Page 60 of The Player I Can’t Pick

GUY

I wake up to hushed voices.

I slowly open my eyes and am shocked when I can only see out of one. I put my hand up and feel the bandages over my left eye. “What?”

A woman, I assume a nurse, stands over me. “Mr. Brody, you’re fine. You have a concussion and some swelling to the left eye, but we’ve run tests, and there is no internal bleeding.”

I put my hand down and close my eyes again, but the voice continues. “You have some visitors here, and they refuse to leave until they see you, but you need to get some rest.”

When I don’t respond, she tries again. “I’m going to give them five minutes and then I’m clearing the room.”

She pats my arm, and then I hear her say. “Five minutes and then he needs some rest.”

There are a few murmurs of acknowledgement, and then when I hear a door shut, it’s like the space around me is filled with people.

“Brody, you okay, man?”

I open my eyes, thankful that the lights are still dim.

“You okay, baby?”

My eye flies open. That’s not Nicole. I stare up at the woman that I used to date. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I hear a “damn” and a chuckle from someone else, but my gaze stays on Katelyn. “Katelyn, why are you here?”

She blinks at me. “I was at the game. I was lucky that the ambulance driver recognized me because he let me ride to the hospital with you.” She brushes her hand through my hair. “But you’re going to be okay, I’m going to take care of you.”

I close my eyes and shake my head. “No, you’re not.”

I look around the room at my teammates and then back to Katelyn. “You need to leave.”

Her mouth falls open. “But⁠—”

I shake my head, and pain shoots through my temple with that small amount of movement, so I stop. “We broke up, Katelyn. I don’t want you here.”

One of the guys had told me that the guy she cheated on me with, the linebacker from the Jasper Eagles, had broken it off with her. I should have known she’d show back up and try to pick up where we left off.

She tries again. “But Guy, I just⁠—”

I don’t let her finish. “Katelyn, thanks for stopping by, but I don’t want you here. I’m sorry.”

She grabs her purse and walks out with a huff.

I hear the door open and close, and Finn stands over me. “Damn, Brody.”

I close my eyes because it hurts so much. “Anyone call my family? Nicole? I’m sure they’ve seen or heard about this by now.”

Finn puts a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, Ozzy and Miller are flying in and should be here in an hour.”

“Nicole?” I ask again.

Finn pauses. “Uh, I’ll ask Grant to get a hold of her.”

I peak one eye open and look around. “He’s not here?”

I’m surprised because it feels like more than half the team is in this tiny room. Finn answers. “Dude we’re packed in here. I’m sure he’ll come by, but I’ll make sure he gets ahold of Nicole.”

I let out a breath. “Did we win?”