Page 137 of Forever Offsides

“Baby girl?” Rhett’s hand holds mine, and I feel his lips brush my knuckles. “You have to wake up. Okay? I miss you. I miss you like crazy. I need to tell you that I love you, but I can’t do that with you like this. It doesn’t count. I have to see your pretty eyes when you hear me say it. I can’t stay long. I snuck in here, and if anyone catches me, well… Just wake up for me. I don’t want to sneak around anymore. I don’t want to play games. You’re not my secret. You’re my girl. My Quinn. I don’t want to live this life without you. I’m not sure I can anymore. You’re it for me. My forever. There’s no going back now. Our future is just getting started. Shit. I have to go. I’ll be back when I can be.”

No. I don’t want him to go. Why can’t I open my eyes? Why is everything so heavy? Why does it hurt so much?

“No, that doesn’t work for me,” Russel clips out. “The deal needs to be inked today. My girlfriend is in a coma. Tell them that and see if it pushes them along.” He laughs. “Fuck yeah, I’ll use that to my advantage. Why not? She is, isn’t she?” A grunt. “If they want me to wear their watches, they’ll get it done. I don’t give a shit, Frank. You’re my agent. This is your job. Make it happen.” He sighs in frustration. “Hey, Quinn? Quinn!”

Ugh. Does he have to shout at me?

“Still not awake. How long do you think I have to sit here? I hate hospitals. I never understood how you liked them so much. You don’t look so good, babe. And I don’t think you’ll be in a bikini anytime soon with the scar you’ll have on your stomach. You have no idea how relieved I am that your family didn’t find out about your crash till after the game. It won me a hundred grand I really needed.”

I feel his hand on me. On my arm.

“It was you, wasn’t it? You knew about the woman in my hotel room. It took me a while to figure it out, but then I realized your room was above mine, and that little whore was loud. That’s why you texted me saying it was never going to happen. Except that doesn’t work for me. I need you, Quinn. I’m in a lot of trouble. I owe a fuck ton of money to some not-so-nice people, and I have that bitch reporter sniffing around me. It won’t take long before she finds out what I’ve been up to. I tried to fuck her, hoping that would pacify her, but no.”

He laughs. A little too loudly.

“She used to fuck my dad. I think she still wishes she could so maybe I’ll push her back onto him. I’ve been feeding her stuff about us. It gives her a juicy story and keeps her away from digging deeper into me. Plus it makes me look like the good guy to have you as my girl again. People love second chances. So if you can hear me, when you wake up, you need to give me that. I’ll be good to you. I’ve been good to you. I know it’s not what you want, and truth be told, it’s not what I want either. But I’m not above doing what I have to do for it if it means I get endorsements back and my knees are not broken.”

“What are you doing here?” Hayes never liked Russel. I don’t blame him for that. Especially not anymore.

“Oh, crap, you startled me. I’m here to be with Quinn. I’d think that was obvious.”

“Do her brothers know you’re here?”

“I don’t believe I have to ask for their permission. Quinn is my girlfriend.”

Hayes barks out a laugh. “Yeah, you realize we all know that’s bullshit, right? Quinn doesn’t want you, bro. It’s time you leave her alone and stop whatever game you’re playing with her.”

“No game,” he assures him. “It’s as real as it gets.”

“Except she’s seeing someone and it ain’t you, dude.”

“What do you mean she’s seeing someone?” he asks with a note of panic to his voice. “No way. That’s a lie. You’re trying to mess with me. She would have told me.”

“Wow, you really don’t know her, do you?” Hayes laughs. “Hey, Forest?”

“Yeah?” His voice is distant.

“What were you and Crew talking about not even ten minutes ago?”

“We were wondering if Quinn’s mystery lover was going to show up or if he didn’t even know she was in an accident. Honestly I would have hacked her phone to find out, but it broke in the accident so we don’t know if the poor bastard has been texting her.”

“Ha. See.”

“Fuck you. She’s not with anyone but me. I’m her lover. I’m the guy you’re talking about.”

“Okay, buddy,” Forest deadpans. “If you say so, we’ll agree to disagree. But you may want to get those delusions checked while you’re here at the hospital.”

“Fuck you. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We know you’re not the guy,” Hayes picks up. “We heard about him back in the spring, and she wasn’t talking about you. She never smiled the way she has been when she was with you.”

“You’re just jealous you can’t have her and I can.”

Both make vomiting noises. “You do understand she’s essentially our sister, right?” Hayes says, amusement in his voice. “You really are dumber than a sack of bricks.”

“Truth,” Forest agrees. “Unfortunately for us, Quinn has always been a bit on the secretive side and likes to keep her cards close to her chest when it comes to her love life. I think, and I could be wrong, that may have started when a certain piece of shit asshole decided to break her heart over text.”

“Fuck you.”