Friend Zoned (Barnett Bulldogs #2)

by Jennifer Sucevic

  “Violet, I know you have class in less than an hour. I really don’t want you missing it.” She takes a deep breath, as if trying to steady herself, before pushing out the rest of the words, “Your grandfather wouldn’t want that either. Just stay put for now until we know what’s going on.”

  “I’ll email my professor,” I assure her calmly, certainly more calmly than I’m feeling inside, “it won’t be a problem.” And honestly, I don’t give a rat’s ass if it is. My grandparents are everything to me. They’re all I have left in this world. If they need me, then I’m going to be there for them.

  End of story.

  Thankfully she doesn’t argue which just proves that she wants me at the hospital with her. “Okay.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” My mind starts whirling, trying to figure out logistics. “It’s going to take me at least twenty minutes to get over there. If you hear anything before then, let me know right away.”

  “I will, sweetie.” Already I can hear the relief flooding through her words. “Thank you.”

  Disconnecting, I rack my brain, quickly trying to figure out how I’m going to get across town to where the hospital is located. Mia is in class right now, but I know she keeps a spare set of keys in the drawer of her desk. I shoot her a quick text letting her know that I need to borrow her car before hustling my way across campus to Stoughton Hall.

  When I’m about halfway there, I hear someone shouting my name. Since I don’t immediately recognize the voice, I keep moving. I don’t have time to stop and shoot the shit with anyone right now. I need to haul ass to the hospital. I need to find out what’s going on with my grandfather.

  “Violet!”

  At this point, I’m practically jogging down the cement path when strong fingers wrap their way around my arm, immediately halting my movements. Spinning towards the person holding me, I’m surprised to find Liam. Concern is etched across every line of his handsome face.

  It’s carefully that his gray eyes sift through mine. “Are you alright?” His hand continues to detain me otherwise I would be long gone.

  “Liam,” as I say his name, I realize just how close to tears I am, “I can’t talk right now, I have to go.”

  His dark brows furrow. His fingers don’t budge from my person. “What’s going on?” Gently he asks, “Is this about Sam?”

  I shake my head. For the first time in a week, that damn photograph isn’t consuming my every waking thought. I almost want to laugh. Or cry. Maybe a little of both. All I know is that I’ve got to get out of here. “No, my grandfather was just taken to the hospital. They think he might have had a heart attack. I’m sorry, but I really need to go.” Any moment I’m going to fall to pieces.

  And I can’t afford to do that.

  I have to keep moving.

  There’s barely a pause in our conversation when he says, “Come on, I’ll drive you there.” He nods towards the parking lot that’s about a block away near Adler Hall which is one of the business buildings on campus. “My bike is parked right over there. I’ll have you to the hospital in less than ten minutes.”

  I contemplate the offer for all of two seconds before quickly succumbing. It’ll be so much faster with Liam’s bike only a few minutes away. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” I have to practically run to keep up with his long legged strides. But that’s fine. I appreciate him hurrying.

  “Does Sam know what’s going on?” He fires the question at me as we continue pushing past people, making our way towards the parking lot.

  Even though I feel his eyes on me, I keep mine focused on the path. “No, my grandmother just called.” And… with the current state of our relationship, I wasn’t going to bother him with it either.

  Liam nods just as we reach the pavement of the lot. He points to the first row and I see his shiny black bike parked in a space.

  “Do you want to give him a quick call before we take off?”

  Unable to hold his gaze, I drop my eyes before shaking my head. “No.”

  Even though he looks indecisive, he doesn’t push the issue. Instead he simply pulls the black helmet from the back of his bike before gently placing it over my head, much like he did the Sunday afternoon we spent together.

  Once I wrap my arms around his muscular body, the bike roars to life and we’re taking off, winding our way through early afternoon traffic. He’s right. It takes just about eight minutes for us to reach the hospital. Luckily we make all the lights and the ones that are super close, I squeeze my eyes tightly shut as we barrel right on through them.

  As soon as he cuts the engine, I’m hopping off the bike and unbuckling the helmet. Almost immediately, Liam’s fingers brush mine aside. Only then do I realize just how badly my hands are trembling.

  With the helmet now removed, he asks quietly, “Do you want me to come in with you?” His gunmetal gray eyes continue to pierce mine. There’s a tenderness within them that catches me completely off guard. I realize that if I actually did want Liam to accompany me inside, he would do it. If for no other reason than I needed him to.

  “No, I’m okay.” I hoist a small smile because I really do appreciate him dropping everything to get me here so quickly. For all I know, he missed class to do it. In that moment, I realize that Liam Garrison is a really good guy. He’s usually smirking or fooling around, but when I needed someone, he was there for me. No questions asked. And he certainly didn’t need to be. It’s not like we know each other all that well. “Thanks for dropping me off.”

  Without another word, he pulls me to him before wrapping his arms around me, holding me close to his body. Gently he drops a kiss on the top of my head. “I hope everything’s okay with your grandfather.” Then he says, “Give me your phone.”

  Untangling myself from him, I dig out the phone from my bag before passing it to him. Quickly he starts tapping the screen. His phone buzzes in response.

  “There. Now you have my number. If you need anything else, just call, okay? I’ll pick you up later if you need a lift back to campus.”

  The corners of my lips tug upward in gratitude. “Thanks again for everything.”

  His eyes continue holding mine and within them I see just how serious he is about that offer. “It’s no problem, Violet.”

  Silently he watches me hurry through the sliding glass doors of the hospital before I finally hear the roar of his motorcycle. Quickly I stop at the front desk, telling them who I am before I’m given directions to a waiting room. There are a few twists and turns down a long sterile looking hallway before I finally find my grandmother sitting, nursing a small cup of coffee in her hands.

  My heart spasms at the sight of her as I rush into the room. “Gran? Any news yet?”

  Her eyes immediately swing up to mine before giving her head a slight shake. Setting her coffee aside, she stands before engulfing me in a tight embrace. Even though I’m still full of fear, her arms have a way of comforting me, just as they did when I was a child.

  After a few silent moments, we both take our seats. Even as we do, she continues to keep my hand firmly ensconced within her own.

  When we’re finally settled, I ask, “What happened?”

  She shakes her head just a bit as if she can’t quite believe that we’re sitting here in the hospital waiting room having this conversation. That just a few hours ago, they were at the breakfast table, starting their day just like they’d done hundreds of times before. “I should have suspected something was wrong when he told me that he was going upstairs to lie down for a while. He says it started out as just a little heartburn. So he took something for it and thought it would simply pass. But then he started having chest pains. When the pain kept worsening, he finally came downstairs and told me what was going on.” Looking slightly exasperated, she says, “Can you believe that he actually told me not to call an ambulance? He thought I was overreacting.” She shakes her head. “Of course I called right away. Didn’t even think twice about it.”

  Feeling grateful
that my grandmother is the one with all the common sense when it comes to these kinds of things, I squeeze her hand. “Thank goodness you did. He shouldn’t have waited so long to tell you what was going on.”

  She nods as her lips lift just a bit. “He’s a stubborn man, Violet.”

  I give her a slight smile in return because she’s absolutely right. The man is ridiculously stubborn.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she continues, “We’ve been here for about thirty minutes now. They’re still checking him out.” She blinks the shining moisture from her eyes. “I have no idea what’s going on. They haven’t said a word.”

  “Everything’s going to be fine, gran. They’re taking good care of him.”

  After twenty more minutes, I’m just about ready to start climbing the walls. In fact, I’ve been pacing for at least ten of them. I can’t sit still for another moment or I’ll go crazy. Just as I swing back around, my eyes catch a pair of concerned blue ones.

  Sam.

  His big body hesitates in the doorway as our gazes lock and hold. I don’t realize it, not right away, but my feet have completely stopped moving. All of the oxygen feels as if it has been sucked right out of the room. As we continue staring silently at one another, all I can think is- thank God.

  Thank God he’s here.

  Even though I want nothing more than to fling myself into his strong arms, I don’t.

  Can’t.

  We’re in such a weird place right now. This limbo where I don’t know if we’re friends or not. I hate it. Hate that I don’t know. Hate that I fucked us up beyond repair. Hate that when I need my best friend, I can’t seek him out. And Sam, above all else, has always been my best friend. He’s the one person I turn to when I’m in need of comfort and support. If something wonderful happens, he’s the first one I want to share my news with. Or, if I just want to chill out and watch a movie, Sam’s the person I want to be snuggled up against.

  And yet, despite what we’re going through right now, he still came… That knowledge alone has my heart cracking wide open.

  “What are you doing here?” I finally whisper.

  His bright blue eyes never once release mine from their intense hold. “Liam filled me in.”

  Before I can push out any more words, he turns to my grandmother, quickly closing the distance with his long legged strides before wrapping his thickly muscled arms around her. My heart bursts with even more unexpected love as he murmurs something softly against her ear. Then he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before drawing away.

  Not sure what to do, I simply stand there awkwardly, rooted in place as I continue watching them, silently wishing that he would take me into his arms as well. That he would offer me the same kind of comfort. Finally I say, “You didn’t need to come all the way over here. Aren’t you missing class?”

  Scowling, he shoots me a look like he can’t believe I would even say that to him. “I called my professor, it’s taken care of.” Almost dismissively, he adds, “Don’t worry about it.”

  Gulping back the thick tendrils of emotion that are threatening to choke me, I murmur, “Thank you.”

  As a heavy silence falls over us, my grandmother slowly rises to her feet. “I’m going to check with the front desk, see if there’s any news.”

  Watching her go, I simply nod my head. Inhaling a deep breath, my eyes somehow find their way to Sam’s. I’m a little startled to find his already impaling mine. Unable to look away, a little burst of nerves scampers its way down my spine.

  I hate this.

  The awkwardness that is now our relationship.

  Without a word, he suddenly closes the distance between us before taking me into those big strong arms of his. Once I’m completely ensconced within them, I squeeze my eyes tightly closed before resting the side of my face against the hard wall of his chest.

  God, but I’ve missed this.

  Missed him.

  I miss how affectionate he is.

  Always so generous with his love and friendship.

  With his time.

  I miss every little thing about this man.

  I never realized just how solidly the last eight years had bonded us together. I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised. He’s been my best friend, my confidante, my family. And this week without him has left me reeling, feeling lost and aimless. Adrift. I find myself wanting to text him over the littlest things. Hundreds of times I’ve pulled out my phone, starting to type in the words before hesitating, remembering that we aren’t really talking to one another.

  “You doing okay, Vi?” He whispers the words near my ear. As the warmth of his breath slips over me, his question leaves a thick lump sitting in the middle of my throat. Not able to get the words past it, I nod my head in answer.

  “He’s going to be fine,” he reassures quietly.

  But I don’t know if he’s going to be fine. And Sam doesn’t know that either. I want more than anything to believe him. But I can’t. Not until I hear it from the doctor’s mouth. Only then will all the tension that has settled within my chest start to loosen.

  “I hope so.”

  Pressing yet another tender kiss to the top of my head, he continues holding me in the warm circle of his arms. It’s as if he knows exactly what I need right now. But then again, Sam has always known what I needed.

  I just took it for granted.

  “Why didn’t you call me yourself?” His voice lowers, sounding even gruffer as he asks, “Why did I have to hear it from Liam?”

  Not knowing what to say, I simply shrug my shoulders. I think it’s perfectly obvious why I didn’t reach out to him personally. If things were normal between us, he would have been the first person I called.

  When I don’t respond, he pulls away. Not far, just enough to search my eyes with his own. When I try lowering my face, his strong fingers slip gently under my chin before lifting it so that I’m not able to look anywhere but into his piercing blue eyed stare.

  “No matter what’s going on between us, you should have called. You should have let me know what was happening. With enough time, we’ll work through our issues. This has absolutely nothing to do with that.”

  It’s difficult to hold back the tears that so desperately want to fill my eyes before I nod my head in understanding.

  Almost fiercely, he tugs me back into the warm comfort of his embrace before I nestle against him, wishing I could stay buried there forever. Just as I’m inhaling a deep, calming breath, Sam releases me before quickly slipping an arm around my waist. He pulls me against his side, anchoring me to him, just as my grandmother walks back into the room with a man in a white coat at her side.

  There’s a look of relief etched across her face as her eyes arrow to mine. Her lips lift just a bit as if to say he’s okay, it’s going to be okay. Everything within me that had been held whipcord tight instantly loosens in relief. Almost to the point where I think my legs might buckle. I feel Sam’s grip tighten around my waist. When I glance up at him, he gives me a little wink as if he knew all along that everything would work out this way. As the doctor introduces himself, giving us the details of what happened, I drag a huge breath into my lungs before slowly releasing it back into the world, realizing just how lucky today has turned out to be.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “Are you sure there’s nothing else I can get for you before I take off?” I flutter around him like a high strung butterfly, smoothing down blankets as I go. Even though he finds the attention unnecessary and most likely annoying, I can’t seem to help myself. I’m just so relieved he’s back home again, that he’s going to be okay.

  My grandfather rolls his eyes as he repeats his now standard refrain, “I’m fine, Violet. Stop fussing over me like I’m a child. It was just a little heart attack.”

  I have to seriously choke back a biting response to that one.

  Just a little heart attack… ha!

  The man needs to realize that he shaved just about a decade off my life with his little
heart attack. Thank god he’s alright. For the most part. What happened could have been a lot worse. And I know it. So yeah, I’m probably going to be fussing around him a whole hell of a lot. Guess he’s just going to have to suck it up, because I won’t be backing off anytime soon.

  “And you don’t need to stay here at the house with us either. Your grandmother and I are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We’ve been doing it for seventy-some years now. You should go back to the dorms. Back to your life.”

  Doesn’t he realize that he is my life?

  That I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that his health is back on track? We’re talking daily walks, maybe a little yoga or tai chi at the local YMCA, and super smoothies filled with plenty of antioxidants and vitamins.

  Instead of arguing, I simply continue to humor him. “I will, gramps. Don’t worry about it. I’m just going to stick around here for a little bit longer and then I’ll head back to the dorms. I haven’t missed any classes and I’m getting all my work done. Everything’s fine.”

  I’ve been staying with them for the last seven days, commuting back and forth to school. Honestly? I think I’m here more for me than for them. After that scare, I feel the need to stick close. I like seeing firsthand that he’s on the mend. Getting stronger each and every day. And I certainly don’t mind running errands or driving my grandfather to appointments when I’m not at school.

  It’s also a lot quieter around here than at the dorms. I’ve had plenty of time to sit and think about my relationship with Sam. About everything that has unfolded between us within the last month. The rollercoaster highs and lows.

  The realization I’ve come to is that I’m completely in love with him. Sure, it may have taken me a while to see him in that light, but now that I have… I’ve fallen hard and fast.

  But more importantly, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need him.

  I need him in my life.

  I need him to be my friend.

  And if that’s all we’re ever going to be to one another, then I can accept it. Because what other choice do I have?