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Holly sat down on the edge of the bed as he dragged a hand through his hair. Through the speaker, a woman screamed for Eli while another woman tried to speak over the screaming.
"Okay. Yeah, I'll leave now. I'll be there as soon as I can."
He ended the call and stared down at the floor.
She touched his forearm. "Eli? What's wrong?"
"That was Jessie, my mom's nurse. Mom's having a terrible night. She can't get her to settle down. I have to get over there and help."
"I'm sorry." Holly pointed at the two beers on the nightstand. "You indulged some more?"
"Yeah. I better call an Uber."
"I can drive if you want," she offered.
He lifted his head and met her gaze. "You don't mind?"
"No. Wait, didn't you leave your SUV in a parking lot somewhere?"
"I've got a few cars. Can you be ready in five minutes? I don't want Jessie to be alone for long when Mom's so upset. It can be a lot to handle."
"Yeah. I'll meet you in the kitchen."
She hurried back to her room and changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a pink t-shirt. Her hair was a lost cause, so she tied it back into a ponytail, then slid on her glasses.
Miss lifted her head and glanced up at her with sleepy eyes from her place at the foot of the bed.
"No food right now, little Moo. You ate an hour ago, and I'll be back soon." Holly kissed the top of her head and exited the room, making sure the door shut firmly behind her.
Eli stood near the front door. He tossed her a set of keys as she approached.
"I appreciate this, Wilkes. I don't want to have to wait for an Uber."
"No big deal."
They rode the elevator together in silence while Eli studied his phone.
"This is so fucked up," he said finally, leaning against the wall. "You know, I usually sleep over there when I'm not on the road. Not all the time, but a lot. Though I come back here to the penthouse sometimes to get away from everything. It sounds shitty, but I need a sense of normalcy once in a while, and my penthouse gives me that. It's been tough on her since the playoffs started because I’m staying here all the time now. I visit as much as I can, but I sleep better in my own bed, and I need a good night's rest during the playoffs."
He took a deep breath and glanced over at her. "The nurses try not to bother me unless it gets bad. Lately, it's been more bad than good. They want me to consider a full-time facility for her."
"Eli, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how hard this must be."
"Yeah, it sucks."
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.
"Over here." He led her toward the right side of the brightly-lit garage. "I grabbed the keys for this one."
Holly screeched to a halt as she stared at the bright yellow sports car. "You're joking, right?"
He frowned. "Why would I joke about a car?"
She gaped at him. "Eli, this car costs over two hundred grand."
His dark eyebrows shot up. "You know cars?"
"It's kind of a hobby," she explained. "I love watching all the expensive vehicles that pull up in front of the clubs. Though I've never seen you in this one. I'd have remembered."
