Falling for the Quarterback, page 4
My heart stopped.
“I’ll get my keys,” Susan said. I don’t know where she went after she disappeared from the corner of my eye. I focused on the screen and what was being said.
A minute later, I felt a hand on my arm. It was encouraging me to stand, so I rose to my feet. Susan grabbed my purse before we left through the front door.
“He'll be okay,” I heard Susan say as she drove downtown and toward Seaview General.
“They’re not going to let me see him.” I hadn’t spoken the entire time until the hospital came into view. The realization hit me and a brick landed in my stomach.
“You’ll find a way,” Susan replied with a hopeful tone.
I took a deep breath and nodded my head. I could do this.
Susan pulled into the hospital parking lot and tried to get close to the emergency entrance but it was full of reporters. It didn’t take long for the media to run with the story.
“You might have to go in through the main entrance,” Susan suggested before she backed up. “Do you want me to go in with you?”
I shook my head.
“Call me if you need a ride.”
“Thanks, Susan.” I got out of the car, gave my sister a wave and then went inside.
People were rushing back and forth. Doctors, techs, people to see their loved ones. Carts were being pushed around by workers and there was a smell. It was a mixture of cleaning products and something else. Sadness? Illness? I had no idea.
I stood there feeling lost. Hospitals had never been my favorite place to be and now I had to figure out how I would see Trevor.
Please let him be okay. I thought as I turned down the corner that had a big red arrow with white lettering spelling out emergency.
There were several people in the waiting room. Reporters kept trying to come in through the sliding glass door but the hospital security staff was doing their best to keep them from entering. If things didn’t calm down, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the police department.
I looked away from the chaos and smiled at one lady behind the counter.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m here to see my friend. He was brought in a bit ago.”
“Their name?”
“Trevor…” I said and then leaned forward a little so I could whisper his last name.
The woman lifted her eyes from her screen to give me a “you’re kidding” expression. I smiled, and she sat back in her seat.
“Please take a seat in the waiting room. Once we have a list of approved visitors, I’ll let you know.”
Her tone told me loud and clear that it wouldn’t be anytime soon. I thanked her and went to find a place to sit down. I had a feeling this would be a long wait.
Five Hours Later
I was still sitting there. People had come and gone. They took some back to see a doctor and others left in frustration because of the wait times. I wasn’t there for any other reason except to see Trevor. I knew I couldn’t complain.
Not thinking about all the awful things I had said to him, I focused on the positive. All that mattered was for him to get better. I didn't know what happened on the field. It wasn’t what was important to me. Trevor was. I needed to see him and make sure he was alright - even if he didn’t accept my apology.
I stretched my legs out and ran my hands over my thighs. With a yawn, I looked around and thought about getting something out of the vending machine. My stomach wanted me to go to the cafeteria on the second floor but I was too afraid I’d miss someone coming out to talk to me. I had only gone to the bathroom once because I had to and I rushed the entire time.
Another person walked out of the swinging doors that led to the emergency room. I looked at the man. He seemed familiar to me but I couldn't place him.
He wasn’t a worker, dressed in street clothes. He walked in front of me and was about to keep going when he turned his head to look at me.
“Natalie, right?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah. That’s me.”
“I’m Rich. I play with…” He glanced around and then stepped closer. I stood up, and he leaned in. “I work with Trevor.”
“Is he okay?” I asked in a whisper.
“That man is lucky as hell. The docs were able to keep him from going paralyzed,” Rich explained in a hushed whisper.
I let out a sigh of relief and my body relaxed. Then I realized the man knew my name.
“How'd you know who I was?”
“He’s been talking about you non-stop since y’all met in the suite. He described you to a T. How come you haven’t gone back to see him?”
“Because the woman at the counter said I had to wait, and she’d let me know if my name was on some list.” I looked over at the admission desk. It was then that I noticed several new staff members behind the desk. “I guess they changed shifts and still haven’t gotten the list they need. I’ve been here for…” I looked at the clock on the wall. “About five hours.”
“Seriously?” Rich looked at me with wide eyes. “Trev’s been awake for at least an hour. Let me go see what’s going on.”
“I would really appreciate that,” I replied. I gave him a smile and watched as he walked back to the admission desk. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but Rich turned and waved me over.
My heart raced as I approached the desk. The woman was typing on the computer and then picked up the phone mounted next to her screen.
“Hello. I have a visitor requesting to visit the patient in E304. Her name is…” The woman paused and looked at me.
It took a second for me to realize she was waiting for my name. “Sorry. I’m Natalie Brown.”
“Natalie Brown. Can you verify that she’s permitted?”
I held my breath while the lady waited and I hoped that the answer was a good one.
I’m not sure how long it took exactly, but it felt like an eternity. The clerk finally hung up the phone and smiled at me.
“Please go on up. The nurse is expecting you,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said softly. I glanced at Rich and then took a deep breath to head to the elevators. My heart was about to leap out of my chest. I crossed my fingers as I walked onto the elevator that Trevor wanted to see me.
Chapter 8
Trevor
Everything was still fuzzy, but I was noticing the painting on the wall and the lack of bright lights. I wasn’t in the emergency room or even the operating room.
Someone came in and asked about Natalie. I said yes, not sure what was going on. I missed Natalie. I had fallen for her but she wanted nothing to do with me.
The sadness washed over me once more and added to the otherwise low mood I was feeling because of the accident. The doctor said I would be fine, and I’d still be able to play football. Those that rushed to the field and kept me from moving saved my life.
It was an overwhelming feeling and my eyes swelled up with tears when there was a soft knock at the door. I sniffled a little, trying to keep back my emotions as it opened up. I expected the doctor or maybe a nurse. I didn’t think I would see Natalie walking into the room.
“Nat…” I mumbled, feeling the tears slip onto my cheeks.
Natalie
I didn’t know what to expect when I walked through the door. The sight of Trevor hooked up to those machines. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the pale color on his face. My heart broke a million times when I saw his teary-eyed expression.
“Hey,” I greeted him softly as I approached the side of his bed. I took his hand and sat down in the nearby chair.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I’ve seen better days,” he replied while his other hand wiped away his tears. “I’m happy to see you though. I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”
Sadness washed over me and I gave him a little nod.
“That’s my fault,” I whispered sadly.
“Shh no it isn’t,” Trevor said.
“I pushed you away because I was afraid of getting hurt. I believed everything I read in the magazines instead of realizing that you're a wonderful man.” I could feel tears building and I tried hard not to let them fall.
“There was a short time when I first joined the league where I wasn’t that great of a guy. I never hurt women on purpose. I’ve never been violent or anything like that. I dated a few women at the same time but none of those relationships were serious. The women knew I was seeing other people. The media… they took pictures of me out with different dates and ran with it. They twisted it into something it wasn’t and I just let it go. My manager thought it would help my imagine, being a bad boy type. I don’t know if it did more harm than good, to be honest.” Trevor’s voice was lined with regret and sorrow.
I reached up and gently placed my hand on his cheek. I brushed my thumb over his skin and smiled at him.
“I should have asked your side of the story. I should have talked to you. I didn’t. I was scared and didn’t want to get hurt so I ran. I’m so sorry for hurting you and for pushing you away at the aquarium. When I heard about your accident, it woke me up. I needed to see you. If I didn’t tell you how I felt before something happened…” I couldn’t speak any more. The emotions were becoming too much, and I felt a few tears slip onto my cheeks.
“Hey,” Trevor whispered. It was his turn to put his hand on my cheek and brush away my tears. “Nothing happened. I’m right here. Doc said I'll play again. Everyone on the field, the team’s doctors, the paramedics, the nurses and docs here… they all took care of me and saved me. They even made it possible that I’ll walk without any problems. Now you’re here. It doesn’t matter what happened. You’re here and you know me. You see me. There’s nothing we can’t do together as long as we communicate. If you really think about it, despite everything, today has been a good day. We even won the game.”
I laughed and wiped away the new tears. I loved how he was looking on the bright side of things and didn’t hold grudges. So many would be down in the dumps after being injured, myself included.
Leaning over, I pressed my lips against his and let every ounce of love that I felt for him flow into it. I needed him to know that I was there for him, would always be there and nothing would break us apart. I was his girl.
Trevor
My heart became so full the moment her lips touched mine. All the worry I had washed away. The doctors fixed me up. There was a bit of physical therapy but nothing I couldn’t handle. Natalie was in my life, she saw who I was and not what the media painted me to be. We were together and everything was perfect.
“I love you,” I whispered the second our lips parted. I opened my eyes as soon as I said it, worried that it was too soon. The look on Natalie’s face calmed my worries in an instant.
“I love you too,” she whispered back and leaned in to kiss me again.
I wanted to wrap my arms around her, holding like I did that night we spent together. I wanted her to feel all of my love in every way possible but I knew it would have to wait. It'd be a few days before I got out of the hospital and then I didn’t know what would happen but I knew she’d be there.
When our kiss broke, I brushed some hair from her face and smiled as our eyes met. She was the most beautiful woman in the world and I was the luckiest man in the world.
Epilogue
Seven Months later
Trevor
I was nervous. It'd been a long hard struggle to get back on the field but here I am. I was about to step onto the grass for the first time since my accident. I know the fans were all wondering how I would perform. Some critics doubted my ability to make a comeback. I was determined to show them I'm stronger than ever. All the naysayers can kiss my… well they could jump on another bandwagon.
I was also nervous for another reason. I had been planning a surprise for nearly as long as I was in rehab. I wanted everything to be perfect. Anxiety and worry plagued me at times but I had to remind myself that everything would work out fine. It had to.
It was the first pre-season game at home and I expected to see a lot of empty seats. Only the diehard fans went to every game. This time was different. Every seat was full. I knew they were there to see what I could do or wouldn’t do. I was up for the challenge.
“We’re ready,” one worker said to me and I gave a nod.
After taking a deep breath, I walked out of the tunnel. I had all of my gear on, ready for the game but it was still early for the team to make it’s run onto the field. People were shouting, some were cheering, but I ignored them all.
I made it to the fifty-yard line on the home team side and looked down at my helmet I was carrying. I had a hold of the face mask but inside was a dark blue velvet box. Just seeing it made my heart flutter.
I reached my destination, and someone handed me a microphone. I tapped it a few times and heard it come through the speakers. A worker handed me an earplug, so I didn’t get focused on hearing myself through the speakers, I pushed it into my ear and looked to the crowd.
“Good afternoon, Spartan fans!” I said into the mic. The crowd went crazy. “How are you doing? I’m glad to see you. Thank you for coming.”
I waited for the crowd to silence down. A few minutes went by and it seemed as if they were only getting louder.
“Thank you all for being so supportive since my injury. I’ve read many of your letters and comments. Your well wishes meant a lot and there was no way I could have done this without you. There’s someone else in my life that was with me every step of the way. There’s no way I could have made it back onto the field to play for you without her help. Spartans, please help me thank Natalie Brown.” While the crowd cheered for her, I waved her over from the side of the field. She had wanted to see what it was like to be down near the grass and it had worked out perfectly for my plan.
“Natalie, my love,” I said into the microphone as she walked to me. One of the assistant coaches came rushing over and grabbed the microphone to hold for me. “I have loved you since the moment I saw you in the executive suite. You’ve never cared about what I did for a living but instead, you saw the man under the uniform. I don’t know what I would have done these last seven months without you by my side. You've helped me more than you will ever know and I love you more every day. I will love you forever.”
I dropped to one knee, ignoring the crowd as they cheered and kept my eyes locked on Natalie’s. Without breaking eye contact, I reached into my helmet and pulled out the little velvet box.
“Natalie Brown, would you do me the honors of being my wife?” I opened the box, presenting her the ring I had picked out and prayed that she would say yes.
Natalie
I had never seen so many people in one place before. The last time I was at the game, I could only see things from one angle but now that I was on the field, I did a 360 turn. Thousands of people were there to watch Trevor and the rest of the guys play. It was a little breathtaking to be honest.
Trevor gave me a brief tour before he had to go back to the locker room. He joked that I wasn’t allowed to go with him - too many naked guys in one room.
I stood back and watched as the photographers got into position. The cameras had to be checked and aligned to make sure they caught every play. Officials were checking footballs for pressure and the cheerleaders got into their positions. They were already getting the Spartan fans fired up. There were a lot of moving parts and I don’t know how they did it.
I looked up when the crowd cheered and saw Trevor walking across the field. He walked in my direction with his uniform on. I'd never felt so proud as I did right then. I know how hard he worked to get back into shape so he could play again. I know the pressure he was under from the fans, his agent, the team and himself to be at his peak performance. This team had changed his life, he owed him another perfect season.
As the crowd ate up his words, I couldn’t stop smiling. The man was very charismatic, even in front of 70,000 people. I was looking up into the stands when I heard my name. Trevor was waving me over and I shook my head a little. I didn’t want to be on display in front of everyone. This was his stage. But when Trevor started speaking, I forgot about everyone else.
Tears sprang to my eyes the moment I saw him drop to one knee. His words were perfect. The ring was beautiful. The man behind it all was the love of my life and all I could do was nod my head before I said yes with tears slipping down my cheeks.
Trevor stood up, wrapped his arms around me and then kissed me with so much love I thought my heart would burst. The crowd cheered for us and some chanted our names. I've never experienced anything like this before but then again, I had never met a man like Trevor Boseman.
♦♦♦
I had so much fun writing this story! I hope you enjoyed it as well. If you did, send me an email or post a review on Amazon. I’d love to hear what you thought.
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Kori Hart loooves OTT/insta-love romance! Her stories feature sexy Alpha males who meet the women destined to be their Queens. Happily Ever Afters are a must!
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Kori Hart, Falling for the Quarterback
