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“I still think this is a bad idea,” I mutter as I follow.
“It’ll be okay.”
He cracks open the door and looks out, making sure the coast is clear before he turns back to me and gives me a signal to follow after him.
My heart is beating a mile a minute as I go after him, expecting to be caught any second now, but by some miracle, nobody comes, and we manage to sneak out of the floor and get into the elevator without anybody noticing.
Once we’re on the first floor and out of the building, Gabriel tilts his head back and takes in a deep breath.
I just stare at him, my heart aching for everything that he’s lost and had to give up in the last few years.
His eyes flutter open, and he seems a little more relaxed than he was in the room, and some color has appeared on his face.
“You good?”
“Yeah. Let’s go grab the ball.”
I slowed down my steps so he wouldn’t strain himself as we walked to where Mom parked the car. The lights flash as Gabriel unlocks it, and I open the back seat to grab my duffle bag, rummaging through it until my fingers wrap around the football. Turning around, I look for Gabriel to find him a few feet away, waiting.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” he calls out to me.
Reluctantly, I weigh the ball in my hands before gently throwing it at him.
His glare tells me he sees exactly what I’m doing and doesn’t appreciate it one bit.
“Did you suddenly grow a pussy since I’ve been stuck in the hospital, Pres?” my brother taunts as his fingers tighten around the leather. “Grow a pair and throw that ball like a man.”
With that, he throws the ball at me, the move so unexpected the damn thing falls out of my hands.
“Shit.”
“Damn right. I can’t believe Coach is letting you play.”
“Well, he does, and I’m the best wide receiver on the team.” This time when I throw it, I’m not holding back.
Gabriel catches the ball without any problem and smirks at me. “Only because I’m not there.”
That’s true. I was good, but Gabriel was better. Two of us together, though? Unbeatable.
And standing here in the parking lot in the middle of November with the chilly air biting our cheeks, I realize how much I missed this. I love football; there is no denying that. But what I love more is playing side-by-side with my brother.
“One day we’ll do it, Pres. One day we’ll play on the same team again, and there’ll be nobody like us. The Wentworth brothers will win it all. We’ll become legends.”
I could see it as clear as day. A smile spreads over my mouth as we toss the ball for God only knows how long. Until the sky turns dark and the streetlights turn on. Only then do we get back inside.
“This was fun,” I say to Gabriel, pushing the door to the pediatrics floor open. “I didn’t even realize how much I miss—”
“Gabriel!” Mom yells as soon as we step inside. She shoves me out of her way and goes straight to my brother to catch him as he sways on his feet.
My mouth falls open as Mom calls for a doctor, and more staff joins us, looking over Gabriel.
My mom looks at me, tears glistening in her eyes. “What have you done?” She shakes her head. “He’s been fighting an infection for the last two days! And you’ve just made it worse.”
* * *
“What happened?”
Nixon must have called Dr. Hendriks because the woman meets us in the emergency room as soon as we get inside.
