The Road To Heaven (Allendale Four 3)

More than once, after a particularly impressive save, the camera would pan to the sidelines to a pretty blonde. She paced the sidelines with a worried expression on her face. After the third time I asked, “Who is that?”

Oliver and Jackson exchanged a look. The former cleared his throat and said, “That’s Sabine Rakestraw. His physical therapist.”

“His what?”

“You know he had a concussion last fall, right?” Jackson asked.

No, I didn’t. I shook my head, concerned I’d missed it.

“Well he did—it was at the end of the season, which is why it wasn’t well known. He spent the winter in therapy and got the clear to play this season. Sabine has been working with him for months.”

“Why…” I started to ask, why didn’t anyone tell me, but why would they? We made rules and if I’d been paying attention to Hayden’s career, I would have known. “So he’s better?”

“Yes,” Oliver said.

“And his therapist?” I asked, knowing already. Just a feeling. A tug at my chest.

“He hasn’t told us anything, Heaven, but the newspapers say they’re dating. They’ve kind of become a couple to watch or something.”

I arranged my face into the calmest expression I could muster and ignored the weight of the two men watching me closely. I hoped my voice was steady when I said, “I get not telling me, I mean when would he? We haven’t spoken in ages, but why hasn’t he said anything to you?”

Jackson shrugged and took a sip of his beer. Oliver said, “Maybe it’s not a big deal. You know the tabloids want to make everything into something bigger than it is.”

Or maybe it’s the exact opposite. Maybe it’s real and he’s scared to tell them—us.

The crowd around us started shouting at the TV screens; the opposing team’s forward barreling down the field, Hayden crouched, ready to spring into action. The striker took the shot and Hayden jumped, but the ball hit the cross bar, bouncing back into the field. This time, instead of only one forward on a breakaway, three others were there, along with a handful of AU defenders. Play got messy, and Hayden desperately tried to keep his eye on the ball, to anticipate the next move of the other team. The shot took off, arcing off the foot of the forward at the same time another player slammed hard into Hayden, knocking him off kilter, head bouncing off the goal post.

“Oh my god,” I mumbled into my fist, heart leaping up my throat. Jackson’s hand slipped over my knee, squeezing. The entire tavern fell silent as the goal box cleared and AU players fell to their knees around the mass of body lying there. Unmoving.

“Shit,” Oliver said. “Shit. Shit.”

He stood, pushing his hand through his hair.

I glanced next to me, feeling the burning in my eyes. “Jax?”

He looked as worried as I felt. “He’ll be okay,” he said, but his tone felt wrong. I felt wrong. Like a part of my body fell limp.

Oliver grabbed his coat and my hand. “Let’s ge

t out of here.”

“But,” I looked at the screen. Medics ran on the field, including the blonde, Sabine, from the sidelines. My eyes trained on her as she knelt next to Hayden, touching his face.

“We can get better info at the gym. I promise.” He pulled out his phone, scrolling the contacts.

My stomach lurched and Jackson wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

They led me away from the table, but the screens mounted through the bar followed me out the door. I couldn’t help but take one last look at the TV. To my relief, I saw Hayden’s eyes opening, blinking, but that relief twisted into something different as he reached his hand to graze Sabine’s cheek, as he looked into the eyes of a woman by his side—a woman that wasn’t me.

10

Heaven

“Lea, I need a favor.”

“Sure, what’s up?” She had me on speakerphone. She must be driving.

I stuffed a sweater and then another short-sleeved shirt in the bag. I had no idea what the weather was like in Atlanta right now. It was early April and although it was cold here, it may be a lot warmer there. “I’m leaving town and I need you to cover for me at work.”