Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

T he fluorescent lights buzzed softly, casting a cold, sterile glow over the hospital waiting room. Lila sat at the edge of a stiff chair, her hands clasped before her, bouncing slightly as she stared at the linoleum floor. Just then, the door swung open, and Mark rushed in.

“You!” she screamed, her eyes narrowing the second she spotted him. Mark barely had time to get his bearings before Lila was in front of him, her face flushed with anger.

“Lila, I?—”

“Don’t even try it, Mark.” Her voice trembled with rage. “Where have you been?”

“I just got the message!”

“I’ve been fielding phone calls from the press all afternoon about Colby’s condition. I’ve been doing your job.”

“Colby is not my only client.”

Lila was incredulous. “I don’t give a shit about your other clients!” Her chest was heaving. “You know she passed out, right? Behind the fuckin’ wheel! What the hell were you thinking, telling Colby to lose weight?”

Mark opened his mouth but found himself unable to form a response. His throat felt dry, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her intense stare. “I was...only trying to help her.”

Lila crossed her arms. “Help her? By pushing Colby to fit some impossible image? She’s one of the best drivers in the circuit, and all you can think about is her weight?”

“She’s in the public eye, Lila. She needs to look the part.” Mark straightened, trying to regain some composure. “Sponsors notice these things. Image matters.”

Gonzo was equally pissed. “So, you’re the reason Colby’s dropped so much weight?” he asked as he came to stand next to Lila.

“Yeah, this asshole is the reason.”

Mark shook his head. They weren’t going to blame this mess on him. “I’m not going to be too many more assholes. It’s my job to make sure her image is on point. I’ve done that. So, if I have to push her a little, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“No, safety matters, Mark.” Lila’s voice rose, drawing a few curious glances from the nurses behind the desk. “She passed out behind the wheel. She’s lying in a hospital bed right now because of your so-called ‘advice.’”

Brian walked into the waiting room just as Mark started to get a little too close and aggressive with Lila. “Dude, I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but I need you to back the fuck up.”

Mark ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “I didn’t tell her to push herself to this point. I just...I wanted her to stay competitive. The expectations for women in sports are different, Lila, you know that.”

Lila shook her head, eyes blazing. “Do you think I don’t get that? I know what Colby goes through every day, fighting to be taken seriously. But you’re supposed to have her back. Instead, you shoved her into a box, one that nearly killed her today.”

Mark went silent in the face of Lila’s anger.

“She trusted you with her career,”—Lila’s voice dropped, low and firm—“not her life.”

Mark continued to shake his head. “This is not my fault. We don’t even know what’s wrong with Colby or why she passed out.” He would not take responsibility for this.

Lila took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from throat punching Mark. “Maybe it’s time you stopped worrying about what the world wants Colby to be and started focusing on who she is. Because right now, she’s a human being who’s hurt.”

Brian needed to diffuse this situation, or he was going to end up in jail for beating the shit out of Mark for upsetting Lila. Brian could feel the tension radiating off her shoulders as he gently massaged them. “How are you going to handle the media?” He turned to Mark. “They can’t get wind of this.”

“The official line that I’ve been telling the press,” Lila said, “is that Colby has the flu and just needs some fluids. She’s been admitted for overnight observation. I hope that’s true. I hope she’ll wake up and walk out of here tomorrow.”

Mark’s jaw tightened. His voice was clipped. “I guess that’s the story we’ll have to go with since you put it out there.”

“If you had been here and doing your job,” Lila spat, “I wouldn’t have had to come up with a story at all.”

Mark worked to suppress his anger and released a slow, exasperated breath. “I’ll handle it from here.” The irritation in his eyes was unmistakable. Mark wasn’t used to being questioned.

Brian was skeptical. “Are you sure you’re on top of it? Because I don’t know how you can manage this crisis and still be standing here.”

Mark started to say something smart, then changed his mind. Instead, he turned to no one in particular. “Keep me posted about Colby.” With those parting words, he walked out of the waiting room.

Brian wrapped his arms around Lila, and she buried her face into his chest. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “Colby’s tough. She’s going to be fine.”

Lila’s voice was muffled as tears stung her eyes. “If I had done what Colby asked, she wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed, unable to wake up.”

“This is not your fault. It was an accident.” Brian stopped and tipped Lila’s face toward his. “What did she ask you to do?”

“She wanted me to replace him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Brian asked.

Lila sighed, happily surprised that there was no judgment in Brian’s voice. “My own insecurities. I know now that was a mistake, and as soon as she wakes up, if she still wants me to take over, I will.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Positive.”

Brian cracked a mischievous smile. “That’s going to be one hell of a combo.”