by Jeff Adams
I was out of my depth. Kyle trembled with so many emotions. He wouldn’t let me touch him though, keeping himself just out of reach. “You did the best you could, and you got someone to fill in for you. I couldn’t have asked for more given…”
“But you shouldn’t have had to. How many more times am I going to fail you because I’m in Phoenix?”
“Let’s go talk about this. I’m sure—”
He shook his head. “I’m gonna go. I need… You need to focus on your meetings for tomorrow and making sure your company is okay, and not how I’m doing. I’ll text you tomorrow.”
His flight out was at six. No way we’d get time together. Did I push him to stay with me tonight like we were going to, or let him go?
“No.” My voice cracked now. “Stay. Let’s—”
I couldn’t let this happen. Taking two quick steps forward, I pulled Kyle into me, and his shudders rocked me to my core.
“I’m sorry.” He said it over and over, softer each time.
“Let’s go home,” I said. I already had all I needed, so I didn’t need to leave Kyle for even a second. As we talked toward the ballroom entrance, I spotted his luggage against the wall. I kept Kyle’s hand in mine as we walked, and I grabbed his bag as we left.
We didn’t talk. I wanted to. There was a lot not being said, but I didn’t want to force it either since I’d never seen Kyle like this. Where had all of this come from? From the moment he got traded, I told him he didn’t have to do tonight because there was so much going on. Even when he’d asked Terry yesterday to be ready to fill in, he hadn’t expressed this level of upset.
He remained silent on the way to my place, though he let me hold his hand as much as I could while driving.
“Do you want some food or anything?” I asked once we were inside.
He shook his head. “Let’s just go to bed.”
Whatever he wanted. “Okay.”
We undressed and climbed into bed. This time, though, I wrapped my arm around him and pulled him tight. He took my hand in both of his and clutched it to his chest.
He didn’t talk, and I didn’t force it. Instead, I nuzzled the back of his head and occasionally kissed his neck. “It’s going to be fine.”
It wasn’t.
When the alarm went off, he wasn’t there.
On the desk in the living room was a note. I’m sorry was all it said.
Fuck.
Twenty-Nine
Kyle
“What the hell is wrong with you? You haven’t said anything to him since you left a note a week ago?” G asked, raising his voice.
I did to Austin exactly what he’d done to me—ghosted him when I shouldn’t have. “I don’t know what to do. The longer it goes, the worst it is, but I was terrible to him. At least he stopped texting a couple days ago.”
We sat across from each other at Denny’s. This was our hang out place since forever. Practice and Denny’s. Game and Denny’s. Sneaking out of the house once I could drive and Denny’s. We still did it after games anytime we could.
Tonight, G was in Phoenix and had the overnight here. We kind of stood out since we wore suits. A couple of people recognized him—that magazine fame—when we came in and had gotten his autograph.
Garrett shook his head. “I don’t even know what to say. You of all people aren’t someone who does this.”
I grunted.
“Is that the best you’ve got?”
“It’s all I’ve got. Mom, Bobby, and you—all have given variations of the same lecture. I’m not cut out to do this—at least not right now.”
“Bullshit.”
G got that right.
I didn’t know how to fix my colossal fuck up. It impacted everything.
I wanted to call. To apologize. To find out how he was doing and how the company was doing.
It impacted my game too, which is not what my new team deserved. My last two games sucked—riddled with errors. Luckily, I’d only cost us a single goal, but I hadn’t contributed any. If I’d been the coach, I’d have benched me. Of course it wouldn’t look good to bench the highly touted new arrival.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. It wasn’t anyone I knew, so I let it go.
“Next time I’m home, I’ll try to see him. At least end things better than we did. I owe him that. In two weeks, I’ve got a stretch of off days and I’ll be home, so we can talk face-to-face.”
“You can’t let this sit. It’s only going to make you crazy.”
The phone rang again. Who was calling so late? I pulled the phone and saw a Detroit number I didn’t recognize. G and I traded shrugs, and I swiped to answer.
“Hello?”
“Is this Kyle Pressgrove?”
“Yes. Who’s this, please?”
G shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head.
“This is Officer Morales with the Detroit Police Department. You’re in Greta Pressgrove’s phone as the emergency contact. She was in a car accident this evening and has been taken to Henry Ford Hospital.”
The world spun. I might as well have been slammed into the boards by a hulking defenseman.
I dropped the phone, and it skittered across the table, narrowly missing my plate of food.
“Kyle?” I couldn’t focus on G.
I fumbled for the phone but gripped it on my second try.
“How… Is she…”
“What is it?” G’s concern mixed with impatience pierced my focus, and I mouthed “Mom” in response.
“Paramedics on scene reported she was unconscious and had a broken arm. I don’t have more information, but I am en route to the hospital. Are you able to get there?”
“I…” I looked to G, my brain locked up.
G reached over and took the phone. “Hi. This is Garrett Howell. I’m a friend of Kyle’s. Who am I speaking to, please?”
My mind flashed back to when the call had come about Dad. We’d been home from school about a half hour and…
“He’s in Phoenix, so it’ll take some time to get him there.” He listened more but kept his eyes trained on me. “Can he use the number you called from to reach you?”
I was hours away from her. Bobby was even farther because he and Seb had gone to Vancouver for a working vacation. The Arsenal were out of town too.
“One of us will be in touch with his travel plans. Please let us know if you get more information in the meantime.” Another pause. “Thank you, Officer Morales.”
Uncontrollable shakes racked me.
Mom had to be okay.
“I gotta call Bobby and let him know.”
G nodded as he passed the phone back. As I reached, he grabbed my hand as he put the phone in it. Grasping me tight with both of his hands, he held my gaze with a look of determination that helped pull me back.
“She will be okay.” He said it with such conviction I couldn’t imagine the universe going against him. “Call Bobby and I’ll get us paid up. Then we’ll figure out how to get you home.”
Bobby’s phone went to voicemail, which wasn’t a surprise given the time. I hated leaving this news in a message, but I couldn’t risk that he’d try to call me back while I was on a plane. I got in touch with Quinn, who worked in the team’s front office. They said they’d make the right notifications in the morning and to let them know if there was anything they or anyone on the team could do.
My mind raced, sorting out options on what to do. There were direct flights to Detroit. But even if there was still one this late, it would take almost four hours. Mom needed someone there when she woke up.
“Could you see what my flight options are?” I asked as we got in the car.
“On it.”
Who could I call in Detroit that I was close enough to who could check on her? The options were limited with the team on the road. I didn’t have contact information in my phone for any of her friends. As I drove, determined to not speed too much, I returned over and over to the one person who seemed like the best and worst o
ption. I keyed the phone button on the steering wheel and spoke. “Call Austin.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw G’s surprise. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. Austin had no reason to pick up. As his phone rang on the car’s speakers, G looked up from his screen.
“The last flights out are boarding right now. After midnight, there’s nothing. The first direct is at six. Probably your best choice since connections would just add time.”
Fuck. I wasn’t surprised, but still, that was hours away. Maybe I could get a charter. How did I even do that? The team used one sometimes. Maybe Quinn could help? I’d pay whatever.
“You’ve reached Austin Murray. I can’t take your call right now. Please…”
He always answered the phone… Unless he blocked or ignored me… Or actually ignores his phone sometimes now.
I hit another button so I could speak a text message. “It’s an emergency. Please call if you’re in Detroit.” I clicked again and told the car to send it to Austin.
“Do you think he will?” G asked
I wished I felt more confident. “Knowing that it’s an emergency should—”
The phone ring filled the car as the center screen lit up with his name. I punched the accept button.
“Austin, thank God.”
“Kyle, what’s wrong?” He sounded sleepy, concerned but thankfully not angry.
“It’s my mom.” My voice broke.
G rested his hand on my thigh, a comforting touch.
“Tell me.”
I laid out the situation. “Can you… I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t ask this, but could you go to the hospital and be there if she wakes up or anything? She at least knows you. I’m not sure I can get there until almost noon tomorrow.”
I heard rustling like he was moving the sheets. I pictured him in his boxers, hair tussled. He’d be moving in his determined, I’ve got something to do mode. “Of course. I’ll go to the hospital and be there for her. I can also get you a flight tonight. It might take an hour to sort out but—”
“Really? That’d be amazing. I’ll pay whatever.”
“Let’s just get you here first.”
I released my death grip on the steering wheel. With so many things to worry about, at least getting home sooner than later would happen. G offered a small smile and nodded.
“Thank you. I’m on my way to my place to pack a bag.”
“Did you get to go out with Garrett?”
Did he watch the game or just keep up with the schedule? “Yeah. We were grabbing a bite when DPD called.”
“I’m glad you weren’t alone when that call came in.”
The call was headed into awkward territory. Did he miss me like I missed him?
Luckily, I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building, so we wouldn’t have to drag this out. “I just parked. Let me go get packed so I’m ready to go when you have the details.”
“Sounds good. I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Austin. I appreciate this more than you know.”
He softly said, “Greta’s important. You need to get here for her. I’m glad I can help.”
He disconnected, and I turned off the car. G opened his door, but I didn’t move.
“Okay?” he asked.
“No. Did you hear how he sounded? He didn’t care this would keep him up for hours. He had something to take care of and he did it.”
“He had something to take care of for you.” G looked at me. The concern bouncing through his eyes didn’t help the conflict raging inside me. “I don’t know Austin that well, but I don’t think he’d have moved like that for just anyone. And you knew you could call him. Maybe you two can talk while you’re home.”
He stared at me to the point it got uncomfortable.
“Maybe.” I finally got out and headed inside. “One thing at a time.”
Thirty
Austin
Four hours after we spoke, I still couldn’t believe Kyle had called. I’d almost drifted off when the phone rang, and I’d fumbled to grab it off the nightstand. When I saw the missed call had come from Kyle, I’d figured he’d butt dialed. Then the text arrived, and of course I called.
Not a day went by without me almost calling. I didn’t know what to say to him though. If it’d been anger at me, I could’ve apologized, but how did I fix it when he beat himself up over a perceived problem.
The possibility of saying the wrong thing was too high.
So I did nothing.
I kept my focus on AMDD. Since the innovation summit, Tamara, me, and the staff continued the task of damage control from the Atlas problem. The FBI traced the breach back to a group in China, along with over one hundred similar hacks that had happened in the same week. While a new advisory was issued to help companies prevent future intrusions, Atlas wasn’t satisfied. We expected a suit from them any day now.
Tamara and I had a board meeting on our calendars for this morning. We’d spoken to them every day to provide updates and discuss plans. They weren’t usually this hands-on, but between the financial forecast that already troubled them and the hack, they had a vested interest in getting details. Frankly, a vote of no confidence against me wouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
As I sat in the intensive care waiting room—I’d been directed here from the emergency room—in case there were any updates, I reviewed what I’d prepared for the meeting.
“Mr. Murray?”
I looked up at the nurse in the doorway. “Yes?”
She came over and took a seat next to me. “Good morning. I’m Linda Montgomery, the charge nurse here. I have an update for you. Mrs. Pressgrove is stable. We performed emergency surgery for some internal bleeding in her abdomen and that was successful. Her broken arm has also been set. The MRI showed no other concerns. As soon as she’s released from surgical recovery, she’ll be sent down here. We’ve got a room ready for her.”
“Thank you. I’ll let her son know. He should be here within the next hour or so.”
“Good. Glad he was able to get here so quickly, especially since he played last night.”
I found it comforting that at least one of the nurses taking care of Greta knew who her son was. Logically, it didn’t matter, but it still seemed good.
“Luckily, we got it worked out.” I smiled.
She nodded and stood. “I’ll let you know once she’s settled here.”
“Thanks again. I’ll be here if anything comes up.”
She left the room after a quick smile at me. I texted the update to Kyle.
Surgery. Jesus. Okay. Stable is good though, right?
I typed back immediately. I didn’t want him worrying over a delayed response. Stable is very good. The nurse was very confident sounding when she brought the info.
The three dots appeared so quickly I thought he must’ve started typing before he finished reading.
I was just told we’ll be on the ground in less than thirty minutes. Hopefully I can be there by the time she wakes up.
I smiled at the thought. She’ll like that. I’ll double check with the car service that they’re monitoring the flight and know your arrival status. I want to make sure they get you here as fast as possible.
His next message took a minute. He typed, stopped, typed some more, and repeated that cycle a few times.
The wait flared the butterflies in my chest.
I stopped looking until it vibrated.
Thank you for all of this. You made this much easier even though you didn’t have to. I’ll let you know when I get in the car.
I didn’t need to think about my response. You’re welcome. See you soon.
Not even dots this time.
I’d hoped—selfishly—that he would have said something about looking forward to seeing me. Why would I think that? He was here to see his mom, the family that means so much to him. When we talked last night, I’d heard the hesitation through the fear in his voice. He hadn’t wanted to talk to me,
but he’d reached out anyway.
The back and forth of could we, should we had to end.
He’d reached out to a friend. With Detroit on the road, of course I’d be someone he’d call. Plus I liked Greta, so that made it all the easier.
I reasoned myself around and around. It didn’t help.
Kyle and I were done.
I knew it when he left that note.
I’d become more sure of it when neither of us even said “hello,” like he’d done when I’d ghosted him. I should’ve taken the chance…
I sighed and rubbed at my tired eyes.
Maybe we’d salvage a friendship, though it’d be difficult because I knew how good it felt to love him. The warmth in my chest. The goose bumps at the slightest touch. The desire to be near him.
Just the thought quickened my pulse. He’d be standing in front of me in less than an hour.
I already wanted to wrap him in my arms and comfort him.
Selfishly, that same hug would give me some of his energy, which always managed to calm me. It’d be ideal to soak up some of that before the board meeting.
“Mr. Murray?” Nurse Montgomery startled me. I’d zoned out more than I thought I had.
“Yes? Is everything okay?”
“Yes. We’ve got Mrs. Pressgrove settled. She’s resting, vital signs are good, and she’s been awake a few times, and they removed the ventilator before they brought her down. You can come back and see her if you’d like.”
Wow. Time flew. I looked at my watch—sure enough it’d been nearly thirty minutes since I’d talked to her.
Should I do that? She barely knew me. On the other hand, it might help her to know that someone was here.
“Sure. Then I can give a first-hand report back.”
“Follow me.”
I closed my laptop and left it and my backpack behind. I doubted the few people here were going to take my things from a waiting room. I did pick up my phone just in case Kyle reached out.
Going through the double doors that Nurse Montgomery had to swipe to open, it hit me that I’d not spent time in hospitals. I’d never had to be in one, and so far, my parents had lived healthy lives too. The beeps from so many machines from the individual patient bays were disconcerting. On the other hand, I took comfort from the central area where the nurses worked so they could see all the patients and also see if anyone was at the front needing assistance. My designer brain couldn’t help but be impressed at how much thought went into the function.
