The End Zone (Atlanta Lightning 2)

“Did you quit your job so you could spend all your time with me? That’s kinda hot.” I leaned in and nuzzled his neck.

“No, no I didn’t.”

“Lies!” When I tried to move, pain shot through my arm again. It was hurting more and more.

“Lie down, Darren. Let’s get you to bed. We have to be up early for surgery anyway.”

I nodded. He helped me get situated and pulled the blanket over me. “Are you gonna get into bed with me?”

“Of course.”

I watched him as he stripped out of his jeans and my jersey. “I didn’t get a chance to say how fine you look in that. I like seeing my angel with my name on him.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not an angel.”

“You’re my angel, and that was sweet as fuck. Here I am, being all romantic, and you roll your eyes?”

“You’re very sweet. The sweetest,” he teased. When he was in his underwear, Jeremy grabbed my phone and brought it over. “Can you open this so I can text your mom?”

“My code is 58276.”

He paused. “You’re giving me the code to your phone?”

“Um…yes? Is there something wrong with that?”

“There’s a lot of secrets in someone’s phone. It means you trust me.”

I cocked my head slightly. “You didn’t know that by now?”

His eyes went soft. That got to him, but me telling him how I like my name on him didn’t.

“Hurry up and get in bed.”

“Yes, sir.” He texted, then put my phone on the charger. He plugged his in on the other nightstand with a cord from his bag, then brought me a pain pill and water. Once I took it, Jeremy turned off the lights and got into bed.

It was a shitty night of sleep. I was uncomfortable, hurt off and on, wanted to burn the splint, and a hundred other things. Every time I made a noise, Jeremy was checking on me, and that was…fuck, it got me right in the chest.

He took me to the hospital early the next morning. I wasn’t surprised that Momma and Mia were already there. They immediately moved us into a private room to wait.

“You look tired,” Momma said.

“Did anyone see you arrive?” Mia asked, and I glared at her. “I’m sorry, but it’s an important question, Darren. I’m not trying to be a bitch. I’m trying to protect you.”

I knew she was, but it still bothered me. People would make their assumptions just because Jeremy drove me there, or what? We’d hung out a lot, and no one had paid any attention so far. “I slept for shit.”

“I won’t do anything to hurt his career,” Jeremy said. “Whatever is best for Darren will always come first.”

“And how is that fair to you? We’ll figure it out between us. It’s no one else’s business.”

“I’m your agent. It’s my business. You know I support you, Darren. I’m just making sure we stay ahead of this.”

“I don’t understand,” Momma said now. “You haven’t ever… Were you always…”

I sighed. “Can we not do this right now? I know we need to talk, but is this really the best time?”

Jeremy reached out and began to rub my back, but then the door creaked open, and he jerked away. The nurse spoke to us for a second, and then the doctor explained the surgery. There would be two incisions because of the different bones broken, and they would put in titanium plates and screws. They’d know more once they got in.

My stomach cramped, and I almost vomited. I’d had injuries, of course, a couple of concussions, sprains, and shit like that, but I’d managed to go my whole career without needing surgery until now.

Before I knew it, Momma and Mia were kissing me goodbye. Jeremy stayed back. I winked at him before they took me away.

I was prepped for surgery, given medication to put me to sleep, and the next thing I knew, I was slowly coming out of a dense fog, my body heavy and sluggish.

“Hey, baby,” Momma said.

I tried to look around the room… What was I looking for? Or who? Oh, Jeremy. Jeremy was there, but why wasn’t he in the room with me? I tried to speak, to ask about him, but I couldn’t make my mouth work yet.

I fluttered in and out of it, each time a little less foggy. They wanted to keep me for one night. Eventually they moved me to my own room, Momma by my side. Jeremy, Lee, Deon, Mia, Anson, and West were all there now. “Did someone die?” I joked, my voice hoarse. God, my throat was dry.

“That’s not funny,” Mia said.

Everyone took their turn saying hi and asking me how I was doing. All except for Jeremy, who hung back, and West, who was by his side.

“Hey, brother. What’s up?” Anson said.

“Did we win?” I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten to ask last night.