Page 122 of Imperfect Player

My hand grabs his shirt as I shove him up against the wall. My forearm against his neck, I cock my other hand back and swing.

“Don’t ever touch her again.”

“Who, Ethan? Who is he touching?” Dr. Monroe asks as he steps between us.

The other orderly or whatever the fuck he is grabs my hand before I can swing again.

“Everly. Are you okay?” She doesn’t respond. “Everly?”

I glance back, but she’s nowhere to be found. I blink my eyes, still, she’s not there.

The doctor moves closer. “Everly isn’t here, Ethan. She left. Do you remember that?”

She left. I remember. Before I walked down to the room. My room.

My eyes dart around as I take in my surroundings.

“She’s not here, Ethan. She never was.”

I release the man, confused.

“It’s a hallucination,” the doctor says. “A side effect.”

“It felt so real,” I tell him, sinking to the floor, head in my hands.

“They do. But don’t worry, they’ll pass.”

They’ll pass.

I’m sure they will. Until then, I’ll feel like I’m losing my fucking mind. And maybe I am.

Chapter 37

Everly

It’s been two long, excruciating weeks since Ethan first entered the rehab facility.

Today is the first day that I’ll be able to have contact with him.

I’m excited and nervous and unsure what kind of mood he’ll be in. Will he still be fighting the demons? Will the past two weeks have helped him and brought him back to the man that I met?

Will he hate me for helping get him here? Resent me for wanting to help?

So many thoughts run through my head as I wait for the woman behind the desk to allow me entrance.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you aren’t able to visit Mr. Ambrose today,” she tells me.

I was so proud of Ethan when he entered the program under his own name as opposed to the alias that both Tripp and his coach had suggested.

Brave as it was, I’m fairly certain he did it more as a punishment for himself rather than the exemplary example he set.

Yes, his entrance to rehab, his addiction, his inability to play in the World Series that he helped get the Railcats to is splashed all over the news. And you damn well better believe I’ve made certain that every story was spun in the most promising light.

Ethan doesn’t deserve punishment, least of all for getting the help that he needs.

That’s something to be proud of.

I’m certain he wouldn’t see it that way.

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