by Toni Aleo
She scrambled to put them on as she cried, “Okay, I’m coming.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you here.”
Throwing the phone down, she pulled her shirt on and covered her face, but then she was in Vaughn’s arms, his lips at her head. “Come on, let’s get to the airport.”
They didn’t talk to the whole time. She sensed he knew what was going on because he had come so quickly. She was grateful he had a key to her room. He’d probably heard from Trish, but all she could do was think the worst as they made the short trip to the airport from the hotel. Vaughn made calls while she held her phone, waiting for a call from anyone after she had sent a text to Russell that she wouldn’t be there, that her brother had been rushed to the hospital. He’d wished her well, but she couldn’t even appreciate that. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but as always, the guilt was overwhelming. Very overpowering, and as she tried to regulate her breathing, Vaughn held her hand, tightly.
Hanging up the phone as he pulled into the airport, he said, “I got you a ticket, but it doesn’t leave for another hour. Sorry, it was the soonest. I called Jensen, told him what was going on. He’s going to cover for me until I know you’re good.”
“But don’t you have to be at the rink in two hours?”
“An hour and half, but it’s fine. I’ll miss warm-ups and that’s okay. I’ll deal with it.”
She let her head fall back, and her tears ran down her face as he parked. “What if I get there and he’s dead?”
“Stop it right fucking now, Brie. Right now,” he demanded as he threw open his door, but she couldn’t move. Why was this so hard? She had been through it twice before, Rodney’s heart acting up. But this, combined the fact that she hadn’t spoken to him last night, had her in knots. Her tears were quickly rolling down her face as her door opened and Vaughn pulled her out of the car. Wrapping his arms around her, he tipped her face up and looked deep in her eyes. “You’ll get there, and he’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Dawn jumped into action, Trish was there, and Marl met the ambulance at the end of the road to let them in. This isn’t like before. I promise you, Brie, it’s not. He will be okay.”
She could only nod. Her gut was a mess, and she knew it wasn’t from throwing up but from the dread that was circling in it. She felt like she was suffocating, but she could breathe. It was the oddest feeling. Taking her hand, he held her suitcase in the other as they rushed inside to get her ticket. But of course, the line was out of this world.
“Fuck, I should have had it sent to my phone,” he groaned as they moved up in the line. She was shaking as she stood by him, checking her phone every second for even a bit of news. When it suddenly started to ring, she answered it without looking who it was.
“Brie.”
“Dawn?”
“His pacemaker is malfunctioning, badly. They are admitting him to the hospital.”
Brie’s face scrunched up, her lip wobbling as she slowly inhaled. “Can he talk?”
“Honey, pull the phone away from your ear, we’re on FaceTime.”
“Oh!” she hollered out, and when she pulled her phone back, Rodney was there, looking at her with Dawn beside him. A sob left Brie’s lips as her own heart stopped in her chest. “Rodney.”
“Hey, B. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
“I didn’t feel good last night, and I didn’t tell Dawn.”
“Rodney,” she cried. “Why?”
“’Cause I wanted to be okay. I didn’t want to leave.”
“Rodney, honey, you’re killing my heart here,” she cried as Vaughn’s hand stroked up and down her back. “I’m coming. I’ll be there when you wake up, okay?”
He nodded. “Okay. Are you mad at me?”
“No,” she said, her voice breaking as she shook her head hard. “I’m just glad you’re okay and they’re gonna fix you up quickly.”
“Okay, I love you, B.”
“Oh, Rodney, I love you more.”
She covered her mouth to hold in the sob that wanted to escape, and Dawn took the phone and held it out to look at Brie. “They want to get him in now, but they aren’t sure if they’ll be able to. They’re monitoring him, but the damn thing keeps timing out almost. They’re getting ahold of his doctor. The cardiologist on the floor is ready to perform, but Rodney wants Dr. Miller, so they’re seeing if they can wait for him or if they need to go back now.”
Brie could only nod. Taking the phone, Vaughn said, “She’s getting on the plane in like thirty minutes. She’ll be there in about three hours. Call me if you need to, and make sure Marl is at the airport to get her.”
“I’ll tell him,” Brie heard Dawn say, and then he hung up, tucking her phone into her pocket as they reached the desk, finally. Once they got her ticket, they rushed to security, and her heart caught. She wanted so badly for him to go with her. To be there. But she knew he couldn’t. She looked up at him, and her lips wobbled as their eyes met.
Cupping her face, he leaned his head toward hers and nodded. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t worry, don’t stress, and text me as soon as you land and know something. I might not answer, but I’ll call you back as soon as the game is over.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He kissed her lips, and his eyes fell shut, as did hers. “I wish there was something I could do. I wish I could go, be there with you. I’m sorry, Brie. Really.”
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered as she clung to him. “But I do wish you could go.”
“I’ll tell Marl to bring some whiskey with him.”
She smiled against his lips as she moved her nose to his. “Okay.”
“I wish I had something on me. When I used to sit in the hospital with my mom during Nathan’s treatments, I would have this coin, but I buried it with Nathan so that he had a piece of me. I didn’t think I would ever need it again.”
She opened her eyes, and her tears streamed down her face as she met his gaze. That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard, and the words were there. She wanted to say them so badly, but she couldn’t. If he rejected her right there, she would be crushed. And if he said them, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t believe him. Swallowing hard, she smiled. “A kiss.”
“A kiss?”
“Give me a kiss, and I’ll take that.”
A smile covered his lips before he wrapped her up tight in his arms. “That’s a given.”
She tried to smile, but then his mouth was devouring hers in a kiss that had her toes curling and her heart fluttering in her chest. He held her like nothing could ever touch her, and in his arms, she felt that way. His heart was pounding against hers, and as his kiss grew hungrier, she didn’t want to face the harsh reality that was her life. As his tongue swept along hers, she melted into him, and she knew she would never love anyone like she loved Vaughn Johansson.
She just wished she knew if he loved her too.
Brie found herself in the dimly lit ICU room by Rodney’s bed with her leg bouncing and her stomach in knots. Covering her face with one hand, she cried into it as her other rested on his. His surgery had gone well, and their hopes were high. But then Rodney started having seizures, and no one could explain why. Which was why her baby brother was in a medically induced coma. As she watched his chest rise and fall thanks to the breathing tube they hadn’t removed, her heart ached.
She was in hell.
She had gotten to the hospital just as the seizures had started. He hadn’t been out of recovery yet, but when she walked in, Dr. Miller was talking to Dawn, letting her know what was going on and that they had to keep him under until further notice. When Brie asked how long that would be, he couldn’t give her an answer. They had to run some tests, is all he would tell her. Dawn and Marl tried to be supportive, and any other day, she would have gone to them with open arms. But what she wanted, or better yet, what she needed was Vaughn.
Glancing at her phone,
she wished she would see a text message, but she knew he was playing and that was good. She would never ask him to miss a game, but hearing his voice at that moment would save her sanity. She was pretty sure she was going to lose it. She just wanted to hear Rodney’s voice. Know that he was okay. That he wasn’t hurting. Though, they’d guaranteed her that he wasn’t. That he was just sleeping. But it worried her. She hated that she hadn’t been there before he went in. Was he scared? Did he cry for her?
She felt terrible.
Her fingers moved along Rodney’s hand, and she fought back the tears as she laid her head on the bed, her phone beside her. She thought about quitting her job just so she would never be far away from him again, but then, she knew there wasn’t anything much she could have done. Dawn, Trish, and Marl had done everything she would have, and Rodney wouldn’t want her to quit. Neither did she. But she had the urge to. If it weren’t for Elli Adler, she probably would have.
Russell had called Elli and told her what was going on, which she had expected him to, but she didn’t expect Elli to come up to the hospital to check on her. Elli even brought Brie some dinner, though it was still sitting in the chair, untouched. Elli told her to take as much time as she needed, that they would get a replacement. Brie appreciated that, but she knew Elli didn’t want anyone but her. And Brie did love her job, so very much.
Closing her eyes, she sucked in a deep breath as her phone started to vibrate. Reaching for it, she saw that it was Vaughn and almost cried out as she answered it. “Vaughn.”
“Hey, sorry. I just got out of the rink, I didn’t want to call with everyone there.”
“It’s fine.”
“How is he?”
Her voice broke as she glanced up at Rodney, his sweet face a little red as his brown lashes kissed his cheeks. “They have him in a coma.”
“Do they know what caused the seizures?”
“No,” she cried as she cupped her face. “And I’ve Googled and WebMD’d everything and scared myself shitless.”
“Babe, don’t do that.”
“I know. I’m just freaking out.”
“I know, I’m so sorry.”
“I wish you were here,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I really need someone—” She paused, shaking her head. “I need you. No one but you.”
“Brie—”
“No, I’m sorry, that was shitty. I don’t want you to miss a game, and I sure as hell don’t want to guilt you into it. I’m sorry.”
“Babe, it’s fine. I want to be there. I do.”
“I know.”
Silence fell over the line as she chewed her lip. “I hope they can wake him up tomorrow. I think they’re gonna try if all the tests come back okay.”
“That’s good, real good.”
“Yeah,” she answered, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed to hell. “I miss you.”
He exhaled hard, and she almost thought he was going to say something else, but he whispered, “I miss you too, Brie, and I’m sorry I’m not there.”
“You have a job, Vaughn. I know.”
“But I want to be, you know that?”
“I do.”
“Though, that doesn’t help.”
She smiled. “Not much, but it’s the thought.”
“Shit, the bus is here.”
She could hear the guilt in his voice, and she felt like a complete ass. She shouldn’t have said anything. She was a big girl; she had this. “Okay, I think I’m gonna try to sleep.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? I can stay on the phone.”
She scoffed playfully. “I’m one tough cookie, JoHo. I’m good.”
He chuckled softly, though there wasn’t any humor in his voice. “I know you are. Call me if you need me?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’ll call in the morning?”
“I will.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Goodnight, babe.”
“’Night.”
As she hung up the phone, her heart in her throat, she didn’t know what to do. She felt like dog shit. Between the guilt of not being there for Rodney and then probably making Vaughn feel like shit for not being there when he couldn’t, she was basically the biggest asshole in the world. But she’d make it up to both of them.
Cake for Rodney.
Head for Vaughn.
That was her plan.
She just needed Rodney to be okay, and then everything would fall into place.
“Sorry to call so late.”
“It’s fine. Are you okay?” Elli asked, and then he heard the grumbling of a child.
“Momma?”
“Shh, QA. It’s okay.”
“Sorry, did I wake him?”
“He fell asleep on me. It’s fine, hold on.”
He heard Quinn complaining, but Elli was sweet, giving him kisses as she promised to come back. “Hey, sorry, had to go into the kitchen. What’s up?”
“Where’s Shea?”
“Upstairs with the other minions. They’re watching a movie, QA was too, but then he came down and fell asleep on me while I was watching the game.”
Vaughn took in a deep breath as he leaned against the side of the Pepsi Center. He was nervous and he couldn’t believe he was about to do this, but he had no choice. Clearing his throat, he said, “You’ve got a good life, Elli Adler.”
He could hear her smile in her voice. “I have a full, happy life. Yes, it’s great. But I know you didn’t call to talk about my life, even though it is a wonderful and insane topic. So, what’s up?”
His heart was pounding and he almost decided to hang up, but he knew he couldn’t. “Um, actually, I need to ask you a favor.”
“Okay?” she asked, a little wary.
“I know you have a strict rule on the team traveling together unless there is an emergency, so I was hoping that you’d let me jump on a plane, go home, and come back to meet the team tomorrow. I’d miss morning skate, but I’d be there early enough to do my own before warm-ups.”
“Jo, you know I don’t mind as long as you have a valid emergency. What’s going on?”
He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as his heart felt as if it was about to come out of his chest. “Are you by a computer?”
“I am.”
“Can you Google ‘NateWay’?”
She paused, but he didn’t hear her typing. “I’m familiar with NateWay, Vaughn. Why?”
There was a lump in his throat, but he had to do this. As much as it went against everything he wanted to do, the secret he had kept for years, he had to be there for Brie. “I own NateWay, both of them. I built them from the ground up, and I need to go home and check on one of my residents who just had surgery for a scary heart problem.”
“Vaughn, I knew that already.”
His heart stopped. “Excuse me?”
“You think I wouldn’t look into an organization that one of my players always suggests for charity events? I hadn’t heard about them initially, but I did some digging and I connected the dots. I was just waiting for you to own up to it.”
“You sneaky shit,” he accused and she laughed. “I was so nervous to admit to it.”
“I figured, and Shea thought maybe it was because you didn’t want all the focus on you. I mean, you live in a walking spotlight, always have, so we just let it be.”
“Wow, okay,” he said, exhaling hard through his nose as he let his shoulders drop in relief. “If it’s okay, I really want to go check on him, talk with the family, and make sure everything is good. I’ll pay for everything.”
“Of course, Jo. I completely understand.”
“Thanks, Elli. For everything. You’ve done a lot for me,” he said softly as his pulse raced a little faster.
“Of course, and I hope you know that this conversation won’t be repeated. Plus, I understand if you don’t want to go to the Buddies thing. But you’ve done so much for people with special needs, and I think it
would be good for you to get some recognition.”
He smiled. “I don’t need it. I just want my people to be happy.”
“You’re an amazing man, Jo.”
“I have a great owner who sets the bar high,” he replied, and he knew she was smiling.
“Well, thank you.” Her words were dripping with her thick accent, which meant she was smiling big. “Go on, go check on your resident.”
“Thank you.”
When he hung up the phone, he looked over as Jensen shook his head. “I can’t believe you told her.”
“I had to. I’ve got to get back. I want to see Rodney.”
Jensen gave him a knowing look. “And you want to be there for Brie.”
He nodded, Vaughn’s heart full of worry for her. She was holding together like the badass she was, but he wanted to be there. He wanted to hold her and give her the support she needed. “Yeah.” When Jensen started laughing, Vaughn looked up from his phone, pausing in buying the plane ticket he had on hold. “What?”
“Nothing, I just never thought I’d see the day when you fell for someone again.”
Vaughn scoffed. “I care for her. I wouldn’t say that meant I loved her.”
Rolling his eyes, Jensen chuckled. “And when you own up to it, things will be so much easier. On you and everyone else, especially her.”
But instead of giving light to his best friend’s words, he hit buy on the ticket he had picked. Yeah, there were emotions inside of him he didn’t understand, nor did he want to understand. Because if he did, they might scare him, and he was happy with how things were. Plus, it didn’t matter what everyone else thought about how he felt. He knew what he felt, and Brie was important.
And all he cared about at that moment was getting home to her.
When Vaughn reached the ICU, it was almost four in the morning. He was dead on his feet. Though, he had caught a few hours of sleep on the plane. But he had been so worried about what was going on at the hospital and that he might miss something on the plane. He hadn’t wanted to tell Brie he was coming. He knew she would try to talk him out of it because she wouldn’t want to mess with his career, so it worried him that she might try to reach him while he was flying to her. When he landed, though, there were a few texts that made his stomach drop.