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Chapter 35
Aiden
Everything had settled down, thanks to Grandma. She always has had a way of getting people under control. She talked to Riley about the money, the family and I'm not sure what else, but Riley has calmed down and we've been able to get everything worked out.
Finally.
It's too bad everything else in my life is crazy. Between spring exams and getting ready for the combine, I haven't been able to really enjoy my time with her. But I've got her back, that's what's important.
Our classes are at different times and I'm no longer the TA for her class. My practices are long and grueling. There are days I come home and sink into an ice bath. I'm in so much pain. But Riley takes care of me. Massages, dinners and just being there, makes all this work worth it. At the end of the day, we study together at night, and sleep wrapped up together when we're done.
Tonight is our blue and gold game. Our last practice for the year, and our last run before the combine. It's a big night, where scouts come out to watch us. Offense against defense, we pull out all the stops to show them what we've got. It's our last chance to get into the draft. Good, bad, or ugly, tonight is important for every one of us looking to go pro.
Riley promised she would be here to cheer me on. Along with the rest of the family, who are taking up the bulk of the stands. I've got my cheering section filled to capacity. Grandma and Jim are the only ones not here. Grandma is still pretty weak and Blake convinced her to stay home to watch the game. It's too hard on her yet to sit in the stands. She reluctantly agreed and that's only because Blake and Jim pushed her. She's one stubborn lady.
I haven't been out to the field yet, so I don't know who's here already. It's still an hour before kick off, but I haven't been able to get a hold of Riley to make sure she's on her way. Hunter gave her the ticket to get in this morning and she promised me that Riley was going to come. I know Riley was in her late class today and said she would come straight to the stadium after class, but according to Hunter's last text, she hasn't seen her yet. She'll get here, I know it.
I'm still in the locker room getting taped up. My shoulder is still having problems. That hit I took was harder than I thought. The next day, I could barely lift my arm, much less throw a decent spiral. This really isn't a good time for an injury.
Our taperoom time this week has been humiliating. Coach has ripped each one of us on our games. Our errors have been plenty and he's pointed each one out. My O-line needs to protect me better tonight or I won't be going to the combine. I can't take another hit with my shoulder as messed up as it is.
I had Jake and Tyler take a look at it. After an MRI and several tests, they think I need rotator cuff surgery before I can play in the NFL. But if I admit that before the draft, I won't go in the first round, much less the fifth. I can't let anyone know just how bad my shoulder is, not until I've got a contract signed.
Blake and Matt know about my injury. Jake and Tyler didn't keep this a secret from them. I've already been warned by Blake to be upfront about it before the draft. I'm just worried that no one will want an injured QB. Why would they? Any of the teams I want to play on will want a QB who's ready to start. They won't pay for any player who immediately needs a major surgery.
Blake thinks I could still get drafted for a back up position and prepped for a future first string, while I'm recuperating from this. I don't want a back up position, I want the first string. How am I supposed to follow in Blake's footsteps, if I don't play?
"Okay, Aiden. You're all taped up. Take it easy out there tonight. Nothing fancy. And if you see those defenders coming at you, get rid of the ball or fold. Don't take the hit." My PT advises me.
"Got it. Thanks." Hopping off the table, I head out to suit up. My mind is already on this game.
Offense and defense are in separate locker rooms this time. We are playing against ourselves. Testing our own abilities and seeing where our weak spots are for next season. Those of us who will be leaving, will need to be replaced. The second and third string, who will be playing too, have to step up to the plate or lose their spots on the team.
Going into the locker room, I get my pads on and slip into uniform. We have our last meeting in there, the regular pep talk to get our heads into the game. Coach says the same speech he says every game, do our best, focus on the game, relax and enjoy ourselves. Like that is possible tonight.
I check my phone once more before I leave for the field, but there's still no messages from Riley. I guess she's headed here or is already out there. My family members that are on the team and I do our own ritual huddle before we go through the tunnel and to the field. The bright lights are lighting up the stadium as the crowd roars in excitement.
The music blasts through the tunnel, revving everyone up and we get our game faces on. We bounce to the bass echoing around us like the pulse of a singular heart. All the players move together, pushing that energy through each of us. As the announcer calls out the team, the entire stadium screams to life.
Running out as one onto the field, we catch the excitement of the crowd. Zapping through each one of us, and setting the mood for this last rumble. As we head to our side of the field, we look around at the crowd and let their screams and cheers boost our confidence.
All the California teams recruiters are here tonight. So are Arizona, Nevada and Washington. West coast teams are all represented. If I want to stay close to home, then this is my shot at getting their attention. The Rams and Chargers are my first choice then the Cardinals. Riley's from Arizona, I could live there if that's the team who drafts me.
Spotting the family, my eyes roam over every face. Mom is sitting with Emma and Chelsea. I see Bri and the baby. Maddie is with Cade and Isabelle. Boy, she's getting ready to pop. She's due any day now. I'm actually surprised she made it.
The girls are dressed in the school sweatshirts and my uncles in the same colors. Blake and Matt are having a deep conversation with the owner of the Rams, while Jake and Tyler are talking to the coach of the Niners. I'm really hoping they're putting in good words for me.
Hunter is on her phone, no surprise there. She's probably talking to some guy asking her for a date. Emery and Colby have their heads together with the twins. They'll be out here next year if they decide to come here. But as I look through my family, there's two people who are obviously missing, Dad and Riley.
"Rowdy crowd tonight!" Sawyer says over the loud cheers. "You're feeling alright?"
My eyes pass over the stands again. She said she'd be here. It's not like Riley to just not show up. She knows how important this is to me. I can't imagine her blowing it off. We haven't had a fight recently and I haven't done or said anything too stupid. So where is she?
"Aiden! Wake up, man. You gotta get your head in the game. We need you on point tonight." Sawyer reminds me, when I don't answer him. "You're worried about Riley, right? Don't worry. She'll be here. Relax."
I can't help but feel like something has gone wrong.
The game begins at the sound of the air horn, with my team receiving the ball first. Heading out to the twenty yard line for the first hike. I push any lingering thoughts about Riley aside. Sawyer is right, this game is too important to not focus. This is about our futures, I have to play at my best.
We work our way down the field, ten yards at a time, and are now in the Red Zone, the last twenty yards to the goal line. I risk a chance to look into the stands one more time. It's half way through the first quarter, and there's no sign of Riley.
"Where are you?" I mutter as we huddle up.
"Right here, man. Let's run this one in. Straight down the sideline as practiced." Harper pushes for his favorite play.
"Yeah, right to you, Harper. Sawyer, fake right. On ten." I agree to the play, not thinking about my shoulder.
This cross throw pulls something in my shoulder the instant I pull back. Even as I release the ball, I know it's shit. The shock of pain shoots down my arm and I collapse in pain. Dropping to my knees, I curl into a ball, cradling my arm. I shouldn't have tried that play.
The curse in my ear from the coach, echoes in my head. I knew it was a bad call, but I was distracted thinking about Riley and messed up. A time out gets called and the PT hurries out on the field to check on me.
"Are you okay, Bradford? Can you keep going?" With a quick nod, I get to my feet and roll out my shoulder a couple of times. The pain makes me wince but I'm not going to get replaced now.
"Let's take a look in the tent at your shoulder, Aiden. You won't do yourself any favors if you keep playing and end up tearing it." The PT reasons, motioning over to the coach to put in my back up.
"I want to play." I argue walking with him to the sideline. "Let me go back in."
"Only after I examine you. Aiden, you're a great quarterback. Don't ruin your career for one game. Come on." He nudges me into the medical tent.
I'm not going to stop now. This is my game to win. Damn it! I got distracted and now I'm hurt again. Again, ha! More like Still. But now it's evident something is wrong.
Letting him go through the exam. He knows the same thing I do. I've really messed up my shoulder. The PT can make the call to keep me out of the game if he wants to or he can leave it up to me.
"Aiden, you shouldn't play. It's strained and if you tear it you're down for at least next season. It could be permanent." His analysis matches Jake and Tyler's.
"I want to finish the game." I know my chances. It's already been drilled into me. "Just give me another shot of the hydrocortisone and let me play. Please, I'm going to get surgery on it. I already know that. I just want this last game." Pleading for one more chance, I get what I asked for. Heading back out I wait for our defense to intercept the ball and I'm back on the field.
I get the next call in my ear and walk to the team already huddled for me. "Six and ten." A pass rush play instead of a run pass. The coach knows my shoulder is shit. At least he's giving me a slight break.
And that's the way we work through the rest of the first half. Handing off the ball instead of run passes. I'm in pain, more than I thought I'd be. I even got another injection of hydrocortisone before I came back out, to help block the pain. It's not helping me.
In the last few seconds of the second quarter, I've got no choice. The score is 14-14. If we want the advantage when the second half starts, I have to score this last drive. Calling the play, we line up for the pass. I saw the look in Sawyer's eyes but called the run pass play anyway. Pulling my arm back, I let the ball fly just as the defensive end grabs me and slams me to the ground. My first sack tonight.
I saw stars for the first time in my career.
The pain is worse, and my fingers are numb. I can't feel the ball in my hand. This isn't good. As the horn announces the end of the first half, we turn to head back to the locker room. I look up again at the stands, Blake and Derrick are on their feet watching me. Mom and Emma have their hands over their mouths, they know I'm hurt. But there's still no sign of Riley.
As soon as we got into the locker room, the PT had me again on the table. Retaping my shoulder and another injection of hydrocortisone. It doesn't matter at this point. I can't feel the ball in my hand. I've messed up enough that I've got nerve damage somewhere.
"Have you lost your brain, Aiden? You're going to screw up your career. Take it easy and let Solomon play the second half." Sawyer urges me.
"I have to play, you know that!" Growling in frustration I fist my hands and squeeze as hard as I can. "She's not here, Sawyer. Riley isn't out there. I haven't heard from her, she's not responding to Hunter. Something is wrong."
"Okay, I'll find out what's going on, but dude, cool off. You're going to really hurt yourself." Sawyer says, going to his locker and rummaging for his phone.
While the coach goes over everything he saw we did wrong, wants us to do for the second half, and gives us as last pep talk, Sawyer is texting with Hunter. I'm lucky to have my family and they have my back.
Hunter hasn't seen or heard from Riley. Sawyer asked her to find Riley and get her here. I don't want to force her to come to my games but tonight was important for me. I thought she understood that.
"Hunter will get her here. Just keep your focus." Sawyer mutters as we walk through the tunnel to the field.
"If she wanted to be here to support me, she would be." Grumbling angrily, I run out onto the field and get ready for the second half.
We start the third quarter and stick with passing the ball off to the receivers. It's protecting my shoulder, at least. I guess the coach knows what's going on with me now. Too bad our defensive ends are dicks and keep trying to sack me.
I know they're showing off for the scouts. I know they're looking out for themselves. I know they know what's wrong with me and are taking advantage of it. So when Williams slams me into the grass again and I land on my bad shoulder, my temper gets the best of me.
"You fucking asshole!" Getting up, I push the asshat away from me. Glaring in his direction as pain burns up my arm.
"You shouldn't play hurt, Bradford. It's not my fault if you got a bum arm and won't make the draft." Williams smirks, he's the one who hit me and put me in this position to begin with.
Stepping forward, I got into his face, my chest plate against his. "Did you hit me on purpose, Williams? Is that it? You making sure my future is trashed?"
He pushes me hard enough for my shoulder to sing out in raging pain. "I ain't done nothing but my job, bitch. That's taking your sorry ass down. Not like you anything but a rich bitch pussy anyway."
"Fuck you!" Lowering my good shoulder, I ram into him, putting every ounce of muscle I have into it, I start swinging my fists with kidney punches.
Within seconds, the rest of the team was surrounding us. They took sides, either with Williams or me, and the brawl grew. From the corner of my eye, I saw my family get to their feet. I know they're going to freak out over this.
Blake and Matt are quickly jumping the fence and rushing out to us. Blake is yelling for us to stop. The refs are blowing their whistles and throwing up yellow flags. Blake's face, pissed and worried, comes into focus right before I feel excruciating pain. It was the last thing I knew, before everything went black.
Riley
I feel horrible for not being at Aiden's game. It's not that I don't want to be there. If I could, I'd be cheering him on right now. But this is an emergency, my Dad needs me.
I had every intention of going to the game. I was headed to the stadium when I got the call. It's one of those calls you dread getting. The kind that drains any form of logic from your brain.
"There's been an accident. Your father is in the hospital, you are listed as his next of kin."
I've never gotten a call like this. I hope I never get one again. I can't seem to think straight. I only know my Dad needs me. I have to get there.
They didn't go into a lot of detail about what happened. They said Dad is in Emergency surgery at Mercy Memorial. He has internal injuries and couldn't wait for surgery. There was an intense urgency to the man's voice that made me nervous.
It was an accident. A drunk driver hit him on the freeway. What was he doing on the freeway? He lives across the street from the diner, down the street from the store, the bank, and his favorite hangout. He had no reason to be on the freeway.
It flustered me to think this could have been prevented. I haven't been able to get leveled out. My hands are still shaking, my nerves are shot. It's all I can do to focus as the PA for my flight is announced. When I get up to board and walk to line at the gate, I hear my name being called from somewhere behind me. Turning around, I see Hunter rushing to stop me.
Stepping out of line, Hunter rushes to me giving me a hard hug. She holds on to me as if her life depends on it. As I pull back her face says the same thing. Something is wrong.
"Riley what are you doing? We've been trying to reach you!" She looks frazzled. Hunter never looks frazzled.
"I have to go home. My flight is boarding. My Dad was in an accident. I'm sorry but I have to go." I repeat myself.
She hesitates as if she wants to tell me something but isn't sure if she should. Do I look that lost, that fragile that Hunter doesn't think I can handle whatever she has to say? Maybe she's here to tell me that Aiden is furious with me for not coming to the game. I can't help it. It's my father, he's the only family I have left.
"Okay, okay. Look, I'm sorry about your Dad. It sucks. And I understand why you missed the game. I do, but it's Aiden. Riley, he needs you." Hunter exclaims. It's then I see how pale she is, the worry in her eyes. The tears on the cusp of rolling down her face.
Wyatt hurries to a stop behind Hunter. He must have known my flight is about to leave. His hand rubbed up and down her arm as if to settle her. My eyes darted between them, worrying more with each passing second as they announced final boarding for my flight.
"Is he okay? Is he hurt?" I can't take any more right now. My plate is full. "Is it his shoulder?"
"He wasn't focusing on the game and got hit." Wyatt began to tell me. "He took a hard tackle, it got ugly and..."
"Miss we're about to close the gate." The stewardess touched my arm, letting me know I needed to board.
"She'll be right there. Hold the plane for just a moment longer." Hunter said with authority. "Go take care of your Dad, Riley. I'll text you later with details about Aiden. He's going to be fine, Riley. He was just worried about where you were. He was afraid he messed up. Don't worry about him, I'll explain it to him. Just focus on your Dad. Let me know when you land."
Nodding, unsure what happened for Hunter to come all the way out to the airport to find me. It seems strange that Hunter would leave in the middle of the game if she was telling me everything. Looking back once, I see Wyatt wrap his arms around Hunter and her tears streaming down her face. She wasn't telling me everything. There's more, something happened to Aiden.
There's something worse wrong with him, I know it. The stewardess nudged me along and into the crowded plane. Anxiously I waited to get to my seat. Storing my carry-on in the overhead, I sat down and stared down at my phone. There are several messages from Sawyer Hunter and Aiden waiting for my reply.
Knowing I need more information about Aiden, I get my seatbelt on and immediately text Hunter.
I know there's something you're not telling me. What happened?
It seems to take forever for her to respond. Just as the air host announces for us to put our phones away, I get her reply.
Aiden was in a fight after the tackle. It knocked him unconscious. He was headed to the hospital when I left to find you. I'll tell you more when I know. Take care of your Dad. Aiden has us. I'll keep you posted.
Am I responsible for Aiden getting hurt? Was he so upset about me not being there, he took his anger out in a fight? Is his injury on my shoulders?
How was I supposed to choose who to be with? Aiden has all of his family there for him. My Dad has me, maybe Fran, if she knows, but I'm all he has. I need to be there for him. I'm all he has. I'm sure Aiden will be fine without me there, he probably won't even know I'm not there, as many people as there are in his family.
As the plane moves down the runway, my chance of stopping it to get off disappears. My Dad needs me. I need to be there for him. He needs to be my focus.
Why did this happen to both of them at the same time?
The nose of the plane lifts up and my stomach drops. Flying off as the moon rises, I look to the west and can just see the stadium lights. I'll call Hunter when I find out about my Dad. I'll text her when I land. I'll do my best to be there for both of them, even if it's from a distance.
Hunter
She's in a no-win position. Her father is hurt, but so is Aiden. Aiden has us, his family and friends, who are all here for him. Riley's Dad just has her. She needs to be there for him. Of course, he's going to come first.
"Aiden will be okay, Hunter. He's had harder hits. It's just a precaution." Wyatt tries to reassure me but it's not helping. "Riley made the right decision to go to her dad. He needs her."
Wyatt offered to go with me to find Riley. When she finally texted me back that she was at the airport, I was hoping she could just turn around and get back here. But once I learned why she didn't let Aiden or anyone know what was happening, I understood. She's in distress and couldn't talk to us. She was barely able to walk onto the plane.
I would feel the same way. I do feel it, but about Aiden. He's always been like a big brother to me. He's my family. Closer to me than the twins are. We've been close all my life. Of course, seeing him go down in that fight upset me.
It upset Mama and Chloe too. None of us could get down to the field fast enough. Dad and Matt jumped the fence first with Cade, Jake, and Tyler right behind them. All of them pushed their way through the fight, breaking it up as they rushed to Aiden.
But he was down. He was out cold.
Aiden never moved. He had been knocked out by Williams. The big brute was banging Aiden's head over and over against the ground. It was like he was trying to kill him. It scared the crap out of me.
Who does that?
The boys were freaked. They were going off on Williams when I left to find Riley. Mom said to find her, to bring her to the hospital with us. Wyatt wouldn't let me go by myself and insisted that he drive me. I guess I was too out of it to argue over it.
I'm glad he's here.
I'm not sure I could have driven through the airport traffic on my own. Wyatt has a clearer head at the moment. And he hasn't let go of my hand. His strong, warm hand held my cold one tight. Keeping me tethered, grounded, so I can focus on the reason I'm here.
"Thank you for driving me." I whisper in a voice that doesn't sound like my own.
"You're in no shape to drive, Hunter. You'd have ended up in the hospital too, if you'd tried to drive." Wyatt is right. "Aiden, will be okay. He's got a hard head. Williams didn't break it. Maybe the knock will get Aiden to chill out some with the guys."
"Do you know Williams? The guy that hit him." I ask, knowing exactly the kind of guy that defensive end is.
"No. I don't hang out with them. Why? Hunter, do you think he hurt Aiden on purpose?" Wyatt hangs out with the baseball team and my family. He doesn't know these guys like I do.
"I'm saying that he has the temper and the ability to do some real damage to Aiden if he had the chance." Turning my head, I looked directly in Wyatt's eyes. "He got the chance, Wyatt. He took it."
It's a lot to accuse someone of this kind of assault. In front of a stadium full of people no less. Williams has a short fuse. He's got a chip on his shoulders because most of the guys on the team have money and he doesn't. Williams hates Aiden because of that alone, but Aiden rides his ass to be a better person than Williams wants to be. That just pisses him off.
Yes, I think Williams is capable and I think he did this on purpose.
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