Second Down (Moving the Chains Book 2)

Second Down

Book Two in the Moving the Chains Series

by

Kat
a
Čuić

Second Down

Book Two in the Moving the Chains Series

Copyright ©2016 by Kata Čuić

All Rights Reserved.

This novel may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express written permission by the author. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. And yes, that includes the internet and social media. Especially those. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Art in any form is created from the blood, sweat, and tears of the artist. In this case, the writer. Please do not engage in piracy or plagiarism. Purchase from valid vendors. Create your own art!

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and goings on are the product of the author’s ridiculous imagination and/or life experiences, and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead or otherwise, is coincidental. Kind of. Mostly.

Edited by Kristy DeBoer

Cover artwork ©Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations

http://www.okaycreations.com/

Formatted by Champagne Formats

http://champagneformats.com/

Prologue

Comfortably Numb

*Still needs major work. Voice isn’t right. Too telling.

Alex

I don’t know how long it’s been.  By the time my brain decides to check back in, I’m sitting in the hospital’s ER waiting room, surrounded by people. Apparently shock is a real thing because I have no fucking clue how or when I got here, or when the rest of these assholes walked in.

Rob has gotten cleaned up. The last time I saw him, he was covered in someone else’s blood and vomit. His eyes are still completely glazed over as he sits silently, his elbows propped on his knees. His hands look as mangled as that dude’s face. Every once in a while his dad, who’s been pacing nearby, yells at him. Gary’s worried that Rob broke a bone in his hand and won’t be able to finish the season. Rob never even responds, but his mom sends Gary death glares. They shut him up for a few more minutes, but then he starts ranting again.

Coach sits quietly across the room watching Rob and Mike like a hawk. I don’t know if Rob’s had his hands x-rayed yet. Maybe that’s what Coach is doing waiting here with the rest of us. Waiting to see if our starting quarterback just killed his chances at an NCAA scholarship murdering the guy who murdered his girlfriend.

Man, that’s just fucked up.

Mike looks like he’s been crying too. Normally, that would be weird, but not today. He’s not in nearly as bad of shape as Rob. Maybe that’s because we didn’t see everything that Rob saw. Or maybe it’s because neither of us is actually in love with Eva. Holy shit. I heard him say it with my own ears. Rob
loves
Eva.

Eva’s friends sit nearby, holding each other and taking turns doing that whole ugly cry bullshit. I can’t fucking stand it when girls do that. It’s such a pathetic attempt to get attention. Jeremy sits in the middle of two girls. His girlfriend, Alyssa, is the one bawling her eyes out now. When Jeremy catches me staring at them, he gives me a look that borders on sympathy. I have no idea why. Fuck, I feel bad for
him
having to put up with that shit.

Mom sits beside me, rubbing circles on my back. I don’t have the heart to tell her it’s not soothing, but rather irritating the shit out of me now that I’m somewhat coherent. I haven’t really spoken much to anyone since the cops took my statement. She was standing right beside me when I gave it so thankfully, I didn’t have to repeat myself to her. She can tell Dad later or whatever. I don’t want to tell that story ever again.

A nurse comes out of the double doors leading to the treatment area of the ER and yells for Falls. I guess Rob hasn’t had his x-rays after all. He doesn’t register her calling him until his mom touches his shoulder and whispers something in his ear. She gets up to go back with him, but he just shakes his head and pats her arm, walking slowly away like a fucking zombie.

Patty starts crying…again. Gary throws his arms up in the air, raving about his son’s blown shot until Coach drags him outside where he can’t upset everyone else. The tension in the air ratchets up another notch. Mike’s mom, Cindy, wraps her arms around Patty, and they both cry together.

Stupid fucking tears. Tears never change anything or help anyone.

Crying is fucking selfish is what it is.

Awhile later, the double doors open again, but it isn’t Rob coming back. Some woman I don’t know, but who looks an awful lot like Eva, walks out of the treatment area in a daze. She must be Eva’s mother. Patty and Cindy glance up at her. Pretty soon the three of them are wrapped together, their shoulders shaking with shared sobs that pierce my ears like a shotgun. Have I mentioned I fucking hate it when girls cry?

I didn’t even know that Rob’s and Mike’s moms knew Eva's mom.

Mom stands up and walks over to them along with Mike, but I stay where I am. My mind might be kind of operational, but my body feels like it was hit by a fucking Mac truck. I’m not sure I can move without falling flat on my face. I already know what they’re saying anyway. I know what I saw. Eva's dead. I’m glad that Rob is back in x-ray and isn’t here to witness this. I don’t know if I can be around when they give him the news. I wonder if his eyes will ever look alive again. Wonder if he’ll ever smile that stupid fucking grin that he does. Wonder if he’ll ever play ball again. Wonder if he won’t follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, chasing the woman he loves.

I still can’t wrap my head around that. Rob loves Eva. I know my best friend, and he wasn’t just saying it. He actually loves her, or at least he thinks he does. That’s why he was willing to put up with whatever she dished out to him these past few weeks. He’s in love with her. Fucking scary ass shit, right there. I never considered that there were worse ways a girl could leave you than just walking away. I will never put myself in that situation. Ever.

Rob pushes through the double doors next, his hands taped at the knuckles. I hold my breath as the group of women turn to him, watching as one of them delivers the news that will alter his life forever. I can’t hear what they say, but he crumples to the ground like a deflating balloon, burying his face in his hands. His whole body shakes with sobs, but he never makes a sound.

That same eerie silence that took over when we found them sneaks up on me until I’m shaking every bit as much as Rob. He didn’t even act like this when he found out his grandpa committed suicide. The temperature in the waiting room seems to drop a few degrees, the air sucked away as everyone turns to watch our star quarterback fall apart.

Eva’s mom drops to the ground next to him and pulls his head to her chest, rocking him back and forth like a goddamn baby. I can’t figure out why she seems so grateful to Rob; her daughter is dead. Or why Rob’s mom is just letting Eva’s mom comfort him that way.

This whole fucking day can just go fuck itself. Nothing makes sense to me anymore.

After what seems like forever, Eva’s mom gets up and walks back through the double doors. I guess she has to go claim Eva's body and start making preparations for burial. What is it like to say goodbye to someone for the last time? Rob just stays on the ground, looking limp and dazed while silent tears stream down his face.

Mike finally hauls Rob up to his feet, and they trudge back to their chairs. Mom stays with Cindy and Patty, talking quietly. Looking over at Rob and Mike, I have never felt like such an outsider in our little group. Mike has his arm wrapped around Rob’s neck and is talking quietly to him as Rob stares ahead blankly. I doubt he hears a single word Mike is saying to him.

Slender arms wrap around my shoulders as a body takes the seat beside me, and I find Rachel giving me a kind, sympathetic look. I don’t even know where she came from. She takes her hand and wipes my cheeks. I didn’t realize I was crying. She lays her head on my shoulder, squeezing me, and I wrap my arms around her and squeeze back. I feel so fucking useless.

Mom comes back over and sits on my other side. If she thinks the scene with me and Rach is unusual, she doesn’t say anything about it. “Eva’s alive, but in bad shape. She was severely beaten and sustained some serious head trauma, so she’s getting a CAT scan right now while they try to determine the severity of her injuries. She hasn’t regained consciousness yet, and the doctors are worried about brain swelling or bleeding.”

She pauses to let that information sink in. “Rob didn’t break anything. He’ll be able to play out the rest of the season.”  

Mom’s voices catches, and I automatically put my other arm around her as she lays her head on my shoulder. She must be thinking what the rest of us are. Rob will play out the rest of the season only if Eva survives.

Jesus fucking Christ. It strikes me that I already know her attacker’s name. Eva said it on Saturday. Jackson. His name was Jackson. Not that the rat bastard deserves to be called anything except dead. Mom didn’t mention anything about him. Not that I think anyone in this room cares.

I glance over at Rob, still sitting there like a dead man walking. Christ, what did he see that asshole do to her? Mom didn’t mention anything about a rape, although I doubt she would, even if it happened. And yeah, Eva was fully dressed in Rob’s arms, but I’m not stupid. I saw the way that guy looked at her in the diner. If I thought finding Jackson’s pulverized corpse on the side of the trail was horrifying. I can’t image what Rob saw when he found them? When he found that bastard beating and raping the woman he loves? Even if Eva makes it without any permanent physical damage, how will either of them recover from this?

A few minutes later, a group of people who must be Eva’s family rushes into the waiting room. I recognize her younger sister, Christina. The elderly couple must be her grandparents, and I guess some aunts, uncles, cousins or whatever. Christina spots Rob though he’s made no indication that he’s seen any of them come in. She flies towards him and throws herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying like a baby.

Rob never moves. Never puts his arms around her in comfort, never takes his eyes off whatever nightmare is replaying in his head, never says a word. Maybe they should be treating him for shock because that’s just downright cold, especially for him. Everyone knows he’s a big softie in spite of his size.

Eva’s family makes their way towards Rob and Christina. Rob’s mom stands to relay the news she has about Eva’s condition. Some lady that I’m guessing is Eva’s aunt finally pries Christina from Rob’s lap, and they all move to take seats in the waiting area. An older guy who must be Eva’s grandpa bends down in front of Rob, talking to him.

Coach and Gary finally come back in the waiting room from outside. Gary takes one look at Rob’s taped hands and goes off. That guy is one of the biggest dickwads I know. I make a mental note to hug my dad the next time I see him.

Patty moves quickly to intercept him before he can get to Rob and do any real damage. Both he and Coach listen as she speaks. I can tell by the way that Coach looks over at Rob that he understands like the rest of us, this is far from over.

Eva’s grandpa had stepped in front of Rob when Gary started his bullshit, acting like some kind of shield though Rob never registered anything going on around him. Now The old guy says something to Mike, and together they heave Rob out of his seat. They head down the hallway, Rob braced between them, like he’s some sort of toddler. Not sure what good that will do. Rob moves like he’s stuck in a dream.

More like his worst nightmare.

They turn around and are walking back towards the waiting room when a guy wearing a black dress enters in a hurry, nods to Eva’s grandfather, and heads through the double doors. For the first time Rob’s eyes find mine, his face frozen with terror. Being the Catholic boys in the room, we both immediately recognize the collar if not the dress. The priest is either here to administer Last Rites or the Prayers for the Dead. We both turn to look at Jeremy. By his expression, I can tell he saw it too and is on the same page.

Oh my God, she isn’t going to make it or she’s already dead.

Untangling myself from the ladies in either of my arms, I head for Rob. Eva’s grandfather whispers something to him just as he starts to shake. Whatever the old guy says must give Rob some sense of peace because he runs a battered hand over his face, his shoulders slumping with either relief or acceptance.

Finally finding the strength that’s escaped me since this fucking tragedy began, I wrap my arms around my brother’s shoulders and hold on with everything I have my raspy voice begins to tumble out a Hail Mary on autopilot. Before I’ve even finished the first line, Jeremy wraps his arms around us, joining in. Eva’s grandfather backs away, and Mike piles on from behind Rob. By the time we’ve finished the Prayer, Rob is the center of the huddle just like on the field. Our team, our friends, all pulling around him with the only thing we have to offer in the middle of his grief.