Page 94 of Second Down Darling

At the next light, I try calling Charlie for the millionth time, but it goes straight tovoicemail.

“Baby, I hope you’re getting these messages. I’m on the way to the hospital. Hang tight. Traffic is a bitch, but I’ll be theresoon.”

The words feel insignificant. I don’t know what to say. I feel like shit she got hurt, and Coach seems to think it’s my fault for not “getting some space” in my relationship with Charlotte like he suggested. What did he want me to do? Ignore her on thesidelines?

And yeah, I get that he means back off her in general, but that’s not me. I’m not gonna fuck her over like that. Not after everything we’ve been through to get to thispoint.

Que Dios la cuide.In a panic I channel my mother’s piety and say a prayer that Charlie’s allright.

I spend the next hour inching through town. Literally could’ve jogged to the hospital faster than the time it takes me to drive there. I’m still a few minutes away. I try calling her again, but hang up when I get hervoicemail.

Not gonna lie—I’m having flashbacks to our time at NTU when she ghosted me out of theblue.

Calm down, dude. Maybe she doesn’t have asignal.

Except when I finally make it to the ER, she’s notthere.

“What do you mean she left already?” I ask the nurse at the informationcounter.

She scans the screen in front of her. “She checked herselfout.”

I hang my head with a groan. While I’m glad Charlotte was well enough to walk out of here on her own, I hate that she was probably alone and scared. The scent of bleach and antiseptic reminds me of the aftermath of her apartment fire, and my stomachtightens.

Panic makes me jittery as I drive home, which takes another hour even though I don’t live that faraway.

Buffy makes a face, one I don’t understand, when I open the door. She’s sitting on the couch in the living room withAsher.

He runs up to me, and I scoop him up. “Hey, bud. Missedyou.”

I kiss him on the head and set him down. I usually spend more time with him after a game, but I need to see Charlotte with my own two eyes and make sure she’sokay.

“Is Charlie in her room?” I ask Buffy, who looks down the hall warily andnods.

Why is everyone being so damn weird today? Which reminds me of how strangely Billy acted this afternoon. Did he know what happened to Charlotte and didn’t bother to tellme?

When I get to her room, I’m confused why all of her clothes are on her bed. “Babe, are youokay?”

She freezes before she slowly turns to face me. She has a bandage on her forehead and her swollen eyes are black andblue.

Oh, shit. “Are you okay? I just missed you at the hospital. Come here.” I open my arms to her, but she shakes herhead.

Her eyes tear up and she tries to wipe them. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks, her voiceshaking.

I drop my arms. “Tell youwhat?”

The heartbroken expression on her face tears me up. “Why didn’t you tell me Coach Santos didn’t want us together? That he wanted us to cool things off for the rest of theseason?”

Who fucking told her this crap? Like I’d ever break up withher.

Frustrated, I run my hands through my hair. “Because it’s none of his damnbusiness.”

Her eyes narrow. “And yet you toldRoxy.”

I blow out a breath. “I asked Roxy not to tell her dad that we were together. Thought she might let something slip since you two areclose.”

“You. Told. Roxy. But notme.”

Shit. “I’m sorry, okay? Maybe that was wrong. I just figured you were already stressed out because ofThe Hell House, and I didn’t want to add to that. But what would it have changed? It’s not like we would’ve stoppeddating.”

---