Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He growled with frustration, scowling at me. “Everything was fine before you got here. This is all Nate’s fault.”
I pressed my lips together to hold in my sharp response. Everything hadn’t been fine before I got here. Not with him, and sure as hell not with me. My life had turned into a living hell over the course of a month, and Sawyer didn’t have a clue how scary it was.
“What’s with the look on your face?” he demanded. “Kon’s not here for you to look at when one of you thinks I’m being a jackass.”
“Which is a lot,” I said with a glare.
He got up from his seat on the couch, hands on his hips.
“I never asked any of you for help.” He gestured at the wall behind the couch. “Nash’s dick is hanging on my goddamn wall and Kon’s treating me like a prisoner in my own home.”
I laughed bitterly. Kon and Boone were at practice, leaving me alone to deal with Sawyer’s tirade. And we were just starting—it was going to get worse from here.
“Life is full of things we didn’t ask for,” I shot back. “What happened to Annie was brutally unfair. Did she ask for it?”
He flinched at the mention of her name.
“But still she was grateful,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “She never got angry at the world. And she wouldn’t want you to, either.”
Sawyer put his head in his hands. “What else is there, Luce? I drink to stop feeling like I want to burn the whole fucking world down.”
The anguish in his tone was too much for me. Tears slid onto my cheeks as I walked over to him.
“We’re going to find another way,” I assured him. “Something besides hating the world and drinking to block it out.”
He nodded, lowering his hands. “I need to do it slowly. Start by drinking less.”
Kon had told me this would happen. That he would beg and rage and turn into a different person before this was over, but we had to stay the course. I knew he was right.
“The team doctor is coming over to evaluate you soon,” I said. “He’ll be monitoring you to make sure we’re doing this the right way.”
“I don’t want fucking Morales in my fucking house treating me like some pathetic addict! I’m not even on the team anymore.”
“Kon texted me that they were on their way about half an hour ago. They should be” A knock sounded on the front door. “That’s probably them.”
“Fuck,” he muttered as I left to answer the door.
Tough love. Tough love. Tough love.
I could do this.
When I opened the door, Kon, Boone, another Mavericks player, and a man I didn’t recognize were standing there, Kon’s brows lowered in a glare.
“Hey, come on in,” I said, stepping aside.
“Lucy, this is Andy Morales, our team doctor, and you already know Wes and Boone.”
Wes. I had forgotten his name.
Wes nodded at me and Andy shook my hand.
“He’s in the family room,” I said, planning to lead the way.
Kon lightly held on to my elbow to hold me back, and Wes, Boone, and Andy headed for the family room.
“How are you?” Kon asked in a hushed tone.
I shrugged. “It’s going about as expected.”
He put an arm around my shoulders. “You have help now. The team leaves for a road trip tomorrow, but I’m working on getting you help while I’m gone.”
“I’ll be okay. You don’t need to do that.”
His expression was grim. “You will. I have seen people go through withdrawal before, and it gets rough.”
I nodded, knowing he was probably right. Though I was a person who told everyone I was fine and didn’t need anything, I appreciated that Kon didn’t agree.
“When someone knocks at the door, don’t just open it,” he said, his tone urgent. “Only open it if you know who it is.”
I sighed, remembering that not only was my brother detoxing from booze cold turkey, but Nate was after me. And Kon was right—I could have been opening the door to anyone just now. I had to be smart about this.
“I’ll check from now on,” I assured him.
He slid his arm out from around my shoulders and put both hands on my hips. “I wish I could stay here, but I have a road trip.”
My heart raced as I looked up at him, desire swirling in his dark eyes even now. I felt it, too—a powerful urge to run upstairs with him and leave our worries behind. We couldn’t, but damn, did I want to.
“Of course you have to go,” I said. “But I’ll be here when you get back.”
“I want to see you,” he said, his lips hovering above mine. “Alone.”
“So do I.”
“Hey guys, can you” Boone quieted, his eyes widening when he saw we were on the edge of kissing. “Shit, sorry.”