Chapter 41

chapter forty-one

Quinn

After an hour of rearranging pillows on the couch, I finally come up with a decently comfortable set up. Two behind the back and two under the foot reigns supreme.

"I ordered some food. It should be here anytime." Ava chirps, plopping down on the loveseat adjacent to the couch I'm sprawled out on.

"Thanks," I smile. "Thanks for coming with me this weekend. I don't know how I would've done it without you."

She flips her hair over her shoulder dramatically, "I'm quite literally the queen of best friends."

I smile, "I'm serious Ava, thank you for being so amazing. I know that it's been all about me and my drama lately, but I swear I'm here for you. No matter what."

"I'm glad you said that," She grins, propping herself up on her knees. "I wanted to ask you to do me a huge favor."

Instantly, my mind runs wild with what on earth she could possibly want. "Depends on the request."

"Help me with Remi. I don't know what to do. I'm hopelessly obsessed with that guy and he doesn't even know I'm on the same planet."

I laugh, "Are you blind? Remi most definitely knows you're on the planet."

"Ughhhhh," She growls. "Why won't he just fall in love with me already? I'm dyin' here."

"He's just scared, Ava. You need to stop trying to force it. If it's meant to be, it'll happen."

Ava groans, tossing her head back, "Says the girl who has two of the hottest guys I've ever seen literally fighting over her."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah cause that's just been cupcakes and rainbows."

"Just tell me what to do," she whines. "How do I get my foot in the door?"

"I have an idea," I sigh. "But it's not immediate and you're gonna have to trust me."

"Okay, tell me what to do."

"Nothing… yet."

She huffs, "Quinn, your patience is impeccable. Mine sucks."

Finally, the teams are lining up for kickoff but I don't immediately see Gavin. In fact, the first drive on offense, Gavin never takes the field.

"That's weird," Ava says. "Gavin is usually in the game."

"Maybe the run game is working and they are just saving him."

I nearly laugh at myself when I realize how much I've learned about football over the past couple months.

Ava giggles, "Why do you sound like a little mini Levi?"

I shrug, "I've been spending a lot of time with them."

The offense comes off the field settling for a field goal, and the defense takes the field. The other team scores on the first play, and Ava and I just look at each other.

What is going on?'

The other team kicks the ball into the endzone, bringing it out to the twenty-five yard line and I finally see my number 2 take the field. I don't take my eyes off him, and after two plays and barely moving the ball, the ball is snapped and I watch as Gavin cuts across the middle and catches the ball. He runs quickly into the endzone, no defender even close enough to potentially tackle him.

The camera pans down to the end zone and I wait for him to look into the lens but he doesn't. He doesn't smile, he doesn't even celebrate with his teammates. He lets the ball roll off his fingers to the ground and walks back to the sideline.

"Something is wrong with him," Ava says. "Gavin is always so smiley. He's a goofball."

The fact that I might be the reason he's unhappy hurts my chest.

We don't score again and halftime rolls around quickly. I send Levi a text to check on Gavin.

Is Gavin okay?

Levi

He's alive but no I wouldn't say he's okay.

What can I do?

Levi

Nothing.

He won't respond to my texts.

Levi

Coach forced him to room with Collins, I don't think he slept.

I have to fix this.

Levi

I don't think you can right this second.

Will you just tell him that I said the answer is always Pepsi?

Levi

WTF. K, I'll tell him.

Halftime ends and the Eagles get the ball back. After a few short screen passes, finally Gavin goes deep and the ball soars straight into his hands. With two short strides, he's in the endzone. Ava and I squeal and I can't look away from the TV. Gavin's hands are in the shape of a heart right in the frame of the camera.

Levi told him what I said.

"Oh-em-gee! Quinny, he's doing that for you!" Ava smirks. "Just like the games at the Ridge."

My heart warms. I needed that from him, I needed to know he was okay. That we could be okay.

Our defense is having trouble keeping the other team out of the endzone and that requires us to answer to every single touchdown to keep the lead. The next time the offense takes the field, Gavin lines up and when the ball is snapped he runs a route that cuts straight across the field.

As the ball leaves Warren's hands a defender barrels straight into Gavin. His helmet smashes against Gavin's. I watch helplessly as Gavin's neck springs backward and his helmet comes off.

I stop breathing.

The next fifteen seconds happen in slow motion. The referee throws a flag into the air and Gavin doesn't move. The training and medical staff rush the field and I can't stop looking. Remi yanks his helmet off and tosses it across the field at the asshole that hit Gavin. I watch as the referee pushes him back to our sideline.

"Quinn, he's not getting up."

I panic, hobbling over to the tv, "Please get up, Gav. Come on, baby. Please."

Levi joins the huddle that's surrounding him, and I can't see him. Tears begin to sting as they coat my eyes, and I still can't see him.

I need to see him!

The station cuts to commercial and my entire body begins to shake. What if he's not okay?

I've never felt so helpless. So completely and totally out of control as I do right now, staring at a Geico commercial on the screen. I start to sob.

The front door opens and Liv walks in. The second she sees me she is immediately at my side. "Quinn what's wrong, what happened?"

I sniffle, "He's… it's Gavin… what if he's not okay?"

My heart beats in my ears and I can't really hear what's happening between Liv and Ava. Jake places an ice pack on the back of my neck and helps situate me back on the couch. The longer I stare at the TV, the more pissed I become.

"He's laying on the goddamn field and I'm watching fucking commercials. I need to know if he's okay!"

It comes out as a desperate scream, and Ava comes over to squeeze my hand. "He's okay, Gavin's tough."

The coverage resumes and pans back to the field where both teams are now huddled and Gavin is nowhere to be seen. The sportscaster is rambling on about how detrimental losing Gavin Richardson will be to the Eagles.

They never once think about how detrimental it would be for me. Of course, that's not their job. To them he's just Gavin Richardson, wide receiver for the Ridge U Golden Eagles.

To me, he's everything.