Page 147 of Forever Offsides

“I like him. I’m mad you didn’t tell me. But if you love him, I’m good.”

I smile at that.

“Thank you.” I hear my father and Mason return. Some ice chips are placed by my mouth with a spoon, and I gratefully open and take them on my tongue to suck on. “Are you going to fire him, Dad?”

“Quinn, we can talk about it later. You can’t even keep your eyes open, and you need rest.”

“We both knew it was wrong and didn’t want to hurt anyone or compromise the team or your season. Rhett really struggled. I did too, given everything, but it was harder for him.”

“But you love him.” That’s Mason, and it’s not a question.

“I do,” I tell him. “I wasn’t expecting him, but it’s real.”

“You hid it from us.”

“I’m sorry,” I say to my dad, my voice heavy with exhaustion. “Not worth fucking up lives if it’s not worth it. I tried to hold myself back. I really did. And we wanted to be sure. I wanted to be sure. In case you didn’t know this, I’ve been burned before. But he is.”

Knock, knock. “Sorry to interrupt,” my nurse says. “I’m here with your Zofran, hon.”

“Thank you,” I manage.

“All right. Everyone out,” my mom declares. “She needs to rest.”

“I’m staying,” Crew tells her. “I won’t bother her, but I’m not leaving her either.”

“You really shouldn’t be in her bed,” the nurse admonishes. “This is the ICU.”

“I shared a womb with her,” Crew tells her in a tone that’s not to be argued with. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I smile. At least I think I do. “Umbilical cords unite.”

“For life,” he replies and kisses my temple.

“Love you all. And don’t be too rough with Rhett.”

46

RHETT

The ICU waiting room might be more depressing than the patient room I’ve been camping out in all day. Or maybe it’s my thoughts making it that way. I brewed myself a cup of coffee, but I haven’t managed a sip. Quinn is awake. She’s doing well all things considered. She has a long road ahead of her, but she’s going to be okay.

Then there’s Russel.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been angrier with another human in my life.

I have no idea how he’s gotten so far off-track. Why he never came to me when he knew he was getting himself in trouble and had a problem. Or was his arrogance and ego just so enormous that he felt himself untouchable? He was using Quinn. He used me. I don’t want to say I’m done with him because I don’t know how a parent could ever be done with their child, but I have no desire to reach out and save him either.

I set the coffee down on the side table and lower my elbows to my knees and drop my head into my hands, only to have my hands slap against my thighs when a noise quirks my head up.

Asher and Mason enter, look around, and when they see it’s only me in here, they sit down, Mason beside me and Asher across from us.

“I need to ask you some questions,” Asher starts, and I nod and sit up straighter.

“Did I hear correctly that Russel has been betting on games?”

“Yes. I don’t know if he still is or if it stopped before he came here.” I push up the bridge of my glasses and lean back in my seat with a heavy, exhausted breath. “He walked in and found me kissing Quinn. I was going to get her ice chips and leave, but he saw us. He lost it. It wasn’t even that he was upset with me necessarily, though he was that to a certain extent. He was terrified that his image would falter again without Quinn boosting it, and he’d lose endorsement deals that were going to help him pay off, well, I guess, a bookie whom he owes money to. He told me his debts got to be too high, so he borrowed money, thinking he'd recoup funds from either deals or better, but that hasn’t happened.”

“You didn’t know about this?”