“I don’t need anything,” I whisper as we separate. A new wave of nerves washes over me. “I’m worried, Gwen.”
“He’s going to be fine,” Gwen says gently, trying to reassure me.
“What if he can’t play anymore?” I ask quietly.
Gwen doesn’t respond.
The silence stretches through the hallway, heavy and suffocating. We both turn our eyes toward Blake’s door, and a knot of dread tightens in my stomach.
“He’s going to be fine. He has to be,” Gwen says after a moment, though I can hear the effort in her voice like she’s trying to convince herself as much as me.
“Is everything ok?” Zane’s voice suddenly cuts in as he rounds the corner. “How is Blake doing?” he asks, glancing toward the room.
“He’s been sleepy and was in some pain earlier, but he seemed alright,” I reply.
“Thanks for looking after my friend,” Zane says with a small smile.
I notice one of Gwen’s eyebrows lifts slightly. Men really can be oblivious sometimes.
“That’s what friends are for,” Gwen quickly adds, smoothly redirecting the conversation.
“Blake mentioned he’s dating a special girl the other day,” Zane continues. My stomach tightens. “Any chance you know her name? I feel like we should let her know what’s going on.”
“All I know is that she’s super special,” Gwen says with a playful wink that Zane doesn’t catch.
“I told Coach I’d give him an update, so I’ll see if he might know her,” Zane adds before turning and walking away.
“I hate this feeling,” I sigh as he disappears around the corner. “I don’t want to keep lying to him.”
“I understand,” Gwen says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “The two of you will be able to tell him soon enough.”
From inside the room, we hear footsteps approaching. The door opens slowly, and Leo steps out looking a bit unsettled. When he notices us, he quickly puts on a composed expression, the kind Gwen and Tess jokingly call his billionaire poker face.
“He’s asleep,” Leo says quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. “I have to take care of something. Are you staying here tonight?” he asks me.
I nod.
“We’ll tell Zane we’re taking turns to keep him distracted for now,” Leo suggests.
I blink, confused. “Is that really necessary?”
Gwen shares my confusion, glancing between us.
“Let’s go,” Leo says simply before walking off without another word.
“I guess I should follow him. I’ll let you know if I can make sense of this,” Gwen shrugs. “I’ll call you later, ok?”
“Sounds good,” I reply with a small smile as she turns the corner and leaves.
I take a breath and step back into the room, finding Blake still fast asleep.
I close the door behind me and pull the chair from the corner closer to the side of the bed. Sitting down, I gently take Blake’s hand in mine.
“You’re going to be fine… because you have to be,” I whisper.
My grip tightens slightly as my voice begins to shake.
“After everything we’ve been through, this can’t be the thing that drives you away from me.” A tear slips down my cheek. “I’m sorry Perth went after you because of me. I swear I’ll talk to him… I’ll make it stop.”
