9. Callum

I endedup driving more carefully than usual because being in the driver”s seat of the fancy rental car I’d been sent made me nervous.

It was at least as new and fancy as Addison’s car was in Austin. Clearly, he was a man who liked the finer things. He wouldn’t be as nervous driving it as I was.

I”d never had a brand-new car and this one was night and day to my decrepit rust pile which was now sitting in a recycling lot wherever I”d had it towed to.

I ran my hand over the steering wheel. Imagining Addison’s hands on it instead of mine, the same hands that had been touching me yesterday morning.

“Ugh!”

I shook my head violently trying to dislodge the intrusive thought.

The car swerved a bit and the person driving behind me quickly switched lanes.

I grimaced, trying to keep my attention on the road.

“Stop thinking about it!” I ordered myself tersely. “You should be thinking about how you bombed that game yesterday.”

My grandpapa, if he was watching, would probably tell me to buck up, that I’d do better the next time.

It was empty comfort. If he was watching from beyond, I wanted him to see me do a good job.

I felt down for all of five seconds before my thoughts lead me back to the reason I”d been suddenly playing yesterday to begin with, which was that Addison had gotten hurt because he”d been distracted by his stalker ex-boyfriend.

His first boyfriend. Who he”d probably lost his virginity to and everything.

“Stop!” I begged myself. “Stop, Callum. Just stop it.”

I pulled into the hospital parking lot, parked, and took a moment to groan into my hands.

Addison was inside waiting for me. I had to get it together. I didn”t even know why I was having such a hard time with this.

It wasn”t like I was homophobic. I hadn”t cared much when I”d found out my high school football coach was gay. A few of the guys had been immature about it when he wasn”t around to hear them, but that was mostly because a bunch of people had seen him kissing his boyfriend in the parking lot after school hours.

And Cooper was gay. Everyone knew that and it had barely crossed my mind. In fact, I was pretty sure I”d forgotten until just now. He was just Cooper, the friendly, intimidating-looking teddy-bear.

And Addison should still just be Addison, the sweet, confident, gay—No! I was supposed to be ignoring that part.

To my chagrin, a sudden knock on the passenger window made me jump and I looked over to find Addison grinning at me, sitting in a wheelchair in his everyday clothes.

“Shit,” I muttered, jumping out of the driver”s seat.

“You day dreaming?” he asked in greeting.

“I guess,” I said, hurrying around the car to help him in. I stopped dead at the sight of him. He looked really tired. There were dark circles under his eyes. His leg was elevated in a cast, now and his jeans were cut above the knee.

I didn”t know what to remark on first.

“I couldn”t get my leg into my pants,” Addison explained, chuckling. “I had to cut my pants up.”

“They put a cast on you.”

“Uh huh, better safe than sorry. I want to heal as fast as possible.”

I nodded.

“Okay, come on.”

I took his bag, throwing it into the back seat before opening his door and turning to him.

And now I had to do it. I had to help him. I had to touch him.

Fuck. What was wrong with me? Why did I care?

I bent low, slipping my arms around his waist as he wrapped his around my shoulders. It was easy to lift him. He helped with his good leg and carefully, we managed to get him into the passenger seat.

He slid it as far back as it would go before getting his injured leg in.

I released him, heart racing as though I”d done something like bungee jumping. That made me pause. Why did holding him feel... exciting?

Deciding I was still losing it, I took his wheelchair back to the entryway to buy myself a minute and then went around to the driver”s side.

“What time is our flight?” he asked once we were driving.

“Tomorrow, at nine,” I said but before I could say more, had to switch lanes and pay attention to the road for a minute.

It was a relief that there was something to distract me because when Addison smiled at me just there, I nearly got lost in it. He had such a welcoming smile.

What was happening?!

“So, what should we do today?” he asked.

I glanced at his leg, dubiously.

“Nothing?” I suggested, “Since, you know, you can”t even walk?”

He laughed.

“Oh! Shit!” I said, his predicament suddenly hitting me. “Do you need a wheelchair? Or crutches? Should we go get some?”

“That”s probably a good start,” he agreed.

I pulled into the next parking lot we passed so we could look up locations that sold them.

Before long, we were in a pharmacy and Addison was getting one adjusted to be taller and just like that, he was on his feet again.

“Come on,” he said. “I”m starving. Let”s find somewhere nearby to eat.”

We ended up window shopping as we walked, looking in at gift shops until we eventually found a Mexican place and went inside.

“I have to tell you something,” Addison said over his fish tacos, giving me a look.

“Oh, God. What is it?”

“I watched the game,” he admitted.

I groaned and sank in my seat, burrito forgotten.

“It”s fine,” he said. “You handled it better than I did. I was a fucking train-wreck. It didn”t even look like me out there.”

“Only because you”re normally so good. I was a complete flop from the start.”

“Not from the start, you just got more and more uncertain as it went on. Coach is going to have a complete breakdown written out for both of us by the time we”re back.”

“You”re joking.”

He shook his head.

“Nope. He”ll want us to study the game, figure out what we can do differently the next time. He always does, and even if he didn”t it”s the smart thing to do.”

I swallowed.

I didn”t want to rewatch it. The idea was already making me stress sweat.

“Don”t worry,” he said, kicking me under the table. “I”ll watch it with you. We can do it together.”

“Really?” I asked.

He nodded, taking another bite before swallowing.

“We both fucked up the same game,” he said. “We may as well go over it together.”

“You”re right,” I sighed. “Thanks.”

He shrugged.

“We”re friends and teammates. It”s nothing.”

Friends.

I had thought we were by now, but the word zinged through me, giving me a little electric buzz. Being friends with a famous football QB was probably the coolest thing to ever happen to me.

“Why are you smiling like that?” he asked.

“Because I”m friends with an NFL player,” I admitted, chuckling. “High school me would be flipping out right now.”

Addison grinned.

“Well, I”m friends with an NFL player too,” he said giving me a look. “I”m looking right at him.”

For some reason, that statement made it all feel more real than anything that had happened yet.

“I guess I never really let it sink in.”

“Imposter syndrome?” Addison asked curiously.

“Maybe. Yeah.”

“Well, let”s make that the first thing we deal with.”

He reached across the table, grabbed my arm and waited until I met his confident gaze.

“I, Addison Kelly, starting QB for the NFL team the Austin Troopers, am sitting across from a fellow NFL quarterback right now.”

I laughed, bowing my head because I couldn”t bear to look at those bright eyes while my cheeks heated a hundred degrees.

“Now you say it!” he said, giving me a little shove.

“Say what?” I asked, laughing.

“What are you?”

“I... am embarrassed, that’s what.”

“Oh, come on,” he said, his voice and smile softer now. “You”re a professional athlete. You made it.”

His words hit me hard. Right in the chest too because those had been some of Papa”s last words to me.

“I”m a professional quarterback,” I said. My voice wobbled but Addison grinned.

“Louder.”

I cleared my throat.

“I”m a professional quarterback,” I said, surer this time.

Addison grinned and released me.

“Good. Get used to saying it. You aren”t going anywhere.”

“Thanks, Coach,” I chuckled.

Instead of laughing, Addison tilted his head, looking at me.

“Well, you know what?” he asked. “That”s not a bad idea.”

“What?”

“I”m off my legs for a while,” he said. “Maybe I can help you out while I am.”

I shook my head.

“Our team already has enough coaches,” I reminded him. “Plus, a specific quarterback one.”

“I know, I know,” he said, waving me off. “I won”t step on any toes. I”ll just help where I can. Like with your game reviews.”

I licked my lips, thinking about it.

“Sure. Let”s do it. And in exchange?—”

Addison groaned.

“I don”t need anything! I don”t want payment.”

“I can at least drive you around,” I suggested. “Take you to appointments, things like that.”

He frowned thoughtfully.

“Of course, it”ll have to be in your car since I don”t have one anymore.”

Addison laughed.

“Since I know you know how to drive now, I”ll accept this proposal.”

He reached across the table, and we shook on it.

I was pretty sure I was seriously winning out in this deal, but I chose not to argue it.

It was interesting that being with Addison made me feel a little like yesterday hadn”t happened. This morning I”d felt like there was only gloom and doom in my future and now it seemed like we could only go up from here. And we”d do it together.

Hell, if I was going to climb to the top, Addison was pretty great company to do it with.

Instead of heading back to the car after lunch, we somehow ended up walking by the water until I noticed the way Addison was wincing and forced him to sit on a bench while I went back to get the car.

By the time we were back in our room, I knew I”d let him push it too far.

He practically collapsed into bed and fumbled for the bottle of painkillers he”d been given.

“What did the doctor say to do?” I asked.

“Keep it elevated,” he said, wincing as he swallowed the pills, taking a swig from his water bottle.

I hurried to place some pillows around where his knees would go and then bent, taking his feet, and carefully lifting them so that he was forced to lay back on the bed.

He groaned as I set his legs on the pillow.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

He nodded but he was pale, and a sheen of sweat was forming on his skin.

“Just lay back and try to relax,” I said.

“It”ll just be a bit until the painkillers kick in.”

“Don”t worry,” I said anxiously. “You don”t need to entertain me.”

He let out a breath.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

I stood there for a minute, wanting to do more, and beating myself up over the fact that I”d walked around with him after a pretty bad injury and hadn”t questioned if he could handle it.

I”d been too damn distracted by whatever we”d been talking about, and he had handled those crutches like a champ.

I went around the room, shutting the curtains and turning down the lights. I knew it was bad because he didn”t argue, just sank lower into the pillows with a sigh.

When I was done, I stood there for a minute wondering what to do next. I ended up standing there for a minute before going to the washroom, just so that I wasn”t staring at him while he tried to rest.

Apparently, whatever he”d been given made him sleepy because, by the time I walked back out again, he was dozing.

It was my first time inFlorida,and I was sure there was a lot to see. I wasn”t Addison”s caretaker, but I didn”t want to leave him here on his own. It wasn”t what friends did.

So, even though it was way too early to sleep, I found myself climbing into bed next to him unable to help gazing at his sleeping face.

He would have looked peaceful if not for the frown fixed between his brows.

I shouldn”t have let him walk around straight out of the hospital. That seemed obvious now.

Oh well, what was done, was done. I”d do better for him tomorrow.

Until then, I would just sit here and read.

I pulled out my e-reader and opened the book I was halfway through on strength and conditioning.

It was easy enough reading but no matter how passionate I was about the topic, after a couple hours, my eyes were drooping.

I lay down and stretched out, switching to my phone instead.

A couple of friends from back home had messaged me, saying they”d watched the game and seen my interview. It was all encouraging stuff, people congratulating me or saying I”d win next time.

I smiled and glanced toward Addison”s dark form in the bed. Now that the sun had gone down, I couldn”t see him anymore, but I still found myself fixated on his shadowy shape.

Too bad he”d had to get hurt for me to get out there. And on the first game of the season too.

And over a crazy ex from years ago.

I could only imagine how he must feel right now.

He didn’t deserve that. Addison deserved only the best.