Page 192 of The Fake Date Agreement

“Can we see him?” I step forward.

“Unfortunately, not right now. He’s still unconscious, and we’d like to keep him in overnight just to make sure there’s no internal bleeding or concussion.”

“He’s a hockey player, the captain of our team,” Reid says. “Playing means more to Caleb than anything, and we have the biggest game of our season in a couple of weeks. Do you think he’ll still be able to play?”

“That is more of a question for him and his coach. He’ll be sore and bruised and hurting for the next few days, at least. But before we get to that, we’ll observe him for internal bleeding, make sure there’s nothing else wrong, and go from there,” he says.

We both sag against the nearest wall in relief. He’s okay.

The doctor leaves after he asks us to fill in some information about Caleb.

We look at each other. Things could have been so much worse. If that was Marc driving, and I can’t think it would be anyone else, he could have broken Caleb’s leg or even killed him.

“I’m going to call his mom and brother,” Reid says. “He was?—”

I straighten. “Fuck!”

“What?” A line forms between his eyebrows.

“Tobie!” My eyes fly to the clock on the wall.

Eight thirty.

We were supposed to meet Tobie at the hotel lobby two hours ago.

“Have you got your phone?” I ask, frantically patting my pockets.

He shakes his head as he sticks both hands in his pockets. “I think it’s in the car.”

“Shit. Mine too.”

We bolt down the hallway, then stop and look at each other.

“One of us has to stay with him in case he wakes up or something.” Reid says what I’m thinking. “And the hospital needs us to fill out forms for Caleb.”

And Christian, his brother, will want to know what happened. Philly isn’t too far from us. Even if he turned around and came back to Lamont, one of us would still need to stay with Caleb at the hospital.

“I’ll bring up your cell and let you know what happens before I go to the hotel,” I say.

“I could go to the hotel,” Reid offers.

“And if you happen to bump into Marc on your way?”

He doesn’t respond.

“I’ll go. I may lay the guy out if I see him, but I won’t kill him like you will.”

I hurry out of the hospital and to the parking lot, where I dig out my cell phone from the center console of my car. It takes a little longer to find Reid’s. Eventually, I spot it wedged down the side of his seat, where it must have slipped out of his pocket.

We both have three missed calls from Tobie, and it’s a gut punch knowing she was there waiting in the lobby and not able to reach any of us.

A heavy weight presses down on my chest when I call her, and it goes straight to voicemail.

Maybe her battery is dead, but that doesn’t feel like what this is.

Not now.

On my way back inside the hospital, I call Caleb’s brother.

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