“I know. And that sounds perfect.” Willow really was a good friend. “You don’t mind staying the night?”
“Not at all. I already told Nick I might. That’s what friends are for, right?”
Thank goodness for friends. Not so much for fake boyfriends, though.
Especially ones that a girl could fall in love with.
Chapter Sixteen
Super Bowl Sunday, and Aubrey felt like she was going to lose her mind.
They’d made it. The Hawks were in the Super Bowl, just like they’d imagined. She wa
s thrilled. Everyone involved with the team was beyond thrilled, and she was at the most coveted football game of the year.
Everyone from the Hawks organization was here, excited to be a part of football history and eager to watch the game. Not Aubrey. Well, she wanted to watch, but she had ulterior motives for being here. Hence the reason she felt like she was losing her mind. She was a representative of the Hawks, hanging out in their special box, watching all the pregame festivities, but she was distracted.
Since the so-called breakup, she’d been plagued with worry. Questions. A desperate need to explain herself and make it up to him. She’d sent Flynn exactly one text and left him exactly one voicemail. He hadn’t answered either, so she’d left him alone.
And mourned.
Where was Flynn today? Right now? How was he feeling? She was desperate to see him but didn’t want to push her luck by seeking him out, because what if he rejected her? Was mean to her in front of everyone?
She didn’t know if she could take it. So she stayed away.
“Aubrey.”
At the sound of Harvey’s grave voice, she whirled around, sucking in a sharp breath when she noticed his somber expression. Not what she wanted to see before their team went out on the field. “Harvey. What’s wrong?”
“I need your help.” He never said he needed her help. And he never rubbed his hand over his face, either, but he was doing exactly that. He looked strung tight, his shoulders tense, his jaw firm.
“What is it?” She took a few steps toward him. Had something happened? It had to be bad. Really bad. Was someone hurt?
“It’s Sheridan Quinn.” His mouth formed a thin line, and when he spoke, it was like his lips barely moved. “She’s in a hospital back in California. Something…happened. She’s, uh…”
“Pregnant?” Aubrey finished for him, clamping her lips shut the moment the word left her. Damn it, Willow was going to kill her for revealing that bit of news.
“Right. Pregnant.” He nodded. He already knew. Of course. “Quinn’s on the plane headed back to be with her right now.”
“But…” Aubrey’s jaw dropped open. “Wait a minute. What do you mean, Quinn’s on a plane? He’s supposed to be down in the locker room, ready to run out onto the field. The game is going to start in”—she glanced over her shoulder and checked the countdown clock on the JumboTron before she turned back to face Harvey—“less than ten minutes.”
“In seven minutes, to be exact.” Harvey swiped his face with his hand again. Man, he looked bad. Like he’d gone into total-panic, stress mode. Normally always in one of his fancy suits, he’d decided to show a little game pride today by wearing jeans and a Hawks jersey with his own last name on the back—figured. “But yes. He’s on the plane, headed back to his wife during her time of need. This means that…”
“Flynn is going to play the entire game.” Her mouth hung open, shock coursing through her veins like sludgy ice. Slowly she shook her head, still gaping at Harvey as the enormity of what was about to happen hit her. “Holy shit, Harv. He’s going to play the Super Bowl.”
Her boss winced. He really hated it when anyone called him Harv. “I know. I know.” Now he was rubbing the back of his neck, grimacing. “Come with me, Aubrey. We need to go make some quick announcements. Help me come up with the right thing to say.”
Wild. Harvey was actually asking for her help? He was the word man. The strategist. But right now…
He looked pretty lost.
Tamping down the swirl of excitement and worry that pulsed through her, she followed Harvey through the plush box, noticing how the entire mood of the room had become quiet. Somber. Worried.
Willow rushed toward her, sadness etched in her features so deeply Aubrey had to stop and grab hold of her, offering her a quick hug. “She’ll be all right,” Aubrey murmured close to her friend’s ear.
“She was bleeding,” Willow whispered, not pulling away. Wanting to keep this bit of information between themselves. “She was supposed to fly out yesterday evening to join us here, but she called Jared at the last minute and said she wasn’t feeling well. He’s been losing his mind with worry. I don’t think he got any sleep. She’d been experiencing a lot of pain and wouldn’t go to the doctor until finally…finally, she saw blood and freaked out.”
If Sheridan lost the baby, she didn’t know what Jared would do. They hadn’t made any public announcements yet, so she could assume only that they’d been waiting to make sure everything was good to go. And now look. How could they explain to the media that Sheridan Quinn had a medical emergency that was more important than the damn Super Bowl, without saying exactly what had happened?