Page 52 of Punked By the Playmaker
Hopping out of the pool, Levi positioned himself so that he sat beside me. His wet thigh pressed against mine, soaking through the fabric of my skirt, but I didn’t make any effort to move. There was a certain comfort to be found in the heat radiating from his body, and though I’d never admit it, I hated waking up cold and alone on my side of the pillow wall in our bed. That first morning, with his strong arms wrapped around me, was the first time I’d felt safe in a very long time.
I hitched a thumb over my shoulder toward the house. “I’m gonna go in and scrounge up something for dinner.”
Levi stood, offering me his hand and hauling me to my feet. “I left a plate for you in the oven.”
Stunned, I stepped back, a sound of disbelief falling from my lips. “You cooked?”
“Mmm. Grilled chicken over pasta.”
That sounded so amazing that my mouth began to water. And the gesture, though incredibly small, hit me square in the solar plexus, knocking the breath from my lungs.
All I could manage was a whispered, “Thank you.”
Even in the darkness, I saw the tint of pink coloring Levi’s cheeks as he flashed me a boyish grin that made him look about a decade and a half younger than his thirty-two years. “No big deal.”
He was wrong. It was a huge deal.
I couldn’t remember the last time someone took care of me—it was always the other way around.
Austin wouldn’t be the only one dragging their feet when our time with Levi came to an end.
With a rare afternoon off and plenty of time before the kids were due home from school, I pulled into a familiar parking lot. It took a full fifteen minutes before I hyped myself up enough to get out of the car, and even then, I dragged my feet as I walked toward the building’s entrance, dreading how I would leave more broken than when I arrived.
Halfway through signing in at the front desk, a friendly voice called out, “Arizona, I’m so glad you were able to come today.”
I lifted my head to find Ellen, the nurse who went out of her way to send me frequent updates on Mom’s condition, on approach.
Her smile was so wide I could have probably counted all of her teeth. “It’s been a minute since your last visit.”
Ellen was merely making polite conversation, but her words caused a blanket of shame to settle over my shoulders. I could make excuses for my prolonged absence—life had certainly been crazy as of late—but in all honesty, I’d been actively avoiding making the trip out here. Nothing on this earth could match the pain of mourning the loss of your mother when she was sitting in the chair right across from you.
“I’ve spent all morning preparing her for you to join her for tea. She’s very excited.”
“Really?” Hope filled my chest that maybe today would be one of the ultra-rare days when she was lucid, when she remembered me. If I could just feel her arms around me, I might be able to trick myself into believing everything would be okay.
“Mm-hmm.” Ellen gestured in the direction of the residents’ rooms, and together, we began to walk down the hall.
When we reached the open door to my mom’s suite, she was sitting in a chair near the window, admiring the flowers blooming in the garden just outside.
Ellen knocked on the door to alert her of our presence. “Sarah, look who’s come to see you.”
Mom turned around, and when her eyes locked on me, I held my breath expectantly, waiting to see a flicker of recognition in their blue depths.
“Oh, are you the new administrator?”
My hopes were dashed in an instant, and a soul-crushing sadness settled deep within my bones.
At this point, I would make a deal with the devil for one day—hell, I’d settle for one hour—with the woman who’d made homemade signs to cheer me on at gymnastics meets throughout my youth.
Not wanting to upset her, I plastered on my professional smile and nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
Mom’s eyes darted to Ellen before returning to meet mine. “You can come in, but only for a few minutes. I’m expecting a visit from my daughter and grandson soon.”
A sob bubbled up from my chest, and I barely managed to clap a hand over my mouth in time so that it didn’t break free.
This was so fucking unfair I couldn’t stand it.
Ellen placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, keeping her voice low. “I’m so sorry. I thought for sure—”
