Page 25 of Shoot Your Shot

I snap my gaze straight ahead, my jaw tensing. “The only unfinished business you and I have, Kolt, is a paper you need to sign.” Looking back at him, I cast a glare. “That’sit.”

At first, he looks pissed. And then intrigued. He puts his seat back a little further and shrugs. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we?”

“I guess we will. And it’ll end with two things happening. You getting cleared from your doctor to live alone and you signing a paper so we can both get on with our lives.”

His eyes narrow as I catch the store associate approaching my car. Quickly, I push the door open to help them unload the groceries into my trunk.

And I thank God that they saved me from wherever that conversation was going.

Itake the heating pad out from the closet, grab the bottle of Motrin, and set them on the kitchen counter. She might have tried to be secretive about it, but I could see through the Walgreens bag enough to notice the box of tampons. I know my wife, and her periods have always been awful for her. We might not be on the best terms, but I want her to at least be comfortable.

For as long as I’ve known her, more often than not during her cycle, she’d end up in bed or on the couch for a few days, clenching her stomach. She was so strong when it came to anything else, but her periods were debilitating. I think the most frustrating part was that it was obvious it wasn’t normal to have pain like that, and yet the doctors always brushed her off and would try to say birth control was the answer.

My phone pings, and right away, I know it’s either my mom, Klay, or a teammate. Because, well, who the fuck else would it be?

Logan: Stopping in to see you tonight, big fella. Not taking no for an answer either. I know you miss me.

For a moment, I just stare at the message. Because right now, the last thing I want is company. I’ve been home for five days now. In those five days, Paige has forced me to eat, practically crammed my meds down my throat afterward, and thenreminded me when it was time for me to do my PT exercises. I feel exactly how I did the day I left the hospital, and that’s aggravating as fuck because I’m young. I’m in shape. I shouldn’t feel this run-down.

Logan: I see you aren’t responding. I should have led with: Amelia wants to come see Uncle Kolt. She has something for you.

I look down at the message from Logan and scowl. If it wasn’t for his adorable kid, I’d probably send him back the middle-finger emoji in response to him saying he’s coming over tonight to visit me.

Me: You’re a lucky asshole that you have a kid I actually like.

Logan: Like I said, I know you miss me and my handsome face.

Me: No jokes—that’s the rule. My heart can’t take your shitty jokes.

Logan: Fine.

Logan: But I promise … you’ll “wholeheartedly” enjoy this visit.

Logan: Oh, and by the way … Walker and Poppy are coming too.

At the end of the last one, he sends a kissing emoji, like a jackass. The last thing I want to do is visit right now. And I also don’t know how comfortable Paige is going to be, especially since I’m almost positive this will be the first time she’ll be seeing Poppy since before she left.

She not only left me, but she walked away from our whole Sharks family too.

At his corny joke, I send him back the middle finger without thinking twice, and in true Logan form, he sends back a completely unfazed message.

Logan: You love me. I’ll see you soon.

Setting my phone down, I look around before Paige walks into the kitchen.

“How are you feeling?” she says, but before I can tell her I’m fine, she smiles. “Let me go ahead and answer the way you’re going to anyway … you feel fine.”

“I was going to say, I’m fucking perfect.” I groan, “And now, Logan’s bringing his big mouth over here later. Only good part of that is, I can see Amelia.”

She gives me a strained smile. “Amelia seems to have really taken a liking to you, Uncle Kolt.” She takes a sip from her water. “Might be good for you to see your friends.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that. I’d like to be left the hell alone,” I utter. “And apparently, Poppy and Walker are coming too. So, more people will ask me how I’m doing. Like I’m eighty years old and passed a kidney stone or some shit.”

Poppy is very pregnant right now. But I have no idea how to tell Paige that without making her sad. I know she and Poppy used to joke about getting pregnant at the same time. But obviously, it just wasn’t in the cards for us.

At the mention of Poppy and Walker, Paige’s body visibly tenses. But she brushes it off and attempts to look more relaxed. “Hey, if you don’t want me to be here when they visit you, I can go for a ride. Really. This is your house. And it’s your recovery.”

“Again, Buttercup, it’sourhouse. And if you’re ditching me to go on a ride, I’m fucking going too.”

---