Page 67 of Playing My Rivals

God, I’m a shitty friend.

I flip the sheets back and scoot out of bed, then run my hands over my face as I mentally prepare for the day. My beard is longer than I keep it, but I don’t have the motivation to trim it up close and tight against my face.

I dig into my bag, check my phone for the time, then go find Dori. The door to Aiden’s room, where she was going to sleep, is open, so I peek my head in. She’s not in there, so I go to the kitchen.

She’s sitting at the table in a black tank top and pink pajama pants. Her hair is in a messy bun. She’s got her face buried in her hands.

I’ve always found her irresistible, and today is no different. She’s beautiful no matter what state she’s in. I shake the thought loose. Aiden’s in a coma. This is not the time to be wishing for a chance with his sister.

“Any word on Aiden?” I slide onto a chair next to her.

She lifts her head, and her hands fall, thudding against the table. Her cheeks are tear-stained and her eyes are swollen and red.

“He’s the same. They’re taking him in for tests today, so they told me it’s best if we don’t come in. They think it’ll be too much stimulation for him and said I should use the time to get some rest.”

She stands and mopes to the counter. “I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want some?”

“That sounds good.” My gaze drifts to the window out to the backyard.

The wind scatters leaves across the patio of Aiden’s back porch. The sun retreats behind a cloud and thunder rattles across the sky. It’s a reminder that nature can turn in a second. So can life. My head falls forward as I try to find more air.

“What do you want in your coffee?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

I lift my head in her direction. “I’ll fix it. You sit and take care of yourself.”

“How am I supposed to do that when all I can think about is how Aiden’s doing?” Her voice cracks.

I go to her and wrap my arms around her. “We have to trust that they’re doing everything they can to get him back to us.”

“I know, but I can’t sit here all day and do nothing. I’ll go out of my mind.” She buries her face into my chest.

I caress her back as we hold each other so we don’t fall apart. The waiting and not knowing is enough to shatter us to pieces. The only thing that helps is that we have each other.

“What do you need from me?” I dip my head to see her face.

She peeks up. “I have an idea, but it would be selfish.”

“Let me be the judge. If you think it’ll help you keep your thoughts in the right frame of mind, then tell me what your idea is.” I step back and softly smile her way.

“Take me to Iron Mountain Hot Springs for the day. I want to sip on one of their fancy drinks while I sit in that one hot tub that’s 104 degrees and overlooks the Colorado River. I want to rest my arms on the ledge and watch the river run as I listen to the zen music they play over the speakers until all my stress melts away.”

My chest shakes as I hold in a laugh. “Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”

“Other than the hospital, it’s the only place I want to be. It’s relaxing for me.” She turns and continues to fix our coffee. “Remember the first time we went there? Aiden dragged us up there.”

“Yeah, I do.” I step up next to her. “I say we go.”

“Really?” She glances at me. “You don’t think it’s selfish?”

“No. Aiden took us there because he loved it. It’s a great idea given the situation, but it’ll take a while for us to get there and back.” I pick up my coffee and go back to the table. “How well did you sleep?”

“Once I fell asleep, I slept great. I got up about an hour ago. Why?” She slides onto the chair across from me.

“I’m all for going up there, but I didn’t bring a suit, so we have to stop and get one. The biggest thing is you’re going to have to drive if you’re serious about this. My nerves are already shot. I can’t risk driving you up there and something happening.”

Her eyes radiate understanding. “I’ll drive. And I need a suit too. We can stop on the way up there.”

We sit in comfortable silence while we drink our coffee. My thoughts run through memories of times I shared with Aiden. I can’t let myself think there won’t be any more, so I move to thoughts of Dori.

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