Page 99 of Force Play

I’m not ready to know. I’m not ready for everything to change.

When I don’t move to answer, Dom takes the phone from me and accepts the call, putting it on speaker. “Hello,” he says. His voice is fuzzy and distant, but I can still hear the pain in it—see it etched in the lines of his face.

“I think I have the wrong number. I’m looking for Indie Moreno,” Dr. Smith says.

“Right number, this is Dom. She’s here with me, but she’s having a little trouble talking right now.” Smoothing his hand over my hair, he squats, so he’s eye level. “Indie, Baby, can you talk to Dr. Smith for me?” His voice cracks as he struggles to keep his composure.

“Maryann, I’m here,” I croak out, my throat dry.

“Indie. I’d like you to come into the office.”

My world collapses in on itself. Dom’s arms band around me keeping me upright as my chest constricts, making it impossible to breathe, to see, to do anything other than fall apart. This is it. The reason I always put off testing. Everything is about to come crashing down around me.

“We’ll be there soon.” His gravelly voice barely registers as he disconnects the phone and takes over.

Somehow he gets me into the car, never leaving my side as he calls Coach Wilson and a few other people. Some of it’s about him and some about me. The one thing I pick up from the calls is that he never calls any of the guys. I hear everything but nothing penetrates the haze of despair that I’m drowning in. Everything is distorted, like I’m underwater as I stare out the window, not focusing on anything as the city passes us by.

When he parks the car in the lot, his hand covers my knee. I feel him squeezing and I know he’s talking, but I still can’t focus. It’s not until he comes around to my side of the car, opening the door, unbuckling me, and putting both hands on my face that the world starts to come back into focus.

“You need to go. You can’t be here,” I say in a blind panic, only now realizing that he needs to get to the stadium.

“I’m not going anywhere, Indie. Coach knows I’m dealing with a personal matter.”

“But you have a game. You can’t—” Tears stream down my face. This isn’t supposed to be his life. I’m messing it all up.

“Listen to me carefully. There is nowhere else I need to be today but here with you. Understood?”

I nod, but I’m not sure I do. Why would he give up everything he’s worked for his entire life for this mess?

“I need you to look at me.” His thumbs smooth over my cheekbones. “Do you see me?”

“Yeah,” I say, sniffling before I find his amber eyes.

“That’s it, Baby. You’re going to let me be here, right?”

“Please don’t leave me,” I say, collapsing into his chest.

“Never,” he murmurs into my hair.

We stay like that, locked together in the parking lot for a few minutes, until I finally pull back. “I’m ready.”

Chapter 37

Dom

Sitting in Dr. Smith’s tiny office with my trembling girlfriend, I’m only now noticing how sterile and cold it is. Squeezing Indie’s hand, I use my other hand to drag her chair closer. If I think this place is scary right now, she must be out of her mind.

There’s a knock at the door and I turn my head to see Dr. Smith come in, her lips pressed into a thin line. Instead of taking a seat behind the desk, she pulls her stool around, sitting on the other side of Indie and taking her hand.

“Just tell me,” Indie says, her voice heartbreakingly defeated and completely void of any emotion. She’s broken, numb, and it’s fucking killing me.

“Your test was positive for the BRCA 1 mutation.”

All the air is sucked out of the room, leaving me feeling lightheaded, but somehow I keep my voice even as I ask, “What does that mean?”

Indie turns to me, a single tear rolling down her cheek, her dark eyes guarded. “It means an exceedingly high risk of breast, ovarian, fallopian, and a whole host of other terrible cancers. Still sure about staying?” There’s a bite in her tone that I try not to take personally.

“If you want me to leave, security will have to drag me out,” I tell her, brokering no argument with my equally harsh tone. “I know the statistics. What I want to know is what’s next.”

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