Fallen Fourth Down

My throat went dry. I hated thinking I was like Garrett, but at the same time, this was blood standing before me. My other blood was gone. I didn’t even want her around me. With everyone else, I was lucky they allowed me in with them. But Garrett…maybe there was a connection with him that I had never experienced?

He said, “Listen, I’ll call when I’m coming back. Dinner. That sounds amazing, but I want to ask you early.”

I grew wary again. “What?”

He laughed. “Nothing bad. I know you have your holiday break coming up and I’m going to be in Boston during it. I wanted to invite you to join me.”

“In Boston?”

“Yes.” He nodded. His eyes were bouncing with happiness. He looked elated. “I’ll be there to close up some loose ends with the firm. It’ll take a while. You can come. You and me. We can spend some good father/daughter time together. I can show you where I came from. You have cousins there too.”

Cousins?

“And my mom has been calling me every day. She’d love to meet you.”

His mom? “I have a grandma?” I had never realized. “My mom’s estranged from her family so I just assumed…”

“I know. You don’t have to say yes. Think about it. Please think about it, but I’d love for you to come. And hey, the championship game is already scheduled for Boston. If Mason’s team keeps winning, they could be playing there the same time you’re with me. My old firm has box seats. We could go and watch Mason play.”

Mason. I had to go. “Yeah, uh, maybe. Look, I really have to go.”

“I know. I’m going, but give me a call if you want to come. I’ll get a plane ticket for you. I’ll take care of everything.” He left and on the way to his car, he turned to wave. I shut the door. I needed to finish packing.

I had just gone down the stairs to the basement, when I heard knocking again. Assuming it was Garrett, I laughed as I opened the door, “Forget about another trip you wanted to invite me on…” The words died in my throat.

Logan was standing there instead.

He grimaced, raked a hand through his hair, and grabbed a fistful before letting his hand drop back to his side. He jerked his head behind him. “Come on. Mason called. He wants us up there tonight.”

Mason called him? Shock punched me in the chest. “But…I thought you were going to let me talk to him first?”

“I am. This is something different. Come on.” His grimace deepened into a scowl.

“Logan, tell me what’s going on.”

He looked past me, saw the notes on the counter, and gestured to them. “That’s you leaving a note, right? You’re going to see Mason?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go. Whatever Mason wants comes first.”

“You want me to ride with you?”

A litany of curses left him and he held his arms out. “What do you want, Sam? I am pissed at you. No, I am goddamn furious at you. We’re family and you being told that I love you, that’s a huge thing to hold back from me. You should’ve talked to me. Trust me, I am brimming up to here,” he lifted his hand to his head, “with anger. I want to talk this out and tell you a few things, but I can’t. Mason has to know first. He should’ve been told long before I found out. You two are dating. You guys have to talk first and bring me in. To be fair to my brother, to have his back, I can’t say a fucking word. I want to.” His eyes were almost bulging out. “Trust me, I have a lot that I want to say. So do me a favor, grab your bag, get in the Escalade, and keep fucking quiet the whole way there.”

He didn’t wait for me, just turned and went back to the vehicle.

I didn’t think. I didn’t let myself. I did as he told me. It was the longest three hour drive that I would ever endure.

MASON

I’d been at the hospital for three hours when Nate came through the front door. He saw me right away and held his hands up in surrender. Across the lobby, he said, “I’m here for Marissa. That’s all.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. As he came to sit beside me, I said, “Think again, buddy.”

“Okay.”

He sat across from me. There were people around us, but when he took his seat, the ones closest to us moved away. I didn’t blame them. I’d been pacing for three hours, and this was the first time I sat, then he walked in. They’d already been leery of me, watching me like I was a caged animal. I’m sure they were wondering if he would be the spark to set the bomb off. To be honest, as I watched him warily, I was wondering the same thing. I wasn’t sure what was going to set me off.

We were both silent for a moment, just waiting for the other. Nate ran his hands down his pants, folded his hands together, and rested his elbows on his knees. He asked, “Have you heard anything?”

“No. She was unconscious and I think she’s in surgery.” I didn’t know anything. They wanted to speak to her family. I had no clue who they were. They wanted friends. I couldn’t give them names. They finally asked what I could give them. Nate. He was the only one I knew who would have information on her. I asked, “You gave them information on her?”

He nodded, running his hands together. “I had her cell number, but one of my frat brothers hooked up with her roommate. She lives in a house two blocks off campus. I think the hospital got ahold of her roommate and were going to have her parents called.”