“He is.” I shout as I go past him to the elevator. The ride up feels eternal. My reflection in the mirrored walls shows someone I barely recognize. Hair still damp from the shower, face pale, eyes wide with fear.
The elevator doors open and I run down the hallway, pounding on his apartment door.
“Liam, open up!” I don’t know if he’s home or in a hospital but the doorman implied that he was home.
The door swings open and it's not Liam. It's Jake, looking surprised to see me. We’ve met once, thank God. I would hate to start introducing myself.
“Avery—”
“Is he okay?” The words come out in a rush. “The news said he was hospitalized.”
13
Avery
“He's fine,” Jake says quickly, stepping aside. “Just some bruises. Come in.”
I push past him into the apartment, and there's Liam, lying on the couch like nothing happened. Like my entire world didn't just tilt on its axis. He's got a cut on his forehead, butterfly bandages holding it closed.
But he's alive. He's here. He's okay.
Relief surges through me.
“Hey,” he says, looking surprised to see me.
There's another man standing near the window, tall and imposing with steel-blue eyes that assess me. Cole Maddox. The Renegades captain.
“You haven't met Cole, have you?” Liam says. “Cole, this is Avery. My publicist.” Cole nods. “Avery, Cole Maddox. Our fearless captain. Also known as Robot, because according to him, having discipline and focus makes you less human.”
Jake snorts.
I barely register the exchange. All I can see is the butterfly bandage on Liam's forehead, the way he's holding himself stiffly,and the slight swelling on his left cheekbone. “You scared me,” I say in a shaky voice.
Liam’s expression grows serious as he trains those dark eyes on me. “Yeah?”
“Jake,” Cole says quietly. “Let's give them some privacy.”
“Good call, Cap.” Jake grabs his jacket. “We'll check on you tomorrow before the game.”
I turn to Jake. “Can he play tomorrow?”
“Yeah, team doctor cleared him,” Cole says. “It’s just minor injuries.”
Then they're gone, the door clicking shut behind them, and I'm alone with Liam. I sink onto the edge of the couch beside him, my hands hovering over his face, not quite touching. “You scared the hell out of me. You weren’t answering the phone.”
“Sorry.” He doesn't sound sorry.
“What happened?”
“Some guy ran a red light. He T-boned me on the driver's side.” He says it so casually, like he's describing a minor inconvenience. “Airbags deployed, car's totaled, but I'm fine.”
My hands are still shaking. I reach up and gently touch the bandage on his forehead, then trace down to his cheekbone. “You have a cut. And bruising.”
“Avery.” His hand comes up to catch mine, holding it against his face. “I'm okay. Really.”
“What were you thinking?” The fear is morphing into anger now. “Buying that car? Hours after we talked about your image, about being responsible.”
“I know.”
