Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (11 page)

Rylee

Moving J back to New York was a chore, albeit a chore I was
happy to complete. He was released from the hospital around ten this morning
and it only took us six hours to make the drive to NYC.

I rented a large SUV with captain’s chairs in the back,
hoping it would make things more comfortable for him. Apparently it did not. In
all fairness, I don’t think anything besides a tranquilizer will make him
comfortable at this point.

Between the cast on his leg and the sling for his arm, he
could not find a comfortable position. We stopped numerous times, which didn’t particularly
help the situation. He did not approve of my wheelchair driving ability or my
help getting him in and out of the stupid chair.

I felt useless all day. No matter what I did, I could not
ease his pain. That point killed me over and over again, because he would not
be in pain if it were not for me. We had a decent hour once his pain meds
kicked in. During that hour, we joked around and it felt like old times, when
we took road trips during college.

I finally got J and all of our things up to his penthouse
apartment a few minutes ago. I’m exhausted. Austin and I haven’t spoken since
the bizarre call yesterday. I have racked my brain trying to figure out what is
going on with him, but I have no ideas. I guess he will tell me when he is
ready - or not. I am too tired to dwell on it now.

I still need to get J squared away in bed and make sure he
eats something. His nurse will be here in the morning, so I just have to push
through until then. The unfortunate part is that his apartment is definitely
not accessible. There are elevation changes between rooms and most of the
doorways are not wide enough to fit a wheelchair. I make a mental note to talk
to the building manager about a temporary fix in the morning.

I have two days to make sure J is as comfortable as possible
before the draft starts. Gabe will be here late tomorrow so that we can go over
the final details and make sure we are on the same page. During the draft there
isn’t much for us to do; it is the after party we throw that has to go off
without a hitch. During the day, we serve as moral support for our clients and
mingle with the brass of the league.

After setting my suitcase down in the spare bedroom, I head
back to the living room in search of J. I suppose it isn’t much of a search,
considering he cannot get around himself. The sling on his arm prevents him
from wheeling his own chair.

Jeremy’s apartment is beautiful. Being on the top floor, he
has windows that give a three hundred and sixty degree view of Manhattan. The
wooden floors are stained a deep mahogany and the leather furniture and glass
accent pieces give it an ultra-modern feel.

J is at the window, staring at the sunset falling behind
Manhattan with a forlorn look on his face. I know this situation is hard for my
brother because he has never had to depend on anyone. He has always been the
one to take care of the people around him. He never blinked when our parents
left us alone in the world and has always put everyone around him first. I
would give anything to take away his pain.

I walk up and place a hand on his shoulder to let him know I
am back in the room.

“So are you glad to be home?”

He reaches up, patting my hand. “Yeah, I just wish things
were easier, you know? I hate having to depend on you for everything.”

He sounds defeated. I totally called that one: I know him as
well as he knows himself.

“I know J, but that is what I am here for. You would do the
same for me, and have done occasionally, so just let me return the favor.” I
try to infuse sincerity in every word.

He stays quiet and continues to stare out over the orange
tinted horizon. Giving him space, I go to the kitchen and grab a handful of the
takeout menus he keeps hidden away. I bet he has a takeout menu for every
restaurant in a twenty-block radius. He might take care of all the people in
his life, but we would all die of starvation if he had to cook.  

I sort through the menus, unsure of what to do for dinner. I
finally holler back to him.

“Hey, who do you want to order from? Bad Chinese,
sandwiches, pizza? You name it, I’ll get it.”

After a few more minutes of silence, I lay the menus down on
the black, marble countertop and make my way back to J. As I round the corner to
the living room, I hear what sound like light sobs. Oh no. I am not sure I know
how to deal with my brother’s tears. I have never seen him cry, not even when
our parents died. He has always been the strong one.

Sure enough, as I come to rest on my knees in front of him,
I see the tears flowing down his beautiful face. Not sure what to do, I place
both hands on his legs, one on the cast and the other on his knee.

“Jeremy Ash, look at me.”

He raises his head slightly, revealing the despair in his
soulful green eyes, and seeing my brother in this much pain breaks me. I rise
onto my knees and place my hands on either side of his face.

“We will get through this, J. It’s just me and you, like it’s
always been. We haven’t failed yet, even with the odds against us. No matter
what happens WE. WILL. GET. THROUGH. THIS. There is no other choice. Do you
hear me?”

I wipe the tears from his face as he gives me a small smile.
“I hear you, Ry, I do. We have been through worse, not that it makes this any
easier, but I hear you.”

My brother breaking down shows how rough this situation is
on all of us. Not only is he fighting his physical ailments, but this also
forces him to step outside of his emotional comfort zone. I am not great at pep
talks for J because I have never had to do much more than cheer him on. I want
to tell him that everything will be fine, but the truth is I don’t know that
for certain. How his body will recover from the injuries is still an unknown
and how his body heals will directly affect his emotional state.

We cannot dwell on that now. Now it is time to be positive.

“Good. I am glad we are on the same page because it would be
a damn shame for me to have to kill you now. After all, I spent the past few
weeks begging for you to live.”

I can’t help giggling when he breaks out in full blown
laughter.

“Yeah, no. I definitely don’t need you killing me now. So
what’s for dinner? Let’s end this pity party and get on with it.”

I am so thankful to hear those words and see his smile. I do
not know what I would do without him and thank God I didn’t have to find out. 

We end up ordering a pizza and binging on Netflix for the
rest of the evening. Pizza has always been our fallback comfort food. The day
may have been rough, but in the end we found our footing. We will get through
this no matter what life throws at us. I will make sure of it.

Rylee

The next few days passes in a blur as J becomes accustomed
to his situation. Dani, the nurse I hired, is a godsend. She seems oblivious to
his occasional mood swings and keeps him in line. J, however, was a little
displeased that he did not get the naughty nursemaid I joked about.

In fairness, Dani is a beautiful girl. She is petite, maybe
standing five foot four with shoes. She has shoulder-length, black hair that
frames her face and makes her brown eyes look almost black. J has taken notice
of her looks and attempts flirting with her daily. She shoots him down every time,
although I think she may succumb to his wicked charms.

Kasey, his on-again, off-again girlfriend, came by yesterday
and rattled the walls with her angry outburst. She was upset, and rightfully
so, that no one called her after the accident. It never crossed my mind to call
her, since I am not accustomed to my brother having any type of girlfriend.

She yelled at me and then at J before breaking down into a
fit of ugly tears. Once she finished unleashing her anger, she babied Jeremy,
which drove him nuts. He sent her home and she has called almost every hour since.
He made me silence his cell phone a few hours ago and threatened to change his
number if it didn’t end soon. Something tells me this relationship has run its
course. J does not do needy.

The draft begins tonight, and I have been fielding calls all
day from different teams inquiring about my clients. It seems that at least
seven of them should go in the first round, which will make this my most
successful year yet. I am apprehensive about leaving J, even though I know Dani
can handle him. The truth is, I am concerned about my stalker friend. He has
been silent for nearly twenty-four hours. I can only hope that he has lost
interest, but somehow I doubt we are that lucky.

Gabe is at the hotel overseeing the preparations for the
after party tonight. We like to throw a party every year in honor of all our
new clients. The event is catered and open to anyone who wishes to come,
including friends, family, and even players we do not represent. After tonight
we will only see each player a few times a year, since they will all be off to
cities across the country.

Last year approximately four hundred people showed up, and
we were caught off guard without enough space, food, or booze. This year we have
secured a much larger space and hired out a highly recommended catering
company. The hotel’s event planning staff is taking care of the music and
decorations, which is what Gabe is currently overseeing. So far, he is pleased
with the progress. 

Due to the sheer number of people that will attend tonight, and
the ability for someone to go unnoticed, Ruzek decided to be my date for the
night. I was delighted when he informed me he was coming. I would be lying if I
said that I was not concerned about my safety this evening. The relative
silence of the nutjob, plus the easy access, worries me.

All the recent texts from my so-called admirer have been
mundane and then ceased the day before yesterday. He hinted that he will see me
soon and that our time together will be unforgettable. I wish he would forget
me and move on already.

I miss Austin a great deal, especially since we haven’t
talked much since he went to Texas. It would have been nice to have him here to
support me tonight. Then again, he would draw a ton of attention. The reigning
league MVP at the draft would draw loads of attention from the media and most
of the prospects. But he definitely would have made delicious arm candy.

Austin has not been at all forthcoming about his family
issues and it concerns me that there is something he doesn’t want me to know.
He reassures me that we will talk about it, but my curiosity is killing me. J
tells me to give him time and that if Austin loves me, he will spill it eventually.
I hope he is right. I love Austin, but secrets and deception are not something
I can tolerate. Ryan ensured I would never be that naïve again.

I have an hour before I need to leave for the hotel where I
am meeting Gabe and Ruzek. I have gone through my clothes twenty times and
cannot pick an outfit. I want to look good, but remain professional. I finally settle
on my cream-colored dress. It hits just above my knees and has an intricate
lace overlay. The three-quarter length sleeves make it a perfect dress to pair with
a fun black blazer, because the dress sleeves peek out from under the blazer
when I roll up the sleeves.

I went with a messy bun approach to my hair tonight, making
it look casual yet sophisticated. After putting on my black pumps and a little
lip-gloss, I consider myself presentable. I throw my keys, phones, and a few other
essentials into a black clutch and go in search of J.

J is sprawled out on the couch watching ESPN. Not
surprising.

“Hey, do you need anything before I head out?”

He turns to look at me and does a double take at the outfit.
“Dang, Ry, you clean up well.”

“Well, thank you,” I say as I do a fashionable spin and then
I nearly fall over when my heel catches on his plush living room rug. The move sends
us both into a fit of laughter.

With a sparkle in his eye that has been missing since the
accident, J mumbles, “Good to see your gracefulness has not disappeared. You
better hold on to Ruzek; we don’t want you ending up on TMZ with your ass in
the air.”

I roll my eyes at him before grabbing one of the overstuffed
white throw pillows and heaving it towards him. He fakes an injury and gives me
a pointed glare. I almost wish I could stay here and hang out with J while he
is in such a good mood, but I have to get going.

“Okay, seriously, J. Do you need anything before I leave?
Something to drink? Something to eat? I won’t be back until late so I want to
make sure you’re covered.”

It’s his turn to roll his eyes. “Ry, I will be fine. Dani is
here and I can manage a few hours without you. You know I will have to when you
go home in a few days anyway.”

He makes a good point and one I am still trying to ignore. I
am not happy about leaving him here when I go back to Boston, but I have no
other options at this point. The thought of leaving him here to recover alone
sends a stab of pain through my chest.

I walk over behind the couch he is sitting on and hug him
the best I can without causing any pain.

“All right, I’m leaving. I have my phones if you need
anything, or you can call Ruzek.”  

He squeezes my arms. “I know, Ry. Now go have fun, please,
and leave me here with my hot nurse.”

I cannot see his face, but I am sure there is a shit-eating
grin on it after that last comment. Poor Dani. I sure hope that girl can stand
her ground. When J puts his mind to something he rarely fails, and it seems he
has his sights set on Dani.  

Rylee

On the way to the hotel, my phone rings. I am hesitant to
answer once I see Austin’s beautiful face pop up on the screen. Torn between my
love for him and irritation at his lack of disclosure on his Texas drama, I
debate whether I should answer. I want to talk to him. I miss him. But tonight
is an important night and I don’t want to hamper it with his lack of honesty. After
a few rings, love overrides the rest of my emotions and I accept the call.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he returns with a relieved sigh. “How are you, Ry? Are
you ready for tonight?”

He sounds upset.

“Yeah, I’m ready. I am actually in the car heading over to
meet Gabe and Ruzek now. How are you doing, Aus? You don’t sound good.”

I am concerned that his trip home is doing more harm than
good. I know it is making me question him more than I ever have before.

After a brief pause, he finally responds. “I’m better now that
I hear your voice, that’s for sure. Things here are complicated to put it mildly,
but I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to talk about you. Did
you say you were meeting Ruzek?”

No surprise that he doesn’t want to talk about it. The way
he said Ruzek’s name tells me he isn’t overjoyed at the idea of him being my
date for the evening.

“Yeah, Ruzek is my bodyguard for the night. He thought it would
be best if I had someone watching my back in the large crowds. He said it would
be too easy for someone to approach me with anonymity tonight.”

I give him the full explanation, hoping it will settle
whatever jealous issue he has. Although I think he should be the one doing the
explaining. In the interests of time and a fun evening, I push that issue to
the recesses of my mind when he responds.

“I see. Are you sure there isn’t more to it than that?” he
says with obvious suspicion in his voice.

“Austin, don’t be ridiculous. You know why he is here. Sure,
Ruzek and I have become friends. He is a good guy, and I’m grateful he has my
back.”

I try to mask my anger even though this conversation is
absurd. How can he question my every move when he won’t be upfront about his
own? 

After a brief pause and no response, I add, “Austin, what is
really going on? Why are you trying to pick a fight with me? Baby, I am here
for you, just tell me what you need. Tell me what is happening.”

He takes a few measured breaths. “I need you, Ry. Promise me
that nothing will make you run from me again. I need to know you will love me,
no matter what.”

His plea both worries and confuses me. “Austin, you know I
love you. I told you I am done running anywhere but to you. You are scaring me
though; please tell me what’s going on. Do you want me to come down there?”

My heart is beating wildly as I wait for him to answer me. I
have no idea how I would swing going to Texas right now, but if he needs me to,
I will. I am running every conceivable scenario through my head when he clears
his throat and responds.

“No, baby, I don’t need you to come down here. You have more
than enough going on right now. I only wanted to hear that we are OK. I know
you want all the details and I promise I will give them to you soon. Right now,
why don’t you tell me how amazing you look all dressed up for the night?”

I laugh and pull the phone back from my ear to launch the
camera. I take a quick selfie and text it to him.

“You can see for yourself, I sent you a picture.”

I am thankful for the change of topic, but I still can’t
help worrying about him. The strain in his voice tells me something is wrong; I
just wish I knew what. Taps against his phone tell me he has received my
picture.

“Damn, I miss you. You are stunning. Be sure you tell Ruzek
to keep his hands off my girl,” he says with a serious chuckle.

The town car pulls up to the hotel and I have to get going,
but I don’t want to. I miss him so much and the last half of this conversation
is making it harder to leave him.

“Aus, I gotta go, baby. We are pulling up to the hotel.”

A heavy sigh blankets the end of the line. “OK. I miss you
so much, Ry. Call me tonight and let me know how the party goes.”

I smile to myself. “I will, baby. I will take any excuse to
talk to you. I love you. Talk to you later.”

“I love you too, Ry. Have fun tonight and stay safe. Bye,
baby.”

With that, the line disconnects and I step out of the town
car in a decent mood. It is amazing what just talking to him does for me. I am
still worried about him, but at least I know we are solid.

I walk into the bar to an unexpected sight: Ruzek in a suit.
He and Gabe are standing at the bar having a drink when I approach them. I lay
a hand on Ruzek’s shoulder.

“Look at you in a suit. You look great.”

The dark blue suit fits him like a glove. He has a crisp
white shirt on beneath it with the collar unbuttoned. He looks a little
embarrassed on the heels of my compliment, but takes it like a gentleman.

“Thank you, Rylee. You also look amazing.”

I smile at him. Gabe disrupts the suddenly awkward situation.

“Isn’t anyone going to tell me how fabulous
I
look?”

Gabe is so forward that I cannot help laughing. “Of course,
Gabe. You are dashing.”

 He really is regal in his classic black and white suit. The
only flair to him tonight is the bright purple tie and pocket square. Looking
forward to the night, Gabe, Ruzek and I make our way out to the waiting car and
head across town to the iconic Radio City Music Hall.