Page 137 of Unmasking Love
"I'm not accusing her, I'm just saying, you told us how much she cares for you and thenthis? It just doesn't add up."
Have I been caring for him though? Was running away what he needed? I know he was on the road but away games are tough as it is and I undoubtedly made it more stressful for him.
Oh God. Is he having trouble with his heart?
I take a tiny step backwards, the instinct to run causing my muscles to spasm. Luke exhales sharply when I step on his foot. I rock forward as Aiden continues.
"No Ma, I said she cares about me, we care about each other, we are both adults who take turns helping the other person but it isn't her job to take care of me. I've been doing it just fine for years." He pauses to take a deep breath. He sounds pained. “We support each other. We’re a team. And I need her just as much as she needs me.”
“Then where is she, Aiden?” His mom asks and I barely let her finish the question before stepping fully into the room.
“I’m here.”
"Harper?" Aiden says with relief when he sees me. I walk over and place my hand on his thigh. His falls on top of mine and he feels hot to the touch. I search his face for signs he’s upset with me when he breaks out into a smile.
"You're burning up, do you have a temperature?" I ask and turn towards the team doctor who nods.
"I'm just so hot for you."
"Oh heavens, I'm sorry," I apologize to the room. "Clearly he's suffering from a fever dream." My laugh is a nervous titter that only slightly relieves the pressure in my chest. Aiden is happy to see me but do his parents know I ran? Do they know I caused him this stress? That this is my fault?
I look into his blue eyes that are a little hazy with whatever his body is dealing with. He looks so boyish, so sweet. I don’t want to burst his happy bubble by demanding a conversation about our future.
A throat clears behind me and I turn to see Aiden's parents. He is the spitting image of his dad. Tall, ashy blond, same goofy grin on his face Aiden gets when he's teasing me. I look left and see a woman who is probably four inches shorter than me with the same blue eyes Aiden transfixes me with, but hers are sporting a glare right now. I guess the "hot for you" comment didn't do me any favors.
I step over to them and extend my hand, "Mr. and Mrs. Youngren, I’m Harper Daniels, it is a pleasure to meet you in person. Although I do wish it wasn’t in the smelly training room."
His dad's smile cracks an increment wider, his mom's scowl softens slightly.
We don't get to say anything else because the doctor speaks up.
"I have good news and bad news," I cross back over to Aiden and take his hand. "The good news, this wasn't a cardiovascular episode. Your EKG and pulse readouts are all normal. We're going to take some blood to confirm and then also ask you to do an ultrasound before you head home but that's really just to cover our bases."
Thank god. It isn’t his heart.
I almost faint with relief.
"What's the bad news," his mom asks desperately, pulling me from my lighthearted joy.
"He’s clearly fighting something and needs time off." The doctor says.
"What?" I ask.
"Yes, he's off the bench for at least a few days. I’m getting him an antibiotic just to be on the safe side."
"So, I can't play?" Aiden asks quietly before slowly closing his eyes.
"Not until next week. I'll talk with Coach Bradford about whether or not he wants you to travel with the team or stay home and rest." His parents walk over to the doctor and begin to look more closely at the test results. All my focus is on the man in front of me.
"Have you not been feeling well?" I ask him gently.
"No, I haven’t. But I thought it was for other reasons." He whispers and I feel terrible. It must show on my face because he quickly responds, "Hey, no, this isn't your fault. You can't make me getting sick about you."
"But if I hadn't left, if I had been there, you wouldn't have been so stressed and made yourself susceptible." My voice is thick with emotion and I pause to give myself a moment to regroup.
"We have been talkingabout how your additional training isn’t necessary and could lead to exhaustion and dehydration." The doctor says as he walks over closer to the training table.
I cross my arms and look at Aiden who shrugs. "I wanted to impress you?" He asks like he's guessing the answer to a trivia question.
