Page 38 of Hidden Plays (Desert Football #1)
EIGHTEEN
HOLDEN
“ W e are?” I stared at my father, my arm wrapped tightly around JJ’s hips, my hand clutching the hem of his sweater. Dad had finally reached his breaking point with this incident.
“I think it would be a good idea. The hospital has resources. Let me know if you need them.” Dr. Peterson gave Dad a pointed look.
“We’ll let you know.” Mom worried her lower lip. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“You’re welcome. If you have questions, the nurses know how to find me.” With a nod, he turned and left.
This whole thing was a nightmare. If Noel refused treatment, then what? Would I still lose my brother? “Dad, how do you want to do this?”
Dad shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. From the reading I’ve done on the subject, we should write him letters, and let him know how much we love him, but that we can’t be in his life anymore if he doesn’t get treatment.” Scrubbing his face, he sighed. “Let’s see him first.”
“Yes, we don’t even know how conscious he is.” Mom patted Dad’s arm. “Come on.” She strolled with Dad toward the hallway, and I followed with JJ by my side.
Entering the room, JJ asked, “Do you want me here when you talk to him?”
“Yes.” I tightened my hold on his hand, my chest squeezing. If it weren’t for JJ’s steady presence, I’d be an even bigger mess. “One of us has to have their head on straight.”
Mom rounded Noel’s bed with Dad and covered her lips with her hand, her brows creasing and eyes brimming with tears.
With a grunt, Dad clamped his jaw. “Jesus.”
I stepped to the near side of Noel’s bed, my gaze roaming over his swollen face, the bruises inside his eyes and across the bridge of his nose, the cuts marring his cheeks. Had the airbag struck his face? Had he been wearing a seatbelt?
“Babe, are you okay?” JJ slipped his arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah. He looks terrible.” In fact, if I didn’t know it was Noel, I wouldn’t recognize him. My throat grew tight, and my eyes pricked with heat.
“Honey, it’s Mom. Can you hear me?” Mom placed her hand on his forearm, resting over his stomach.
Noel made a strangled noise and then croaked, “M-mom?” His heavy eyelids opened a crack.
“Yes, baby, I’m here.” She kissed his forehead and brushed his hair from it. “How are you feeling?”
He freed a ragged chuckle and coughed. “Fuck, like shit.”
“Noel, do you remember what happened?” Dad lowered his brows.
“I…I was on my way to your house, or no, I was on my way somewhere.” He licked his dry lips. “I don’t know. Something must have crossed the road, and I couldn’t?—”
“That’s not what happened.” Raising her chin, Mom pinched her lips. “The police said you ran a red light, almost hit another car and drove into a wash.” Her gaze swept to mine. “Your car flipped upside down. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Shit, guess I’m getting a ticket, huh?” The edge of Noel’s lips twitched.
“You’ll have more charges than that.” Mom’s gaze grew hard.
“That’s what happened?” When had she heard this? It was the first she’d mentioned it. I glanced at Noel, his eyes closing again.
“Yes, a police officer found us after you left to get JJ.” Mom glanced at Dad. “But then, we had other things to handle.”
Noel turned his head in my direction, his eyes slits. “Oh, I see Holden brought JJ and from the look of them, you all know their status.” He freed a soft snicker and winced. “Fuck, my chest hurts.” He set his hand on his sternum. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Yes, we know about Holden and JJ, and we support them.” Mom inhaled deeply. “You broke your ribs, kneecap and sternum. None of it badly, but your spleen ruptured, and you had surgery to repair it. You might still lose it.”
“Oh, shit.” He freed a wet cough. “This bill will cost me a fortune.”
Dad glanced at Mom and then stepped closer to the bed. “No, it won’t. I put you on my health insurance at work, just in case…” He huffed. “In case something like this happened.”
“You did?” Noel opened one eye. “I thought you cut me off?”
After pursing his lips, Dad said, “Not yet. You can be on it until next month, when you turn twenty-six. I didn’t—uh, I never took you off it.”
“Good thing I never needed it then.” His eyes shut again.
When would they bring up the addiction problem? Or would they wait until he was better? I eyed Mom. “Hey, when do you plan to talk to him about?—”
“My lack of sober driving?” He peered at Mom, the edge of his lips quirking.
“I know the fucking police or hospital shared my drug tests with you.” He squirmed and flinched.
“Fuck, that hurts. I need more pain meds.” He pressed the call button for the nurse.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll stop when I get out of here.
I was planning on getting sober, anyway. ”
Heat swarmed my chest. “Bullshit.” We’d heard this from him before.
JJ tensed beside me. “Babe, now may not be the time.”
With his gaze meeting mine, Noel said, “It’s not bullshit.” He jabbed the call button. “Where’s the fucking nurse?” With a scoff, he said, “And I don’t need those bullshit meetings. I can do this on my own.”
“Noel, that’s not good enough.” Dad glared at him. “Especially after this. If you haven’t learned your lesson?—”
“Stop, Keith.” Mom pressed her hand on Dad’s chest.
The nurse entered the room and stood at the end of his bed. “Can I get you something?”
“Yeah, I need more pain meds.” Noel smirked at Dad. “And load me up since my dad thinks I need rehab.”
“You do need rehab.” Dad scoffed and paced away from the bed.
“I’m sorry, Noel, but it’s not time for your pain meds yet. I can’t give you any more.” The nurse straightened the blanket at his feet. “How about some water?”
“What? I’m in pain here. Aren’t you supposed to ask me what level of pain I’m at? ‘Cause I’m at a fucking ten.” With a snarl, he shifted and groaned. “See? I’m in pain. I need more meds.”
“Oh, my God.” Mom stared at him, covering her mouth again, her eyes glistening.
Noel’s gaze cut to her. “And get these people out of my room. They’re upsetting me.” He swung his arm across his body. “Ow, fuck!”
The nurse’s grin fell, and she said, “Let’s leave him for now, okay?” She grasped Mom’s elbow and led her and Dad from the room.
“You too, Golden Boy. How golden are you now? I bet Dad was pissed when he found out about you and your fuckboy.” Noel glared at me, snarling.
“Noel, you need help. I hope you understand we’re only here because we love you and we care about you.” My gut coiled with heat as my eyes stung. Fuck him. What would we do? He’d survive this only for me to lose him again?
“I don’t give a fuck,” Noel jeered.
“Come on, babe.” With his arm tight around my shoulders, JJ hauled me from the room.
Following us, the nurse closed the door, her attention turning to Mom and Dad. “I’m sorry. They get like that. He’ll calm down, eventually.”
“Thank you,” Mom said and then turned to me. “Why don’t you go home? I’ll stay here in case there’s a change in his condition.”
“Leah.” Dad studied her. “If you’re staying, then so am I.”
Fuck this. I was done. “JJ, can you take me home?” I met his gaze, my insides boiling with emotion.
“Of course, babe. Let’s go.” He kissed my cheek.
After hugging my parents goodbye, he took me to his vehicle.
JJ parked in an open spot at my apartment complex and stepped from his SUV. “Is your roommate home?”
“No, and shit.” Ambling around the front of JJ’s 4Runner, I met him at the walkway. “I totally forgot to tell you. I told him about us.” So much had happened in the last week. How had I forgotten? Maybe because Arden was the least of my worries.
“You did?” A smile played on his mouth. “How was it?”
“Not bad.” I snatched JJ’s hand and brought him through the courtyard, the landscaping lights illuminating the rocks and plants on the property. “He was surprised, but he was cool with it. ”
“Good. I suppose nobody’s left to tell, huh?” He kissed the back of my hand.
I hadn’t thought of that. “Nope, since I’m not making any announcements to the team and coaching staff.” I stopped at the door to my place and opened it.
Stepping inside, JJ planted his hands on his hips, his gaze wandering the main room. “This is nice.”
He’d never been here. “Thanks.” I strode into the kitchen. I could use a beer or five after tonight. “You want a beer?”
“Sure.” He stepped to my couch and dropped onto the end. “Who owns the couch?” He ran his hand over the gray cushion.
“I do. But it’s from a yard sale, so…” I grabbed two beers from the refrigerator, opened them and brought them to the couch, handing one to JJ. “I’d like new stuff after I graduate.” I fell in next to him.
JJ nodded and sipped his beer. Uncurling an arm on the back of the couch behind me, he said, “How are you doing? Really. Don’t tell me what you think I should hear.” His brows crinkled.
“I’m uh…” The earlier anxiety had lifted some when we left the hospital, but my brother’s ugly outburst—“I don’t know.” I fell against his side as he hugged my shoulders. “He looked so terrible.” An ache wound through my soul. “Why was he such an asshole to us?”
He kissed my head, skimming his fingers over my shoulder. “You threatened the monster inside him. That wasn’t him talking. It was his addiction.”
I nodded against him, the ache intensifying. “My dad is serious about the intervention and rehab.” I drank some beer. Fuck, here I was, using alcohol to calm my emotions after berating my brother for it. But I didn’t have a drinking problem.
“Good. But maybe your family should get professional help with the intervention? Noel seems pretty bad off.” He squeezed me to his side. “What can I do for you, Holden? What do you need from me?”
“Can you stay the night?” His body heat tingled my skin. I didn’t know if I’d want sex, but being in his arms all night sounded heavenly.
“Of course.” He drank more beer. “I’m all yours, babe.” His body relaxed against mine. “I’ll bet my dad could help find an interventionist for your family.”