More Than Enough (Enough #2) (15 page)

Finally, after talking to Keller as much as I can, I turn to the EMT and ask, “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” He looks at Keller and then back at me, “Uh, yeah, I think he’s going to be fine. He just got hit hard and will probably have a nasty concussion, but I don’t think he’ll suffer any lasting effects from this.” He looks kinda nervous then and mumbles, “So that girl that was with you. Does she have a boyfriend?”

I look at him exasperated and then a little annoyed that he could ask that in this situation. The Carter effect must still work on EMTs during highly stressful times. I inform him as nicely as I can, “Yes, she does have a boyfriend. It’s Brayden Cameron, the Florida State quarterback.” He looks disappointed but tries to shrug it off, telling me, “Yeah, looking the way she does, I assumed she had a boyfriend, but I had to ask.”

We arrived at the hospital right after that, and I climbed out of the ambulance to watch Keller be unloaded by the EMT and hospital staff. They take him inside and tell me to wait in emergency, and they will call me back when he is stable. I walk slowly to the emergency waiting room, wishing I could just stay with him. I just want to know that he’s going to be okay, but no matter what I’m going to be there for him.

I’m sitting in the ER for only about five minutes when Carter rushes in. She comes directly to me and asks urgently, “Did he wake up yet?” I just shake my head as tears start falling down my cheeks. I tried to hold the panic back as much as I could. But just sitting here waiting and knowing that the time has stretched on without him waking has started to push me into feeling hysterical.

Right then a physician walks out and says, “Could I speak to the family of Keller Cameron?” We both rush over to him, and Carter says, “I’m his stepsister and this is girlfriend. His brother is coming to the hospital right now. How is he?”
“I’m Dr. Landers, and he’s doing okay. He hasn’t woken up yet, and we are doing some extensive brain scans. But in my professional opinion, he’s just had a rough hit and will have a concussion when he wakes up. We’re going to check for every possibility, but I don’t want either of you ladies to worry about something serious yet. If he’s out for another twelve hours, then I’ll start to be more concerned.” Carter and I grab for each other in relief as Dr. Landers continues, “You may both come back to him if you like. We’re going to get him set up in a room upstairs as soon as possible, but if he wakes, I know that you’d both probably like to be there with him.”

We nod eagerly that we would, and he leads us into the ER. We stop outside Keller’s room and just like on the field, his face looks just as good as usual. It’s unbelievable to think that he hasn’t woken up yet, and it’s been over an hour and a half. I look at Carter, and she’s giggling. I guess she catches the question in my eyes and explains, “He just looks really funny in this hospital gown. He’s always just been such a masculine guy, that seeing him in this is just funny to me. I won’t now, but once he wakes up, I’m definitely getting a picture of this.”

I have to laugh with her, and I do agree that him in a hospital gown is strange. It just doesn’t fit. Carter just shows me more and more that she thinks of him as her brother. Sisters would find that stuff funny and use it against their brothers later on. Now I just need to get Keller thinking of Carter as his sister too. I glance over at Carter still wearing her fitted dance team outfit with her blond hair in a high ponytail and think to myself, good luck with that. The EMT couldn’t even resist her.

We both take a seat on either side of him and hold his hand and wait. He doesn’t give us so much as an eye flicker, and I can feel us sink back into the worry we had before Dr. Landers had shown up. Brayden arrives in a rush, and he takes one look at Keller and just picks Carter up and puts her in his lap and sits down. His presence must have released the emotional upheaval that Carter was feeling inside because she just starts to sob into his chest a
s he rubs her arms and back. He holds her tight to him as she cries.

I start to squeeze Keller’s hand harder and harder as I see Carter receiving the comfort that I’m longing for from my boyfriend. Just then, I catch his eyes start to move, and I just start to pray hard. Please, let him wake up, please, please, let him wake up. Finally, his eyes open and turn to me. He tries to focus in on me, but I can tell he can’t.

His lips start to move, and he says, “Carter, where are you? Why are you crying?” And everything inside of me that was so full just hours earlier deflates and shrivels up inside. I gave him a blow job before the game, and I rode with him on the ambulance. But as soon as he wakes, his first thought was of her. How was I ever going to get him to love me? I’d been so worried about him just minutes before, and now I just wanted to leave and crawl in a hole alone. I’m relieved and happy that he seems to be okay, but I feel exhausted all the sudden with even trying to get him to love me.

Carter, who is normally attuned to my feeling, is only focused on Keller right now. She answers him, “Kell, I was just so scared you’d never wake up. You’re my family, and I just couldn’t take the thought of you not being okay.
” She grips his hand as she talks to him, and as he smiles at her, she adds, “Also I really wanted you to wake up so I could tease you about wearing a dress.”

He looks down at her comment and says, “Holy, shit, I’m in a hospital gown. No, pictures, Carter, I mean it.” She just looks at him steadily and doesn’t promise anything. Bray tells him then, “Glad you’re okay, brother. You had me worried there for a few minutes.” Keller laughs and says, “Sure, worried what headstone you were going pick out.” Keller’s just joking, but I guess Brayden is feeling sensitive from the worry of the last two hours, “No, brother, I was worried about you. I love you, Keller.”

Keller looks touched and uncomfortable all at the same time, “Love you too, man.” He looks away from Brayden after that and finally notices me. “Hey, Red, you’re right here holding my hand, and I didn’t even notice. Why didn’t you say anything?” I give him a halfhearted smile and try to pretend like everything is okay. Now’s not the time to show I’m hurt. He just woke up in the hospital.

“I just wanted you to wake up with as much calm as possible. I wanted you to take in your own surrounding without being bombarded.” He seemed to understand that and just nodded. Carter stood up then and said, “Speaking of bombarded, they’re going to want to know you woke up. You might have a lot of people examining you at once. We might have to step out, but we’ll be right outside the door, Kell.” He looks at her and nods, and then turns back to me.

“I’m sorry I worried you like that, Red. That lineman must have just hit me at the right angle. I don’t remember hardly any of it.” I just tell him, “We were all really worried about you. I rode with you in the ambulance, and you were so still, Keller. It was frightening.” He covers my hand with his larger one, and tells me, “I feel fine now, babe, so please don’t worry. I hate that I put you and Carter through that.”

Brayden protests, “Hey what about me?” Keller looks at him and says, “I bet you didn’t even get her
e until after the game was over.” Brayden argues, “Hey, that wasn’t my fault. We could’ve lost the game if I left, and then we both would’ve been blamed for it.” Keller looks at him and asks tensely, “Did we win?” Brayden says, “You know it.” And they both pump fists, and I have to shake my head at them.

Carter comes back in with Dr. Landers then and tells Brayden and me, “We need to take a walk to the food court while they look Keller over.” I lean down and lightly kiss Keller on the cheek. He turns his head and whispers, “Come back to me.” I nod and head out the door. He confuses me so much. He’s been so much more open and good to me these last two months, but then he calls Carter’s name first when he wakes up. I just don’t know if he’ll ever feel about me the way I do about him.

Chapter 13

Keller

I can’t believe I got hit that fucking hard. The other team had been talking shit to me about Athena since they saw me kiss her before the game. I shouldn’t have set myself up like that, and I asked Brayden during the game how he handled the talk after he kissed Carter before a game cause he always does. He laughed and told me everything they say makes him want to kick their asses and just fires him up more. Besides he wasn’t going to forgo his favorite part of the game just because of a couple of asshole’s mouths.

I got his reasoning, but I don’t think I could handle that again. That plus me thinking about what Athena did to me before the game had me distracted enough that I didn’t see the offensive lineman coming. I saw Carter’s face as he hit me, and she looked almost in agony. That’s the first thing I remembered as I was waking up, and I wanted her to know I was okay immediately.

I hope Athena’s feeling weren’t hurt by that. She was so sweet to ride in the ambulance with me and stay by my side like that until I woke. I know I really care about her, and she just keeps making me want more and more of her. I feel so disappointed that we won’t get any alone time now. I was hoping to at least convince her to let me reciprocate for her what she did earlier. That’s all I could think about since I’d left her this afternoon.

Now all of those plans were shot to hell, and I was stuck here while Carter and Brayden made fun of me wearing a dress. I wanted to make sure that Athena was okay after everything that’d happened tonight, and I was stuck in this hospital bed while all these strangers touched me and ran tests. It seemed like forever until I was left in
peace, and then even longer before Athena, Carter, and Brayden returned.

I was suspicious before that Athena was hurt by how I woke up, but when she returned and could hardly look at me. I knew she was. I couldn’t let this go either. I wanted her to know she was important to me. I don’t know when everything had shifted in my head, but it had. I know I still love Carter, and I’m not sure if
I love Athena or not. But she’d become a significant part of my life the last few months, and I wanted her here with me as the hospital. And I wanted her to know that I wanted her here.

Bray was the first one to speak after they all filtered into the room. “So, you going to die, brother?” I just shot him a dirty look and told the girls, “No, everything looks to be okay the doctor said. I definitely have a concussion, and my head is hurting like a son of a bitch, but they don’t think there’s any lasting damage. I just have to stay here tonight as they monitor everything, and then tomorrow I should be free to go home.”

Carter jumped up and down and rushed to hug me, “That’s great news, Kell. I’m so happy that you’re okay. I was so worried about you.” I patted her on the back but stared at Athena as she studied us. I could tell she was still worried about how I felt about Carter, and I wasn’t ready to delve all into that. But I had to at least show her that I wanted her here with me.”

I didn’t want to put her on the spot with Brayden and Carter here, but I know her well enough that
when she feels uncomfortable or unhappy she leaves. I had to ask her to stay before she left. “So, Red, the nurse told me that I could have one person stay here with me tonight and keep me company. Would you be willing to stay here with me, or did you want to go home and crash after all the drama I created tonight?” She cracked a little smile at my question, but I still saw some doubt and uncertainty in her eyes. I gave her a pleading look and could see her cave in.

“Okay, I’ll stay here with you tonight. Talk about laying on the guilt, Keller. You just got a concussion, and you’re giving me pleading looks. You literally took a hit for the team, and I will be your private nurse for the night.” My mind went places it shouldn’t with that statement, and apparently Brayden’s did too. “That’s not fair, damn it,” he says. Then he turns to Carter and asks, “Baby, will you be my private nurse for the night.” Carter nods eagerly and says, “Ohh, role
play, that sounds fun. Of course I will, Bray, you’ve had a rough game too.”

Bray laughs and milks it up, “I really did, baby.” Carter comes to hug me again, and Bray pats my shoulder. Then she pulls on Brayden and says, “Come, on, you’ve had a rough game. Let’s go home and I’ll make you feel all better.” As they’re walking out I can hear Brayden whisper, “Oh, I know you will, baby.”

I look back at Athena and shake my head. “I don’t think they’re ever going to change.” I tell her. “The world could completely go to hell around them, and they wouldn’t notice. They’re so wrapped up in each other.” Athena moves closer to me and sits down right beside me where she was when I woke up. “It doesn’t seem to bother you as much as it used to.” I shrug and tell her, “I guess I don’t feel as left out now because I’ve got you.”

She smiles at me, b
ut I can still see the hesitation in her expression. I’m going to have to try to explain a little bit of why I called for Carter first. I clear my throat nervously and start. “Athena, after I left you at my dorm, all I could think about was you. I had a hard time even focusing on the warmup because you consumed my thoughts. I had to kiss you just to have a taste of you before I went out there and played. But that was a mistake because during the game the team started talking about how hot you were and other shit like that. It pissed me off.

I was thinking of you and then the shit that they were saying and didn’t have my head completely in the game. I should’ve noticed that guy heading towards me but I didn’t, and I ended up getting hit hard because of my own stupidity. Right when it was happening, I looked towards where you were. Just trying to catch a glimpse of you, I saw Carter instead. She looked terrified, and that’s the last thing I remember before I woke up to her sobbing.

My first thought when I recognized whose sobs I heard and remembered the last thing I saw was of making her feel better. That’s an instinct that’s been with me for a long time, and I’m sorry that by doing that I hurt you. I want you to feel important, and I really appreciated you riding in the ambulance with me. Please forgive me for being an insensitive asshole, Red.”

By this time, she moved as close to me on the bed as she can get, and she’s crying quietly as I finish. She speaks softly to me as she forces the words out, “Thank you for explaining all that to me, Keller. I care about you so much, and I was so worried tonight that I was going out of my mind. Carter jumped right in and included me in the situation. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you two to be close. It’s just after all my worry that you turned to her and didn’t even notice me. It did hurt, but I understand a lot more since you explained. And I’m happy that you asked me to be the one to stay with you tonight.”

I tried to see how far I could test my luck, “So does being my personal nurse include fulfilling any fantasies of mine?” She shakes her head at me in disapproval and says, “No, with a concussion you need lots of rest and to stay still as much as possible. We will not be straining or putting any pressure on any parts of your body tonight.” I complain, “That doesn’t sound like any fun.”

She shoots me a look and says, “Well, you’re in the hospital for a concussion, I don’t think it’s supposed to be much fun. Do you?” I pout, and she grabs the remote. In a placating tone, she says, “I’ll let you pick the channel.” I decide not to show any mercy. “The Discovery Channel, then.” She groans dramatically but does as I ask. One of my favorite car shows is on, and I smile as she glares in my direction.

We have a lot in common except our taste of TV shows. Even movies we can agree on pretty easy, but with TV shows we’re complete opposites. She likes a good comedy, and I like a lot of guy reality TV. But tonight I’m the invalid and at least in this I’ll get my way. She pretends to be annoyed but actually chimes in and talks about cars as we watch the show. My nurse comes to check my machines and tells me that I can go to sleep when I want now; Athena and I decide to settle in for the night after that.

We turn off the lights and just talk about the football game until I just drift off to sleep. The next morning I wake up to her hand still wrapped in mine. I smile and don’t let go but stretch my other arm. She starts to stir around and pulls on her
hand so I reluctantly release it. She does a big stretch like a cat, and I just have to stare. The way she’s contorting her body while her hair is down and everywhere is inspiring me for what we can do together later. She glances over at me and smiles when she sees I’m awake.

“Good morning, beautiful, how’d you sleep in that chair?” She pulls back her hair and replies, “Quite well, being that I slept in a chair. I think it was because you never let go of my hand the whole night.”

I teased, “Think how much better you’ll sleep when every part of us is touching.” She pretended to look offended but eventually laughed. “Somebody’s feeling a little cocky this morning, I think.” Just then, Carter and Brayden come into the room.

I protest, “Why are you guys so early? I didn’t even know eith
er of you got up this early without having practice.” Brayden looked at me disgruntled and said, “Keller, you’re my brother. Both Carter and I were worried about you. But we also wanted you to have downtime and time with Athena. We didn’t leave because we didn’t care. We were worried about you all night.”

My brother doesn’t tell me that stuff very often. We’ve both dedicated ourselves to always make Carter feel loved, but I was touched at the fact that my brother had worried about me. I looked at him and said, “Thanks, man, that means a lot.” He looked back at me and said, “Yeah, yeah, don’t cry on me, now. When do you think they’re letting you out of here? I’ve hated hospitals since
Carter was attacked don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

I froze and knew the question was coming, “Carter was attacked?” Athena asked sounding upset and left out all at the same time. That was the problem with the three of us. We didn’t share a lot with others, especially weaknesses, cause we’d learned they could be exploited. Carter or I should’ve told Athena what happened last year, but we both just weren’t used to sharing anything like that except with each other and Brayden.

Carter finally spoke up, “Yes, Athena, last year I was attacked by a guy in our senior class. It was bad, but I wasn’t raped or anything. Brayden was just really worried and hurt for me. It wasn’t a good experience for either of us.”

“I understand. I was more upset that somebody had
done that to you, not that I wasn’t told. Don’t even worry about it, Carter. That’s just awful though, and I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

Athena’s response just helps me know why I care about
her so much. She’s not inwardly focused like so many girls are, and she seems to really get when a situation’s not about her.

Dr. Landers walks in after that and tells me, “Everything looks great, Keller. We’ve got all your papers together, and you can check out as soon as you want. Now, if you start feeling dizzy or light-headed come in immediately. Also come in if your vision starts to go in and out.”

I let out a breath in relief that I can put this hospital visit behind me, and tell the doctor, “Thank you so much for all your help. I really appreciate you making sure I was okay.” Dr. Landers shakes my hand and adds, “No problem, just remember me when you make the pros. I wouldn’t mind coming to a game.” Didn’t realize he was a fan. “I will, don’t worry.”

The doctor leaves after that, and the nurse comes in to take off my IV and all the other hookups I’ve got to the machines. When she’s done, I gather all my stuff together and sign myself out. Athena and I load into the backseat of Brayden’s Range Rover, and he turns to ask me, “Where to?

I look at him surprised and say, “The condo of course! I want to relax with Athena today, and not have the entire football team popping in to check on me at the dorm.” He nods in understanding but warns, “Okay, just wanted to remind you that this is the week that Hampton and Jace are coming to stay at the condo. I didn’t know if you’d want to be around them or not.” “Shit,” I say as I grasp the fact that they’ll be no relaxing at the condo today.

Athena looks at me confused, and I explain, “Hampton and Jace are Brayden and Carter’s best friends from back home. They’re beyond crazy and party animals. They’re loud and obnoxious, but even I’ve got to admit that they’re as funny as hell. It’s not like we’ll have a bad time at the condo; it’s just not going to be even close to quiet.”

Carter turns completely around in her seat and tells Athena, “Oh, you’ll love Hampton. She’s brash and says the most sexual things in normal everyday conversation, but she’s real and doesn’t do fake. I’ve missed her, and I can’t wait for you two to meet.”

Athena looks a little nervous beside me, but I pull her into my side and just run my hand through her hair as we ride. I must have fallen asleep cause the next thing I remember is Athena gently shaking me awake. I open my eyes to see her beautiful face so close to my face that I’ve got to give into the temptation to take her full lips with mine. She kisses me back, and
I start to cup her ass and rub against her when I hear Brayden voice, “See, Carter, if he’s making out with Athena; he doesn’t need to be carried upstairs.”