Chapter 22

: Brandon

W hat the hell is going on here? I’m agreeing with Andi Nichols on something? Specifically about my family?

Her situation is different, for sure, but there’s a level of tragedy that most people wouldn’t understand. Of course, it’s not her fault that her brother has a disease. As my dad so likes to remind me, if it weren’t for my tournament, my mom and Jess wouldn’t have been in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that day to begin with.

I always wanted to counter with, “if you’d have let me play football like I wanted ...” but I also know it’s pointless to argue with that man. Which is why I need to keep him as far away from this plan as possible.

I look at Andi, who’s fading fast. She definitely has a concussion. “Listen, you need to get some rest.”

She nods, almost listless. Slowly, she puts her head in her hands.

“Where do you live?”

“Everett.”

Fuck, that’s north of Boston. “Jesus, what are you doing all the way up there?”

She shrugs. “I have to have quick access to Logan to fly places. It’s not like I’m driving down here daily.”

“You need to go to the doctor.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Andrew, you’re not fine. I’m taking you to the ER.”

She looks up. “You can’t. I’ll drive myself.”

I’m not the brightest bulb, but even I know she should not be getting behind the wheel of a car. She’d be just as bad as a drunk driver. I won’t have that on my tally too.

On the other hand, I understand what she’s saying. “Hang on, I’ve got a plan.”

“Yikes.”

Even with a brain injury, she’s still giving me shit. I cannot with this woman. I smile as I grab my phone and call Landon.

“Hey, I need a favor.”

There’s silence on the line.

“Hello?” I ask. “Landon, are you there? Landon? It’s me, Brandon.”

“Yes, I’m here,” he finally responds. “It’s just normally when you call someone, you start with basic pleasantries and greetings, and you don’t just launch in with what you want.”

“Hello, Landon. How are you this evening? I don’t care. I need your help.”

“The only reason I’m not hanging up on you right now is that you never ask for help.”

When a team works, you become like family. We might fight, but at the end of the day, we’re there for each other. I mean, that’s how family is supposed to be. My father may not do that, but at least the guys on the Buzzards do. “What’s Carlos doing right now? I actually need him.”

Landon’s boyfriend used to be Callaghan Entay’s girlfriend’s roommate. Okay, so maybe we’re a little incestuous family. All that matters is I can trust Landon and Carlos to be discreet, just like I know I can trust Callaghan and Hannah. There are not many people in that circle.

“Look, I’ve got a situation. Someone needs a ride to the ER, and I can’t bring them.”

“What did you do? This is fucked up, man. We’re not going to be accomplices to crimes.”

I sigh. I hadn’t considered how bad this would sound. “I swear, it’s not some cloak-and-dagger bullshit. Can you guys come? You’ll understand when you get here.”

“Is it illegal?”

“Would it matter if it was?”

I can practically picture the gerbils on their wheels inside Landon Stubbs’s brain as he mulls this over. “Probably not, but I don’t want to end up on some Netflix documentary.”

“I swear, it’s nothing interesting like that. I’m no Aaron Hernandez. There’s no crime. We just need a little discretion.”

I disconnect and sit back down at the table with Andi. “Help is on the way. But you also gotta love that people automatically assume I committed a crime.” I try to laugh it off.

It’s not funny.

“Landon’s on his way.”

“Landon Stubbs? He can’t take me to the hospital either! I don’t need to be accused of having inappropriate relationships with two Buzzards players.”

“Trust me, you’re not Stubbs’s type.”

She levels her gaze at me. “Gee, thanks.”

“Well, considering his boyfriend Carlos is going to be the one to take you to the ER, it’s not something I’d take personally.”

“Oh. I guess there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Trust me, Landon knows how to be discreet. He shouldn’t have to be, but that’s his bag of rocks to carry, not mine.”

She processes this statement for a minute. Her eyes look a little glazed. “Does everyone on the team know?”

I nod. “It’s not because of the team. It’s a family thing for him. Whatever. Family sucks.”

“Family can be great.”

“The guys on the team are my family, and even they don’t like me that much.” As I say it, I realize it’s the truth. Normally I pretend that it doesn’t bother me. Right now, it does.

I don’t have time to get into the touchy-feely crap because Landon and Carlos are at the door. When Landon walks in and sees Andi Nichols sitting at my kitchen table, he stops cold.

“I had a feeling it was about a woman, but this was the very last thing I imagined.” Landon shakes his head.

“So, long story short, Andrew here had a little accident on the treadmill, and we think she has a concussion. She can’t drive herself to the ER, but it would look super bad if one of us drove her. Can Carlos take her?”

Carlos smiles at Andi. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you into the car.” She stands up and gingerly heads toward the door. Her feet are bare.

“Hang on, you need your sneakers.” I dash to the living room and grab them. Squatting down in front of her, I open up her shoe so she can easily slide her foot in. She steadies herself with her hand on my shoulder. I tie it and we repeat for the other leg. “Okay, you’re good to go.”

They walk out to the car. “Carlos, thanks,” I call. Carlos looks back at me and nods quickly. He’s got his arm around her back, guiding her as she walks slowly. Something about the image rattles around my brain, but I can’t figure it out.

It’s only when I return to my kitchen that it hits me. Andi’s wearing my clothes. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for my last name displayed prominently across her back.

Shit.