Page 109 of Dirty Pucking Player

“Oh, you’re awake!” The nurse approaches the bed and smiles at Greer. “I’ll alert the doctor and get her in here to talk to you.” She presses something on the back of the bed, and it raises Greer into a slight sitting position. “How are you feeling?”

Greer offers a tiny smile. “Okay, I guess.”

“Do you remember what happened?

Confusion crosses Greer’s face, and her brow furrows. “I…I’m not sure…”

The nurse pats her shoulder. “It will come back with time. I’ll go grab the doctor.”

Greer’s questioning eyes meet mine. “What happened?”

I don’t want to freak her out. She’s already been through so much. But she needs to know everything—sooner rather than later.

“You were pushed off the road. Your car flipped. You hit your head and had some swelling in your brain. They wanted to keep you sedated until the swelling went down.”

“Oh, my God.” She stares at the sheet covering her like she’s trying to dig up the memories she lost. “Your dad?”

I brush off the hair that’s fallen forward onto her forehead and lean in to kiss her there gently. “He died two days ago.”

“Oh, Bash, I’m so sorry…and you weren’t there?”

“No.” I shake my head and pull her hand into mine. “I was exactly where I should be—with you. He would’ve understood.”

Her hand tightens around mine, and her eyes widen. “Bash…it was Steve.”

“I know, Coach.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “You do?”

That motherfucker…

I tamp down my anger so I don’t scare her. “He pushed you off the road. They caught his car and license plate on the traffic camera and arrested him pretty quickly. Once he was in custody, he spilled. Apparently…he was sending you gifts?”

She nods gently and winces at the motion. “I thought it was you.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “Shit, Coach, you gave me way too much credit. Now I kind of feel like a dick for not sending you anything romantic.”

Greer laughs and fights another wince. She smiles at me, and despite cuts and bruises covering her body, she’s the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen. “No, Bash. That doesn’t make you a dick. Maybe not A-plus boyfriend material but not a dick. And as much as I hate to admit it, dick or not, it’s just who you are.” She tightens her grip on my hand. “You showed me you cared about me in different ways. More ‘Bash’ ways, and for me, that’s all I need.”

28

GREER

It’s not an I love you, but it might as well have been to a guy like Bash. I was too terrified to actually say those words to him right now even if I feel it with every fiber of my being after waking up and seeing him sitting vigil beside me.

I had no illusions of what I was getting into when I hooked up with him—it was never intended to be anything more than a release from the tension between us.

But something happened along the way.

Something strange.

Something scary as hell.

Something totally unexpected—to everyone except Jill who warned me it would happen.

I realized he’s not a total douchebag.

Far from it.

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