4. Greedy

Hunter's not around when Levi comes to again.

I've pulled a chair closer to his bed, watching as he sleeps.

The grimace he pulls every few breaths, even while he's still out, makes it obvious he's in more pain than he admitted when the nurse came to administer meds. He took the OTC pain reliever, insisting he didn't need the narcotics.

"You should take the meds they offered," I tell him when he finally opens his eyes.

His reason for not taking them is bullshit. He's nothing like his dad, and even if he did slip, I wouldn't let him falter.

"Greedy. Hey, man." Another grimace as he tries to sit up.

"Here." I rest a hand on his arm to stop him, then I adjust the bed so he's in a more upright position.

With a grunt, he shifts, trying to get comfortable.

"Seriously, Leev. Let me call the nurse back in. You need something stronger."

"No." It's barely more than a whisper, but his tone is resolute.

"You've always been a stubborn ass, you know that?"

He says nothing, so I press on.

"What do you think is gonna happen if you take the pain meds you clearly need?"

He stares at me blankly, his eyes hazy and his face drawn, but he doesn't respond.

Dammit. My chest aches for him. "Seriously, Levi. There's nothing wrong with accepting help."

Lowering his chin, he focuses on his lap, mindlessly tracing the IV still running in his arm.

"Okay, no pain meds." I'm not giving up. But I can give him a reprieve for now. "How about you tell me how this happened?"

His silence persists. He doesn't look up, and I swear he sinks a little farther into the mattress.

He's always been stubborn and bullheaded.

But so have I.

"Seriously, man, if you're not going to talk to me, then why the hell did you ask us to be here? You think I'd choose to spend the day here, being ignored by Hunter?"

Thatfinally gets his attention.

His blue eyes blaze with indignation as he looks up and pins me with a glare.

Another grimace.

Another sigh.

And then, gaze averted again, he finally cracks. "I didn't know who else to call." The words are barely more than a whisper, but there's no masking the tremble in his voice. "It happened so fast. I was asleep in my bed in California two nights ago, man. And now… Fuck. And now I'm here."

I respect the weight of the situation. But I can't help him if he doesn't open up and really talk to me.

Shifting closer to the bed, I duck my head, trying to catch his attention. "What happened?"

He closes his eyes, head lolling to the side. He's quiet for so long I wonder if he hasn't drifted back to sleep. I've resigned myself to sitting back and waiting again when he speaks.

"Three weeks ago, I took a hard hit. It was a fair play. The tackle was clean. But I took an ill-placed helmet to the quad."

"Did you sit out the rest of the game?"

The room is silent aside from his pained breathing and the beeps of the monitors.

I know the answer. I found the footage online. He didn't sit out for the rest of the game. He didn't even sit out for the next play.

Legs spread wide, I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. I'm supposed to report to the weight room in less than an hour, but I refuse to leave Levi's side now that we're actually making progress.

"Why didn't you sit out? Why didn't you tell your coaches you were injured?"

"The adrenaline masked the severity of the injury at first," he admits. "After the game, I iced it, and I took it easy the next day. I figured it was a contusion."

"What did the training team say when they looked at it?" I press.

He grits his teeth and turns away almost imperceptibly, which is all the answer I need.

Stomach twisting, I rough a hand down my face. Making no attempt to mask my condescension, I ask, "You didn't tell your coaches or trainers?"

That does it. Finally.

Levi detonates. He sits up straight and thrashes in a way that has to fucking hurt, given that he's only been out of surgery for a few hours.

"You have no idea what it's like! Fuck, man. To have a full ride athletic scholarship. To have your entire future—your entire fucking life—tied up in the ability to perform."

He huffs, clearly in pain, and sucks in a deep breath. Then another.

"I don't have a rich daddy or med school to fall back on, Garrett."

I let the insult land. He needs the outlet. If railing at someone will make him feel better, I'll gladly take the brunt of his anger.

"So it was about the money?"

"It's about my fucking life, Greedy!" He's breathless and grimacing, but he doesn't stop. "My future. My whole fucking life."

"Oh."

In unison, we turn our heads and zero in on the doorway.

Hunter's there, Styrofoam cup in hand. Face pinched, she rushes to Levi's other side, sets her tea down, and immediately fusses over his pillow and the angle of his head.

"You're awake. What can I do for you? What do you need?"

He gives a soft smile, his demeanor instantly morphing from fury to relief.

Hunter leans closer, brushing a few stray hairs off his forehead. The simple move sends a jolt of jealousy through me. She touches him so easily. Speaks to him with such kindness. A kindness I haven't been on the receiving end of in years.

"Can I get you something to drink? Water? Tea?"

Levi rests against the pillow she just fluffed for him, shaking his head back and forth gingerly. "It's so good to see you, Daisy."

She stills, her shoulders lowering and her expression softening. "It's really good to see you, too." The smile she offers him is brilliant and sincere. The sight of it is like a punch to the solar plexus.

Levi left for college two days after I headed to football camp. Hunter had disappeared just a few days before.

The full ride athletic scholarship to California Coastal Tech was life-changing for him.

His dad was an alcoholic and a pill popper who had a fatal heart attack before he turned fifty.

His mom let Levi's dad beat on him when he was a kid. I can't say I have much respect for a parent who doesn't stand up for their own child. I couldn't count how many nights Levi ended up at my house, fresh bruises blossoming on his body that he brushed off as nothing.

I spent most of the summer before college living with him. We'd realized months earlier that his dad would leave us the hell alone if he knew it was two against one.

Ultimately, I was glad Levi had gotten out of this place. Even if he had to leave when I needed him most.

When Levi left for college, he was gone for good. He didn't come home for holidays. He stayed in California each summer. Over the years, we've exchanged the occasional text, but our relationship has never been the same.

Part of that is because of what happened.

Part of that is my fault.

Something broke inside me when Hunter left.

I didn't have it in me to make the effort.

But he changed, too.

Envy taking over, I cross my arms over my chest. "If you two are done making heart eyes at each other, Levi was just about to tell me how he ended up back in North Carolina, needing emergency surgery."

Hunter plants one hand on her hip and hits me with the scowl I've become so goddamn familiar with these last few months.

Good. I'd rather she glare at me with disdain than look at him so lovingly.

"Football injury. It was worse than I realized." He shrugs, schooling his expression. "I went to the ER earlier this week because my leg kept going numb and the swelling was getting worse. At first, they suspected myositis ossificans."

"Myo-ossif-what?" Hunter asks.

"Calcification of the muscle after injury or overuse," I explain, pushing away the hurt, because fuck, this shit is serious. "Bone starts growing in the soft tissue because the muscle didn't properly heal."

"Ouch." Hunter frets, frowning down at Levi.

"Yeah," he confirms, affecting a bullshit nonchalant tone. "Ouch." Turning to me, he adds, "X-rays weren't conclusive, so they ordered an MRI. There was calcification for sure. But they also mentioned compartment syndrome."

"Fuck, man." I instinctively assess his wrapped and immobilized thigh, searching for signs of swelling I can't see. If blood flow is affected by the leg for too long, he could lose all feeling and function of his leg. "I can't believe you endured a cross-country plane ride like that."

"Didn't have much of a choice," he offers.

"Why are you here, Levi?" Hunter asks gently, grasping his hand.

I hold my breath. Now we're finally getting somewhere.

"If you needed emergency surgery, why wouldn't you stay at the hospital in California and—"

"It didn't make sense to stay in California." Levi bows his head. "I lost my scholarship. I can't afford to pay for this surgery as it is. And I'm gonna need help getting around and rehabbing this leg if I ever want to walk or run again."

Hunter softly gasps. "It's that bad? From a football injury?"

Frustrated, I can't help but interject. "It's that bad from a secret football injury that he neglected to have treated."

My accusation doesn't affect the sympathy rolling off Hunter. "Oh Levi, I'm so, so sorry." Her bottom lip wobbles as she surveys our friend. A second later, she's throwing her arms around his neck.

The envy is back. I roll out my shoulders, trying and failing to tamp down on the bitterness engulfing me as I watch her hold him, wrapping him up in what I assume is a warm, comforting embrace. What I wouldn't give to be the one in her arms. It's not until she releases him and steps back that I realize I've been holding my breath.

"You won't be able to play football again, will you?"

He meets her gaze but says nothing. He doesn't have to.

Her eyes widen as a silent understanding passes between them.

I do a double take when a single tear spills over my friend's lashes.

Fuck.

My chest constricts at the thought. I'm still pissed, but I fucking feel for him. I hate that he didn't prioritize himself or seek medical help when he needed it. But at least he's here now.

I don't know the depth of his pain or the complexity of his struggles. But I won't let him go through any of it alone.

"We're here for you, Levi," I vow, nodding to Hunter, then back to my best friend.

Hunter nods along in agreement, her face solemn.

"Whatever you need, however we can help," I say. "We're here for you."