24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Wes

“How do I look?”

I’m hetero through and through but hearing my captain’s voice just about made me drop to my knees in proposal.

I shuffle into the room, throwing a wink to the bruised and bandaged Cody lying under the covers.

“To me, you’ve never been sexier.”

Cody’s chuckle turns into a cough, and I try not to wince. His one eye is completely swollen shut, while the other seems to have broken a blood vessel. In the span of twelve hours, my captain has become a demon cyclops. And that’s being generous.

“You’ve always been too charming for your own good, Wes.” Cody tries to shift on the bed, and I hurry over.

“And you’ve always been too eager for your own good. Don’t try to move, let me call the nurses.” Grumbling, Cody leans back against his pillow and fixes a battered eye on me. At this rate, he could give Nick Fury a run for his money.

“Is Hunter okay?” I hit the button to summon a nurse and shake my head in exasperation. Even beaten to a pulp, Cody’s top priority is making sure his team is alive and well. They don’t make them like this one anymore.

“Hunter is pissed you took on Vector for him. Says you’ve destroyed his badass reputation.”

Another chuckle echoes from the lump on the bed, “Hunter couldn’t be a badass if he tried. Not with that haircut, anyways.”

“Facts.” I smirk at the thought of Hunter’s sheepdog bangs. Suddenly remembering everyone I promised an update, I whip out my phone and send a quick he’s awake! text to Trip, Nico, and Mo.

“Who won?” With my phone buzzing with happy emojis, it takes me a second to figure out what Cody is asking.

“The game? It got postponed to next weekend. Taber threatened to forfeit so the refs gave Silverwood two options: either they were the ones to forfeit or we do a rematch next weekend. Doesn’t take three guesses to figure out which one they chose.”

Nico stopped by late last night with Lace to check in on Cody and bring me food, so I got the latest scoop of lacrosse gossip.

“Why did Taber threaten to forfeit? You boys could have easily won the game without me.” Visibly agitated, Cody shifts around on his bed, wincing at the movement.

“Cap, no one wanted to win. Hell, no one wanted to play once you were injured. You’re our leader, so if you sit out, we all sit out. There was no question of continuing the game.” Something glistens in Cody’s red, unswollen eye, and I’m not sure if it’s appreciation or pain. Kind of hard to tell at this point.

My phone starts to buzz, so I sneak a glance down.

NICO: About damn time. Tell Cap he’s late to morning practice.

MO: Keep me updated on his diagnosis.

TRIP: YAY!!!

TRIP: Is he in good enough shape for Stella to come visit??

“You’re smiling.” I sheepishly look at my captain, tucking my phone back into my pocket.

“Sorry, everyone is happy to hear you’re conscious. I think you’re more popular injured than not.” Cody laughs just as a nurse rushes into the room.

“I apologize for the delay, what can I help you with?” Cody opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off.

“My friend here is in a lot of pain. Is there anything we can give him to make him more comfortable?” The nurse pulls out her notebook and flips the pages until she finds the right one.

“Cody Ellsworth?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The nurse runs her finger down the page, eyes trailing in pursuit. “It looks like you are due for another dose of pain reliever. Your cracked rib and broken cheekbone will still be tender, but this should relieve some of the discomfort.”

“Am I free to leave?” The nurse shakes her head, tapping a spot on the page.

“The doctors have you booked for one last MRI scan at noon today. If the swelling in your brain has gone down, you are free to leave.” Cody nods and I take the pills the nurse extracts from her scrubs.

“They’re extra strength, so only take two every six hours.” I look at the bottle and bite back a smile. It’s none other than your average Advil found at any local convenience store. Hope Cody wasn’t counting on the strong stuff.

“Thank you.” The nurse takes her leave and I pass two pills to Cody who swallows them dry.

“Vector did a number on you, hey?”

The demon eye turns my way and I swear I see a hint of a smile, “Nah, this is what I look like every Sunday morning.”

I chuckle, shaking my head, “God help your future wife.”

Cody laughs, then breaks into a painful wheeze. Giving him a second to catch his breath, I whip out my phone and text a response to Trip.

ME: He’s in rough shape. I’m not sure he’d want Stella to see him like this.

TRIP: Did you ask?

Busted.

“Stella’s wondering if she can come visit,” I blurt out the question before Trip can guilt me from fifteen blocks away. Something flashes in Cody’s eyes at the mention of Stella’s name, and I immediately feel bad for bringing it up.

“You have Stella’s number?” The sharpness in his tone brings me up short. That’s what Cody’s worried about right now? Me having his girl’s number?

I wave my phone innocently towards the bed, “Trip’s my messenger.” Cody’s bruised face immediately softens and I feel a smirk tug my lips.

“Would there be a problem if I didhave Stella’s number?”

Rolling his visible eye at me, the cyclops grumbles, “I change my mind. You’re not charming, you’re irritating.”

My smirk turns into a full-fledged grin, “But you are charmed by my irritating abilities, aren’t you?”

Getting a groan in return, I decide to let him off the hook. “Just playing with you, Cap. For real though, do you feel up to having visitors?”

Closing his eye momentarily, I get a glimpse of how much agony Cody is in. From the outside, it looks as though his body has been through a ringer, and that’s only a reflection of the inside damage. Considering his face looks like it got trampled by an elephant, I can only imagine what it must feel like on the inside. Even if visitors mean more suffering, knowing Cody, there’s no way he would turn them away. It’s not in his people-pleasing nature.

“You know what, why don’t we put the visitors on hold until you’re back home and able to move around. Chances are you’re being released tonight, so you’ll be able to celebrate your survival with everyone soon enough.”

Cody slumps against his pillow in relief, and I can tell he’s already drifting off to sleep.

"Thank you, Wes. For everything.” His breathing starts to get deeper and I take my cue to leave. Reaching for the door handle, I pause as incoherent mumbling hits my ears.

“What was that, Cap?”

“Can you tell Stella…” I lean closer, straining to make out the rest of Cody’s sentence. “…things will be different.”

“Different how?” Leaving my question unanswered, my battered captain falls into a deep slumber.

Lou

Stella didn’t take the rejection well.

“What do you mean I’m not allowed to visit Cody? Isn’t Wes with him right now?” My tiny roommate paces our equally tiny living room in frustration.

“Wes is going to explain everything once he’s back. Let’s wait and find out what he has to say before you go storming into the recovery room, scaring all the patients.”

“There’s only one patient I want to scare right now.” Stella scowls as she slumps back on the couch.

After our talk this morning, my roommate seems to be on more stable ground. Or maybe it was the 2-hour follow up gym session that helped her calming process. Stella’s flawless makeup is back in place, and her hair is pulled into a tight ponytail that separates into miniature braids flowing past her shoulder blades. If you don’t look too closely at the expertly applied concealer, Stella looks no different than any other day: confident and ready to conquer the day.

A knock on our door has her bolting for the door. Swinging it wide open, Stella grabs Wes and pulls him inside.

“Tell us everything you know.” I bite back a smile at the aggressive approach. Poor Wes looks exhausted and ready to collapse, but it’s heartwarming to see Stella’s fiery personality spark back to life.

“He’s got one more MRI to go, and if nothing drastic comes out of that, Cody will be home in time for dinner.” Still wearing his game jersey, Wes shuffles from side-to-side. “You might want to give him a few days, Stella. I’ve never seen him look so bad.”

Stella waves her hand impatiently, “I don’t care what he looks like.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. He’s just not ready to see anyone, physically or emotionally. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see you, he just doesn’t have the strength or energy right now.” Stella takes a step back as if she’s been hit.

“I see.” Hurt flashes through her dark blue eyes before a neutral mask takes its place. “In that case, I’ll make sure not to bother him. I wouldn’t want to drain Cody with my presence.” Stella turns and marches into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Wes turns to me with wide eyes, “Was it something I said?”

Shaking my head, I sigh, “She’s had a rough 24 hours. I’ll talk to her later.”

Taking a step closer, I reach out a finger to smooth the worry line etched between his brows. Wes closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine. I do my best to keep my eyes open, wanting to count how many freckles line his perfect nose, but my vision goes blurry and I find myself closing my eyes as well.

“I need a nap.” Wes’ gruff voice tugs my lips into a smile, and I choose to keep my eyes closed for a moment longer.

“A shower wouldn’t hurt either."

Wes chuckles and inches away, just enough so I can open my eyes without making myself dizzy. Flecks of gold sparkle through vibrant green and the mystery to Wes’ sparkling eyes is finally solved.

“I’m going to go shower then nap, but maybe you could come over and I can make you dinner tonight?”

Despite my efforts to keep a straight face, a smile tugs at my lip. “You mean like a date?”

“Exactly like a date.” Wes drops into a bow, holding his hand out like a Disney prince proposing a dance. “Trip, would you do me the honour of feasting with me tonight?”

Rubbing my chin in consideration, I let the lacrosse player sweat a few seconds before giving him a beaming smile, “I would love to.”

With a flash of movement, Wes has picked me up and is spinning me around the room. I squeal as my legs go flying through the air and we somehow manage to miss the old TV set and patchy sofas. He finally puts me down and kisses me briefly on the lips.

“Dinner is at seven. Wear anything you like.” He moves towards the door then pauses, flashing me a set of dimples. “Or nothing at all.”

The door shuts and I’m left standing in our living room, body flushed from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. I know Wes is joking, but there’s a part of me that’s intrigued.

Conflicting thoughts start to crowd my brain and my head starts to pound. For someone who’s always been behind on social etiquette it’s safe to say my experience in relationships lacks an equal amount, if not more.

I think it’s time to call in the calvary.

“STELLA!” My roommate’s door creaks open and a platinum ponytail peeks out. Given we are not five feet away, the shout was a touch on the dramatic side.

“I need your help.” My cheeks redden as a smirk creeps over Stella’s face. It’s pretty obvious she’s been eavesdropping, yet she still raises an eyebrow in question.

“Yes?”

I gulp, gesturing helplessly towards the door through which Wes departed. “I have a date.”

Stalking out of her room like a tiger on the hunt, Stella circles me slowly. “So, I heard. And what, may I ask, is the goal for tonight’s date?” Her outburst from earlier seems to be momentarily forgotten.

“Er, well, it’s not that I have a goal per say, but theoretically speaking, if this is almost our third official date…” I trail off and let my flushed cheeks fill in the rest.

Waving my concerns aside, Stella responds matter-of-factly, “Sex after the third date is just a suggestion. If you do it before or after, it makes no difference whatsoever. Every couple is different, it simply depends on what you’recomfortable with.” I shift nervously from side-to-side.

“So, its normal for me to want to… you know, with Wes? Even if this is only our second date?” Placing her hands on my shoulders, Stella stops my restless fidgeting and looks me deep in the eyes.

“Lou, it’s perfectly normal to feel what you’re feeling. I mean come on, you’ve seen the man, if you didn’t want to jump his bones, I would be concerned.” I chuckle uneasily, unsure of what to make of the hormones racing through me.

Adjusting her grip, Stella gives me a little shake, “That being said, there’s no pressure to do anything tonight. Go have fun and see what happens. If it feels right, go for it, if not, don’t. Wes is a good guy, he won’t care either way.” Some of the pressure lifts from my shoulders and I exhale heavily.

“About what Wes said earlier, I hope you know he didn’t mean anything by it. Cody doesn’t have the energy for anyoneright now,not just you.”

I scan my roommate’s face for her reaction, but Stella gives nothing away as she flicks a braided end over her shoulder, “I know.”

Something in her tone tells me there’s still hurt lingering below the surface, but before I can prod any further Stella raises a finger to silence me, “No more stalling. It’s time for the biggest decision of the night.”

The butterflies in my stomach start to flutter, “And what’s that?”

“Figuring out what you’re going to wear, of course.” Stella’s face breaks into a grin and I burst out laughing.

When it comes to priorities, my roommate always has hers in order.