Here for You (14 page)

Perez actually did get run over today pretty hard when he was trying to block a runner sliding into home, but I can’t believe how much Johnny is milking this with Quinn. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him whine as much as he did in the locker room, and she’s been stroking his ego since we sat down at dinner.

“Perez, will you knock it off? You’ve been run over a hundred times this season, but it didn’t seem to hurt as bad until you had someone to take care of you.”

“Shut up. You have no idea what it feels like. You just stand on your mound and throw the ball. You have it so easy.”

I laugh because Johnny doesn’t mean that and I know it. Anderson decides to chime in on the conversation. “Yeah, and you don’t even have to play every game.”

My eyes slide to the prick. I notice a couple of the guys shift in their seats. He doesn’t have the respect of the team to play on the same jokes. Apparently he’s trying to show off for his “prize possession". I’m actually surprised she’s even here tonight. She missed most of the road games this season because she couldn’t drag herself away from her social calendar. Guess it was because it was me she was supposed to be supporting, which makes me wonder how much of our relationship was even real.

“You got that, Anderson. Easiest job on the planet right here.”

“Damn right.” He mumbles under his breath but everyone hears it.

Johnny jumps up and out of feeling-sorry-for-himself mode in half a second flat.

“Shut your fucking mouth, Anderson.”

“What the fuck are you going to do about it?”

Johnny starts to move toward Anderson, and I hold up my hand. The rest of the guys are looking at me and not even considering joining Anderson’s side.

“Just focus on your game and don’t worry about me. I think you should lay off the alcohol. We have a game tomorrow.”

“Yeah, one that you’re not playing in.”

I see Crystal pull on his arm, and for once, I’m happy to see her paying attention to him. He needs to shut his mouth or someone is going to punch him in the face, and then I’m going to have to deal with the aftermath. Of course I’d take anyone else’s side and they all know that, which makes it harder to control them. Fonz and Pauly get up from the far end of the table.

“Tommy, let’s go outside for a minute,” Crystal whispers.

“I don’t want to fucking go outside. I’m sick of him thinking he can control everything.”

Even though she’s trying, apparently Crystal has zero control over him, so I stand up and push the table to the side so I can get around. “Outside. Now.”

At least the asshole knows to follow me. He knows he went too far and I’m not in the mood for it tonight. Before I get far from the table, my phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket. Ashley’s name shows up on the screen, and I toss my phone to Johnny. “Have Quinn talk to Ash.”

I continue outside and wait for the idiot. “Listen, Anderson. There are certain rules with the team. You know I’m captain of the team. The rest of the guys respect that. You may not and that’s fine, but I suggest you keep it to yourself or move it along. The guys want to kick your ass and they know I’ll back them, so consider this your final warning.”

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Wills. You’re nothing more than the rest of us.”

I take another deep breath. “Your opinion is just that. Yours. Either you want to be part of this team or you don’t. Did you move in on my fiancée because you hated me so much?”

He cocks his head back and laughs. “I didn’t have to do shit to get her. Hell, I said hello and she started rubbing up against me.”

I clench and unclench my hands a few times. The guy is lucky I still have at least a small amount of patience or his face would be pressed into the concrete right now. “Why don’t you and Crystal head out? I think you need to sleep this off. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“You aren’t my dad, Wills.”

“You’re right. I’m not. If that was the case, you certainly wouldn’t be treating people this way. I’d have raised you better. But I
am
the captain of the team you play for, and you will either respect that or you will be moved along. And I’m not sure any other team wants you right now.”

“Fuck you.”

I throw my hands up because I just don’t have the energy to go at it with him. “Find your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

I close my eyes, but it’s no use. I grab him by the collar and push him up against the wall. “You better treat her with respect or you’re going to be sorry.”

Again, he knows he’s gone too far and he doesn’t say anything in return. I let go of him and walk away to the other side of the door. I don’t know how long we’ve been out there, but Crystal comes outside and walks over to Anderson to soothe him. The rest of the team comes outside and starts getting in cabs to head back to the hotel. Johnny and Quinn are the last people out.

Quinn hands me my phone. “She’s taking off in a few minutes.”

I call her quick so I can hear her voice before she’s in the air.

“I’m sorry, Ash. I had a situation.”

“It’s fine. I probably won’t be at your hotel for two hours. I’m seated, so hopefully we take off in fifteen minutes.”

“Whenever you get here is perfect. Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No. You go to sleep. I have a car scheduled to pick me up.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Positive. Get some sleep. You sound tired.”

“I will leave a key for you at the front desk. If I fall asleep, just wake me.”

“You got it. I’ve missed you.”

“Miss you too.”

As I slide the phone into my pocket, I notice Johnny and Anderson arguing. I feel a hand on my arm and turn to see Crystal.

“I’m really sorry, Wills. Sometimes he just drinks too much.”

“He has a game tomorrow, Crystal. He needs to back off on game nights. This is his final warning.”

“I know. He just gets really worked up when he’s around you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, so he better get used to it.”

“I know. He’ll figure it out.” Her hand moves up and down my arm and I look down at it. “I miss you, Wills.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

“I know. I just get so confused sometimes. I mean, what we had was great, but it was young love, don’t you think?”

“Crystal, you can think what you want. I thought you were there for me, but you proved you’re not. I just wonder if anything we had was real.” I look up and see Quinn watching us. I don’t want to hurt her or Ashley but I’m in such a difficult spot that I can’t explain it.

“Of course what we had was real.” When her finger runs down my arm again, I almost cringe. All I can think about is Ashley in my bed in only a few hours.

“I’m sure you can understand why that’s hard for me to believe.”

“Wills. I still love you.”

The words hurt. I know they should make me feel better in some weird way, but it actually pisses me off. If she loved me she would still be with me and wouldn’t have cheated on me. When I look at her I see all of my failures and everything I did wrong. “Crystal, you should go back to Anderson. He needs you right now.”

“Don’t you need someone too?”

“Yeah, I do. She’s on her way right now.”

Her entire expression changes. “Are you still with that bitch?”

“Don’t talk about her that way. She supports me and is there when I need her.”

“Whatever. You keep telling yourself that. She’s just using you because you’re famous.”

“You can think what you want. All that matters is she’s there for me.”

Crystal snorts and turns to head back to Anderson. This is typical behavior for her when she doesn’t get what she wants. Quinn comes over shortly after Crystal leaves.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just need to get out of here tonight.”

“Hey.” She lays her hand on my arm. “That team fucking loves you. They think the world of you. If you could have seen how upset they were when you left you would be amazed. They back
you
and support
you
.”

“Thanks, Quinn.”

“I need you to try, Cam. I need you to try for her.”

I close my eyes and swallow the emotion. “I know. I want to so bad it hurts. I can’t explain the other side of it.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I know it’s between you and Ash, but just know I want you two to work out. I want you for Ash almost as much as I want my own love.”

I nod at her and as I see the last group get into a cab, I hold out my arm. She hooks her hand on it, and we make our way to the next waiting cab with Johnny. They slide in the back, and I ride up front staring at the city as it passes by.

We walk into the hotel together, but I head to the front to leave a key for Ash. I know she’s not going to be here for close to two hours, and I’m dreading going to bed before she gets here. The last two nights without her have been two of the worst since the accident. I know I need her, but I can’t force Ashley to give up her very successful life to be my babysitter.

I see Crystal when I step out of the elevator on our floor. She’s holding a glass half- filled with clear liquid. I know it’s not water, and it makes me hurt all over again.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Anderson is sleeping, and I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“I’m fine, Crystal.”

She walks up to me and places her free hand around my neck. “Are you sure, baby? ’Cause I can make you feel good if that’s what you need.”

“You need to go to bed. You’re drunk.”

“Screw you, Wills. Why do you think I had to go in search of someone else?”

“That was never the problem when we were together and you know it.” I turn the direction of my room and walk quickly down the hall. I can hear her calling my name, and I pick up speed. I close my door before she’s even close. I head in to get ready for bed and hear her knocking for a couple of minutes but eventually the sound stops.

I get in bed figuring I should try and get as much sleep as I can. I know it will be easier when Ashley gets here, but I have had hardly any in the last two nights so I need all I can get.

I check in at the front desk to pick up my key. The kid working behind the counter insists that someone help me with my bags, and I’m so tired at this point that I’ll do whatever he wants as long as it gets me up to Cam’s room faster. As we near his room I see Crystal passed out against the door. The kid looks at me, and I consider asking him to call security but I change my mind. She’s on the outside of his room, and that’s the critical point here. I don’t want to cause an unnecessary problem for the team.

“Can you call your manager and have someone come up to help you? I don’t know her last name, but that’s Crystal and she’s staying with Tommy Anderson. Trust me. I know that for a fact. So if you could deliver her to his room, that would be great.”

He nods eagerly. He just walked JC Williams’s girlfriend to his room and now he gets to take a passed-out girlfriend to Tommy Anderson’s room. If he’s a baseball fan, which he seems to be, this is probably a night he will remember.

He walks a little ways down the hall to make the call. Less than thirty seconds later he’s back over by me.

“My manager, Mr. Barnes, will be here shortly.”

“Are you working tomorrow night?”

“Yes’m. I will be on until midnight.”

“Perfect. I’ll have JC sign something for you. I appreciate you doing this and keeping it discreet.”

He smiles and nods his head eagerly. I have to trust that he’s not going to take pictures of her and post them online. This is a high-end hotel, and I’m sure this is not the most controversial thing that’s ever happened here. Plus I can’t imagine the manager allowing anything like that to happen.

I know he’s wearing a name tag, but it seems more personal to ask. “What’s your name?”

He points to his tag as he answers. “William. William Tucker, ma’am.”

I smile at the irony in the first name. “I’ll make sure JC finds you tomorrow.”

When I see the manager walking down the hallway, I have to admit they do things quickly here. William called less than two minutes ago and the manager is already here.

He addresses me as soon as walks up. “Are you okay, Ms. Hughes?”

I put on my best professional smile. “I’m fine, Mr. Barnes. I appreciate you taking care of this situation discreetly.”

“Of course, Ms. Hughes.”

Mr. Barnes takes the glass out of her hand and sets it on the ground. William joins him on the other side of Crystal, and they both lift her up. Amazingly, her eyes open and she kind of stands on her own. Her eyes focus on me, and I see the anger cross them. This is why I didn’t want to wake her on my own because I didn’t think she would just go away.

“What the hell do you want?”

“Nothing, Crystal. I’m just going into my room. These gentleman are going to help you to yours.” I smile sweetly as I slip my key card in the door. I open the door and pull my suitcase in behind me, allowing the door to quietly click shut behind me. I turn the deadbolt and walk further into the room.

I’m immediately thankful it’s a suite because I can move around without waking up Cam. The door is closed to the bedroom, probably to drown out the sound of Crystal knocking. I’m guessing he would have talked to her if she hadn’t been hammered, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

I set my suitcase up on the couch and open it to find my new pajamas. I pull on Cam’s jersey over nothing and slide on a pair of white boy shorts. I use the small bathroom that is just off the main room to wash my face and brush my teeth.

I quietly open the door and make my way over to the opposite side of the bed from him. As I pick up the sheet to slide in, I notice that he’s moving in his sleep and then he bolts up gasping for air. His breathing is labored and he doesn’t look my direction. I don’t think he’s even aware that I’m in the room.