Page 132 of Full Tilt
Setting the comb down, I retake my seat next to him, along with his hand.
He still looks so peaceful, the gentle rise and fall of his chest letting me know that big heart of his is still going strong.
Me
I told him, Collins. He hasn’t laughed yet, but I’m sure he will when he wakes up. That, and he’ll probably offer you a monthly pass to his home gym. Just to irritate you.
Collins
At this point, I’ll sign up for the whole fucking year if it means Tommy can ask me himself.
Kendra
The boys are heading over to the hospital straight after practice. Jack is determined that if he isn’t awake by the time they get there, then he’s going to put onion paste in Tommy’s hair gel.
Darcy
And I’ll force him to come shopping with me. I know how much he loves the mall. And people.
Collins
Yeah, that’s actually way worse than going to the gym.
WAKE UP, TOMMY!
A knock on the door makes me jump, and I spin around to see Holt as he walks into the room. He was due to leave Brooklyn right after the game and head home to see Mom for the new year. But he decided to stay here and support me. Truthfully, I needed him, and he knew it.
He casts his eyes down at my phone as it finishes up playing Black Sabbath. “That was one of my favorite tunes when I was younger.”
I tip my head at Tommy, closing out of YouTube and setting my phone down so I can take Tommy’s hand in both of mine.
“The doctor said that speaking to him as he begins to wake can help with familiarization of his surroundings. I remember when I got in his car once, that song was in his playlist. He told me it was one of his favorites.”
Holt takes the seat facing me and next to Tommy’s bedside. “Can I ask you something?”
I nod my head once.
“Back when we first got here and the doctor told us about the coma, you said that Tommy had saved you from something really bad happening.”
I glance at Holt and then back at Tommy, tears starting to form in my eyes. “I did.”
Holt sits forward in the chair, setting a hand on my forearm. “I’m going to be really honest with you, Jenna.”
My heart sinks at the way he says that, and I close my eyes tightly. The last thing I need is for Holt to tell me that I’m an idiot for getting myself into stupid situations.
“I trusted the guy to walk me home, and I thought that was all he was going to do. Believe me when I tell you that I’ve already berated myself enough over what happened.”
Holt pulls back, shock painting his face. “Jenna, are you kidding me right now? I would never blame you for what happened. The only person who needs to take a look at themselves is the guy who tried to attack you.” He puffs out a slow breath and sits back again. “Was it the same guy who claimed Tommy had punched him in an unprovoked attack? Ethan was his name, right?”
I don’t respond, allowing my silence to confirm it.
“Yes. And before you ask, I did make a statement to help set the record straight, and I did let the police know what happened too. I knew you were waiting and praying for Tommy to betraded away from New York. Truthfully, I was dreading it. So, I stepped up to defend justice and what was right. I think that was the catalyst between me and Tommy. It was a wake-up call for us both—realizing how much we meant to each other regardless of all the pain we’d caused.”
Holt looks at Tommy for a second. There’s distress in his features but also gratitude, and I know it’s because of what Tommy did for me. My brother doesn’t need to know all the details of what went down that night.
“You wanted to be really honest with me?” I remind Holt of what he said earlier.
“Yeah,” he replies, clicking his tongue, “I did.”
