“You can’t go tearing off to the hospital. What if there’s a reporter there? You know they hang out at the ER, just in case. Then the Bobcats’ll drop you for sure.”
Denial layered with justification. God, I saw it so clearly right then. “What happened, Jake? Did he punch you in the ribs? Maybe when you were trying to get his keys from him so he wouldn’t drive. Or did you have to pick him up and carry him from the car into the house?” I winced in memory at the number of times I’d let him carry me. But he hadn’t said he was hurting. And now, he clearly was.
Meanwhile, Pops was moving hard into attack mode. “My boy is strong as an ox! You don’t know a damn thing about him. You left him at the All-Star Game. He was moping about the whole time because you up and left. Just like a woman. Nagging when you don’t need ’em. Gone when you do.”
“Stop it!” Jake interrupted, moving to stand between his father and me. “Don’t you dare blame Ellie for the All-Star Game. That was your fault.”
“My fault!” Pops was livid now. Normally he was a congenial drunk, but this was the morning after and he was angry as hell. His bloodshot eyes narrowed and his hands fisted. I had to do something quickly or this was going to end badly for all of us. So I laid it all on the line, in as shocking a manner as possible.
“I love you, Jake!” I bellowed. “I love you!”
That was clearly unexpected. They both drew up short and stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. And maybe I had, but at least they’d shut up.
“I love you,” I repeated in a more normal tone of voice. “I don’t love a bottle. I certainly don’t love your career or your fame. I love you. And I’m sorry I said it before you were ready, but that’s the way it is. So now you have a choice, Jake. You can listen to the woman who loves you. You can climb into my car and let me do what I know is right. Or you can hang out here, in this house with your father, popping aspirin and naltrexone until one of you dies.”
Pops hooted. “What a fat load of—”
“Shut up,” Jake growled. And when his father firmed his chin in defiance, Jake turned his back on him. His eyes were steady, his cheeks flushed, and his breath shallow. But he still spoke with strength as he looked at me. “You really think it’s serious?”
“I do. I’ll do my best to keep the press and the team away until we know for sure. I’ve got friends at the ER—”
He took my hand. “Doesn’t matter. I trust you.”
“What a load of bull!” Pops exploded. “She’s turned you into a sucker, boy—”
Pops continued on his rant, spewing more hateful venom than I’d ever heard from the man. But I recognized the fear underneath his words. Fear for his son, for his life, for God only knew what. I was sure that the man would turn to the nearest bottle right after we left. But I couldn’t let Jake worry about that. So I held on to his hand and didn’t let go until he was in my car.
And while I belted myself into the driver’s seat, Jake looked at the house with wary eyes. “It’s going to be bad when I come back. Pops doesn’t forgive—”
“Pops will make his own way, good or bad. We’re taking care of you now.”
Then I put my car into drive and quickly headed to the hospital.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jake
We didn’t speak in the car. My head hurt too damn much, and I didn’t want to trip over my words after what she’d just said.
I love you, Jake.
She’d bellowed the words, and they still echoed in my throbbing head. But most amazing of all, I hadn’t panicked. There’d been no freak-out, no frantic desire to run away, just the steady throb of this fucking headache. And the acute ache in my ribs when I breathed.
I had questions to ask her. What had happened at work? Why had she decided to proclaim her love out loud now? At four in the morning, at Pops’s house? How stupid was that? But most of all, I needed to figure out what I wanted to say back.
Did I love her?
I had so many emotions fighting to answer that, I couldn’t handle it. A riot of noise rose in my head to go with the throbbing and aching that spiked with every shift in the car. Slowing for a stop sign, I closed my eyes and tried not to throw up. Once we sped up, I exhaled slowly and pressed down with my arms to keep my ribs straight.
When had the pain gotten so bad? Right now, it felt excruciating.
Ellie managed everything once we got to the hospital. She whispered to the people on staff, and got me into an interior room before I could pull out my insurance card. Then there was an argument with some young man in a lab coat. Was he a doctor? I couldn’t tell. But she stood there with her arms folded and spoke firmly to him. It must have worked. He nodded smartly to her before walking to my bedside and pulling the curtain closed behind him.
I couldn’t see her then, but he was there asking questions, writing down stuff. And as I answered, I started thinking about her. Way back at the barbecue, she’d caught my attention. She had that sweet, wholesome look that I couldn’t resist, but she’d been shy and nervous. But that’s not the Ellie I saw tonight. She’d been fierce as she spoke to Pops, efficient with the nurses, and relentless with the doctor. She’d been completely in control, and I loved it.
In my family, I was the responsible one, balancing training, games, my family, and the media. But not this time. This time, I was relying on her. And she was here for me.
I loved her.
