from time to time playing football. Only Mom was there, and she forced him to go get things checked out if something wasn’t right. She was the only person he wouldn’t fight when it came to that sort of thing.” He pauses for a moment, a sad smile touching his lips. “I’m glad he has you in his corner now, watching out for him. He needs someone like you in his life.”
“Luke…” I trail off, not knowing exactly what to say, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Thank you.”
His brow knits in confusion. “For what?”
“For being so understanding about Baker and me,” I confirm.
He shrugs. “It’s hard to come between two people who obviously love one another. I’m truly happy for you.”
I want to hug him but stop myself. Considering how fresh our past is, I feel it’s too soon for something like that.
Luke stuffs his hands into the front pockets of his dark-washed jeans. “Ready to head in? Dad’s already got us a table.”
I swallow and then nod stiffly. “Let’s do this.”
My pulse bounds inside my veins as we head inside the restaurant, unsure of what to expect when I come face-to-face with a man I have painted as a monster in my head. I continue to follow Luke, and once we round the corner, I spot an older man with dark hair and gray eyes like Luke, and it’s evident this is Morris Finnegan.
Morris stands, and even for an older guy, he’s still in great shape, telling me his good genetics were passed down to both of his sons. A small smile plays along his lips, and it highlights a few slight wrinkles around his eyes.
He extends a hand to
me. “Sky?”
I shake his hand firmly and confirm who I am. “Yes. Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
My brain stumbles across the last statement, and the feeling I have inside me right now is far from feeling nice. It feels a bit wrong to be here with him, considering how much Baker hates him right now, but I’m desperate to get Baker some help, and going to my father isn’t exactly an option right now.
“Please, have a seat.” He gestures toward the empty chair.
Before there’s time to say anything else, the waitress comes over and takes our drink order. When she leaves, we all sit in silence for a few minutes, revealing none of us are comfortable in this situation.
Finally, Morris breaks the silence. “Tell me how Baker’s doing? Luke here filled me in a bit, but I’ve been beside myself worrying about him since I got the news he’s hurt.”
“The doctors haven’t given any results yet because they’re still running tests. For now, I think their main goal was to get him comfortable. He was in a lot of pain when he first arrived in the ER,” I repeat to him the facts.
“Luke says they’re keeping him for observation?”
“Yes,” I say, wanting to reveal as little about Baker’s business as possible. He’s already going to mad enough at me for this. I want to at least give him some privacy.
Morris adjusts in the chair, and I take a moment to study him. He looks a lot different from the pictures I saw of him on the internet. He appears to have aged several years, and there’s an unmistakable air of tiredness about him. He’s nothing like the monster I pictured him to be. There’s almost a permanent frown etched into his face.
Morris mindlessly toys with the napkin in front of him. “This has all been very difficult for me. Baker has cut off all communication with me over the past year, so he refuses to allow me to help him in any way. He’s upset with me, and I don’t blame him. If I were him, I would hate me too, but it doesn’t change how I feel about him. He’s my son, and I love him. It’s hard for me to hear he’s struggling when I can easily help him. I don’t want to put you in the middle of this, but I don’t know how else to go about helping him when he won’t allow me to do so directly.”
He pulls a folded up check from his wallet and then slides it across the table to me.
I glance over at Luke, who gives me a reassuring nod before I turn my attention back to Morris. My fingers work to unfold the check, and my eyes bug out of my head. “I don’t understand. Why would you make this out to me?”
Morris’s lips pull into a tight line. “Because I know Baker will not take it. Milo spilled the beans to Luke about who your father is, so I figured it’s believable if Baker thinks your dad put money into your bank account and you’re simply loaning him money.”
Damn that blabbermouth Milo. The entire campus will know my father is Phenomenal X soon.
“There’s no way I can accept a fifty thousand dollar check from you. That’s too much.”
“It’s not if the two of you want to live comfortably for the rest of the year. Baker doesn’t know it, but the loan he believes he got from the financial aid office to cover his tuition this year has already been paid off. I’m going to help him in every way I can. I don’t want to see him fighting for money. His brain is too precious, and I don’t want to see it go to waste when I know he’s destined for big things once he earns his degree.” He takes a deep breath. “All I’m asking you to do is help me save my son from self-destructing.”
I stare down at the check and replay the words Morris just said to me over and over in my brain. I also recall the conversations Luke and I had about Baker and their dad. It does seem like he’s sorry about everything that happened, which still doesn’t make it right, but it humanizes the man in my perspective. He truly wants to help Baker and doesn’t want to see him fight anymore. To be honest, I don’t want to ever see him beat to shreds again, so I don’t want him to fight anymore either. This money can stop Baker’s obsession with making enough for us to live on without him agreeing to more reckless fights.
I take a deep breath and figure this is one case when it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. “I’ll do it.”
Morris smiles, and tears cause his eyes to glisten. “Oh, thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”
My heart swells, and it feels like I’m doing a good thing. I hope Baker sees things this way.
Two days is how long they kept Baker at the university hospital, and after all the tests were run, it was determined he had a severe concussion and two broken ribs, but no internal bleeding. Baker was pissed at first, but he forgave me after he figured out I called the squad because I was worried about his well-being.
I bring the Mustang around to the patient pick-up area, and the nurse wheels Baker out in a wheelchair. While his face is still bruised, the swelling around his eye has gone down significantly, and he’s looking more like himself. I hop out and open the passenger door.
“Seriously, I could’ve walked down,” he complains to the nurse.
She shrugs. “It’s my job to bring you out when you’re discharged. I’m happy to help.”
He pushes himself out of the chair, and I try to help him, but he shakes his head. “I’m okay. I can do it.”
As he sits in the car, the nurse tells him. “No more fighting. Next time, you might not be so lucky.”
She doesn’t know how much I agree with her on that statement—enough to risk him being mad at me for accepting help from his father for the bill.
Baker shrugs and tells the nurse, “It pays me well.”
She lifts one perfectly manicured eyebrow. “What’s that matter if you die trying to get it? You need to find a new profession and make money like a normal person.”
He chuckles and then immediately grabs at his broken ribs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I shut the door and then make my way over to the driver’s side and get in.
Once we’re on the road, Baker says, “The bill for that stay will be a killer. How much do you think it’s going to cost me?”
My knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. “Well…actually, while you were out of it, I called my dad and explained to him what happened, and he wanted to help. He put some money in my account to take care of the hospital bill and our rent and stuff for a while.”
It’s the first lie I’ve ever told him, and it doesn’t feel so great, but I know it’s for his own good.
Baker’s eyebrows lift. “Really? Wow…That shocks me after everything he said to you at the apartment and how he cut you off for being with me. Guess it took someone beating the shit out of me to get him to come around and approve of us being together.”
I chew the inside of my lower lip. “Yeah. It’s crazy. He did a complete one-eighty after I explained everything to him.”
“Once I’m feeling up to it, I’d like to call and thank him for his help.”
“Oh…I don’t think you need to do that.” I do my best to downplay it. “I already thanked him for the both of us.”
Baker turns his head to stare at me. “It’s a guy thing. I’d like to tell him myself.”
“Okay…well, after you’re all better.” And maybe once you’re out of school.
It’s going to be difficult to refuse his request to contact my father forever, so I’m going to have to come up with a plan to deter him as long as I can.
33
Sky
It’s been two weeks since the fight with Titus, and Baker is on the mend. Every time the topic of the money comes up, my muscles tense. To my delighted surprise, since Baker knows I can afford the apartment and his medical bill was paid in full, he hasn’t been gung-ho to take on a bunch of fights for money.
“What do you feel like doing tonight?” Baker asks.
I glance up at him from my textbook and tap my pencil to my lips as I think. “Movie and pizza?”
He grins from across the table, and I notice most of the bruises are gone from his face. “Netflix a
nd chill night? Does this mean I’m getting lucky tonight?”
“Again?” I shake my head, and my mind drifts back to this morning when I finally gave in and had sex with him, riding him to make sure he did as little work as possible since his ribs are still healing. “You’re insatiable.”
A devilish grin fills his face. “Have you seen you? You’re beautiful. I’m surprised I can function doing anything else. You fill every thought in my brain.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I know I’m wearing a fierce blush. “Baker…”
He raises his hands in surrender. “I’m only speaking my truth. You’ve got me one-hundred-percent wrapped around your little finger, and I’ll do anything I can to get myself inside that body of yours.”
I giggle. “Well, how can I deny sex when you use such flattery?”
“Now we’re talking.” Baker shuts his book. “How about we chill before we Netflix?”
He waggles his eyebrows, and I laugh. “Hold your horses, cowboy. Let me finish studying first.”
“Fine.” He sighs and then gets up and presses his lips to mine. “Meet me in the bedroom after I shower?”
I smile. “I’ll be the naked girl waiting on the bed for you.”
He stares at me with hooded eyes before he scoops me up from the chair. “Your studying and my shower will have to wait.”
The rhythmic sound of Baker’s heart beating soothes me as I lay my head on his chest. After two rounds with Baker, I’m completely spent. My stomach growls, reminding me I still need to put in a pizza order so we can actually do the Netflix and food part of our evening.
The tip of my index finger draws lazy circles around each one of his well defined abdominal muscles. “What toppings do you want on your pizza?”
“Surprise me.” He tips my chin up and places a soft kiss on my lips. “I’m going to go grab a shower while you order the pizza and pick a movie.”
I lift one eyebrow as he pushes himself out of our bed. “Any movie I want?”
Rebellious and Reckless: College Sports Romance Stand-Alone (Campus Hotshots Book 1): Campus Hotshots Page 20
