Page 97 of When Alec Met Evie
I hate to leave, but it also doesn’t feel right to stay. I watch as the doctor steps back, then all three men turn to look at me. Alec says something to Eric that I can’t hear, then Eric nods before he walks toward me.
“Come on,” he says. “I’ll get his keys for you.”
I cast one final glance at Alec, who is sitting up now, his attention focused on the doctor, then I turn and follow Eric into the hallway.
“You’ll have to be patient with him,” Eric says, as if sensing my disquietude. “He’s in a lot of pain, but an injury like that is a pretty significant mental blow too.”
“I’m sure.” I swallow against the knot of emotion in my throat, wishing I could run back into the room and throw my arms around Alec, tell him he’s going to be okay. That I’ll make him okay just by sheer force of will. “Eric, will he ever play again?”
Eric frowns, glancing at the med suite door like he’s considering how much he should say out loud. “We won’t know anything for sure until after the MRI,” he says, “but I doubt he’ll be back on the ice anytime soon. With everything that knee has already been through…”
“Maybe not at all?” I finish for him.
He holds my gaze. “Either way, if he’s rehabbing to come back or…dealing with early retirement, he’s going to need a lot of support.” He motions down the hall toward the family room. “If you want to wait in there, I’ll bring you his keys. It’ll just take a minute.”
Gracie and Summer come over to greet me as soon as I step into the room. I give them both hugs and tell them what little I know about Alec’s condition, but I’m too anxious to talk much beyond that. As soon as Eric shows up with Alec’s keys, I say goodbye, promising to text updates, then make my way out to the player parking lot.
I sit behind the steering wheel in Alec’s truck for a long moment, but I can’t bring myself to start the engine. I know Alec told me to go, and maybe it was right for me to leave him to his doctor’s care. But that doesn’t mean I have to leave him altogether.
It’s a risk. I don’t want to be pushy. But I do want him to know he can count on me. That I’ll listen whenever he’s ready to talk.
Eventually, I start the truck, if only to keep warm. It’s late November, and the temperature has to be close to forty degrees outside, but I stay warm enough with the heat on.
Eventually, the Appies players start to leave the Summit, one or two at a time as they head to their cars. Fans stand behind a barrier at the edge of the sidewalk, and a few of the guys go over to sign autographs and say hello. But as the flow of players leaving for the night slows and eventually stops, the fans give up, and they leave too.
I’m just starting to wonder if Alec left through a different door when he finally emerges from the Summit, flanked by Nathan and Felix with Theo and Carter directly behind them.
I quickly climb out of the truck, heart pounding in my chest, and stand outside the driver side door.
Alec’s knee is braced, his gait stilted and slow, but he’s at least walking on his own, which has to be a good sign. Nathan and Felix stay close to Alec, hovering like they’re worried he might need steadying. Alec does okay until they reach the three steps that lead off the sidewalk into the parking lot. Here, he reaches for Felix’s shoulder, using him as a crutch as he maneuvers his way down to flat ground.
As soon as they reach the pavement, Alec looks up and finally spots me standing beside his truck.
His expression softens as he slowly makes his way forward, his friends staying close until he’s right in front of me.
“You’ve got him from here?” Nathan asks me, and I nod.
“We can help,” Theo says, eyes on his captain. “Drive his truck. Whatever we need to do.”
I hope Alec realizes that his friends are here because of how much he means to them. There are so many people in his life who will stand by him through this, no matter what happens.
Alec looks at me. “It’s all right,” he says without breaking eye contact. “Evie’s got me.” The twins nod and head to their truck parked on the other side of the lot.
“We’ll see you at home,” Carter calls.
Nathan and Felix leave next, but not before each of them moves up to Alec and gives him a hug. Not one of those half bro hug things guys do.Real hugs.
As soon as his friends have moved away, Alec closes the distance between us and melts into me, pulling me against his chest. I wrap my arms around his middle, bracing myself as some of his weight shifts onto me.
“You’re still here,” he says into my hair.
He’s freshly showered, and he smells incredible,familiar,but I’m too distracted by the relief coursing through me to fully appreciate it. I rub my hands up and down his back. “Of course I’m still here. Would you have leftme?”
He huffs out a laugh that I feel more than I hear, his chest lifting once. “Fair point,” he says. When I look up and make eye contact, his lips lift the slightest bit. It’s not quite a smile, but it’s the closest thing I’ve seen tonight, so I’m calling it a win.
“I’m not going to make you talk about it,” I say, holding his gaze. “Not tonight. Not unless you want to. I just wanted to be here.”
He leans down and kisses me, warm and slow. “Thank you,” he says softly.
