Page 11

Chapter 10

BECCA

Oh my god. This was it. They were going to win and clench their playoff spot. I was sweating everywhere. My armpits, my toes, and my eyeballs.

Everything.

Lenna was taking pictures on the sidelines as Conrad sat next to me. His early retirement shocked the hell out of me and everyone else in the city of New Orleans. I even overheard someone say, “Didn’t he just fucking get here?”

“Shit. He’s running the play,” Conrad said to me.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean. What play?” I asked.

He ran his hand over his face with nervousness. “This is the play that I can read on Shy every single time. He never was able to complete the pass during practice, I don’t know why he is running it right fucking now.”

My eyes tracked over to Shy, setting up the play and scanning his players. He was so good at his job. Too good. Every defensive player wanted a slice of him. A chance to sack him, to hit him hard enough that they wouldn’t have to play against him.

The ball was snapped.

He moved over, leaning back slightly to send the pass directly into Jordy’s arms. But I didn’t watch him complete the pass. I watched Shy.

The defensive end for the Atlanta Hawks rushed him, hitting him. I watched in slow motion as Shyloh’s neck whipped back and slammed to the ground. When the defensive end completed his tackle, a flag was thrown for obviously roughing the passer with the crown of his helmet.

The player placed his hands in the air suggesting he did nothing wrong, but when his eyes trailed over to Shyloh on the ground, he immediately gestured for help.

Shyloh was hurt.

“No. No. No. He can’t be hurt. Con, what—what do we do?” I asked Conrad, but he was silent. Standing. Watching the trainers and paramedics rush the field.

Shyloh wasn’t moving.

My heartbeat echoed in my ears as I watched a swarm of people attending to him.

Oh my God. Please be okay, Shy. Please.

I saw a trainer bobbing his head slightly at Shyloh as if he was talking to him.

“Is he talking?” I asked Conrad. He didn’t answer so I shoved him, grabbing his arm. “Conrad. Is Shy talking?”

He nodded, without ever looking at me.

I watched as they placed the brace around his neck, strapping him into the stretcher.

No.

No.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t do this again.

The tears fell, unable to stop. My heart felt like it would rupture in my chest. I couldn’t watch this. I couldn’t let something else that I cared about be taken from me. I couldn’t—

Without saying anything, I rushed past Conrad and up the steps to the entrance. I kept going and going until I found my way to the bathroom.

I slammed the door behind me, shoving my back into the cold metal door.

“No. God, no. Please don’t take him too.”

My back slid down the door and I landed with a plop on the cold ground. I leaned my head against the door as my tears fell. An overwhelming feeling of dread took the place of the hope I had for me and Shy.

I didn’t have the guts to say it out loud, but I was scared.

The vibrations from my purse continued as I sat there, staring into the stadium bathroom.

“Stop being a coward, Becca. Stop. ”

I reached my purse, pulling my phone out.

8 missed calls.

1 voicemail.

“Becca. I know you are scared, but Shyloh asked for you. Meet us at the New Orleans City Hospital. He needs–”

The door pushed open behind me, shoving me to the side as Lenna burst in. Her voice was so calm—it was always calm.

“We need to get to the hospital.”

I shook my head, “No, I can’t Lenna. It’s like I’m repeating the same thing that happened in high school. I know no one can replace Thomas, but this is too much.”

I took a deep breath while Lenna grabbed my hands and whispered, “You can do this, Becca. He needs us.”

Nodding, I said, “Okay. I’ll try.”

***

Lenna and I burst into the hospital, being led to the private waiting area for Shy due to his high-profile status.

She walked straight to Conrad. I could see that his hair was messed up as if he had been pulling at it. They talked for a moment, with Lenna covering her mouth trying to keep her emotions inside, so I didn’t see how upset she truly was.

Her eyes glistened with tears as she walked towards me.

“So, what did they say?” I asked Lenna. Glancing over at Conrad, I found he was now sitting in a chair, sipping coffee .

Lenna’s eyes glossed over, glancing down at her hands before returning my gaze. “They said—they said it’s a spinal cord injury. It’s a severe dislocation of his fourth vertebra and—”

I was blinking my eyes repeatedly because the more she told me, the more upset I got.

“He um—there’s a chance that he could be paralyzed if they are unable to repair it in surgery.”

Lenna didn’t need to read my mind to know what was racing through it. I was finally opening myself up to another person. A man who in many ways reminded me of the free-spirited man I once loved.

“I know what you’re thinking Becca. You’re spiraling in your thoughts. Stop. He’ll be okay. You will be okay.”

“How do you know?” I yelled at her, throwing her hands off of me. Conrad stood with his coffee in hand, waiting for what I’d say next.

“How do I know what, Becca?”

I stepped closer to her, pressing my finger into her shoulder. “How do you know that he will be okay?” I huffed out a breath. “You don’t know, Lenna. And of course, you’re fine. You have the man you’ve always wanted, while I—I can’t do this. I can’t be here.”

I turned, sprinting out of the door. “Wait, Becca! Wait!”

But I was gone.