Tempting the Player (Campus Wallflowers Book 4)

The next time I open my eyes, I’m lying flat on my back in a dimly lit room. My heart rate begins to accelerate as I take in the sterile and cold surroundings. I’m hooked up to at least two different machines and my head feels like it’s been split open.

It’s when I see the familiar dark head bent over at my side that I relax. He’s barely touching me. His pinky finger covers mine, the smallest amount of contact like he was afraid to hurt me but couldn’t bear not to feel my skin against his.

I raise my pinky finger. He jolts upright from the chair he sits in and scans my face. Some of that fear I remember seeing on his face earlier surfaces.

“Hey.” My voice is still raspy, but my throat hurts less.

“Hey. You’re awake.” He leaves his hand touching mine, but raises the other to my face. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, I think. What happened? Where’s Ted?” I swallow thickly. “He put something in my water bottle. I couldn’t walk or talk.”

“I know.” His jaw hardens. “They gave you something to flush it out of your system faster.”

“It was him. The email, the text, all of it.” My voice cracks.

“I know.” His touch is feather-light against my cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

His face twists with pain. “I should have figured it out. I should have been there. I should have checked on you sooner. No excuses. I failed you, but you’re safe here. Ted is in custody and I’m not going anywhere. Just rest and get better. I can take you home tomorrow.”

“Hollywood! You’re awake,” Knox greets me as he walks into the room with two coffees. He offers one to Hendrick, who shakes it off.

Knox sets the extra coffee on a cart at the end of my bed and gives me the same once-over Hendrick did. “You scared the shit out of us, Hollywood.”

“Ted is in custody?” My head isn’t as fuzzy, but it’s still taking me too long to make sense of it all.

“The police arrested him,” Hendrick says softly. “It didn’t take us long to figure out he’d slipped you something when we found you. You were so out of it. Scared the shit out of me.”

“Ted filled us in on the rest,” Knox says.

“He did?” It surprises me that he’d admit to it so easily after the lengths he went to try to keep me at his apartment.

“He had a little encouragement after Hendrick beat the shit out of him.” Knox smirks.

My attention snaps to my boyfriend, and my eyes widen.

“I punched him once,” Hendrick clarifies.

“Right. My bad. It must have been the hit you got in.” Knox flashes a proud grin at me. “By the time we got to him, one more is all it took. He would have given up his bank passwords to avoid getting hit again.”

I squeeze my eyes shut trying to focus on everything they’re saying. “Nothing makes sense right now.”

Hendrick brushes my hair back and rubs his thumb along my jawline. “Get some rest. There’s nothing else you need to worry about right now.”

I nod and curl up on my side with Hendrick’s hand still cupping my face. The fear and unpleasant memories threaten, but they’re pushed back by the exhaustion of the day. I link my pinky finger around his. I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe, I repeat to myself over and over as sleep pulls me under again.

The hospital releases me the following afternoon. Hendrick basically carries me to his truck and then drives below the speed limit to his house.

When he comes over to help me out of the passenger seat, I hold my hand up. “I got this.”

I’m not sure if I do or not, but I need to try. That feeling of not being in control of my body is going to haunt me for a long time to come. It was exactly like the nightmares I’d have as a kid after watching a scary movie. In the dreams I’d open my mouth to scream but no sound would come out.

I think it physically pains him watching me take slow, measured steps up the driveway. The front door flies open when I’m five feet away.

Flynn stands there staring back at me and then rushes forward. There’s an awkward beat where he seems unsure of what to do next, but I smile at him and then he closes the last bit of distance between us and hugs me.

“Easy,” Hendrick warns him.

“It’s fine.” I raise my arms and hug Flynn tighter. “I’m okay. Better than okay. Just a little tired.”

“Jane!” Brogan shouts, drawing my attention back to the doorway. He and Archer stand in it, flashing matching smiles.

“I told you guys not to crowd her when she got here,” Hendrick mutters.

Flynn loosens his hold on me and steps back.

“Don’t listen to him,” I tell them. “This is the best greeting ever. I’m going to demand it every time I walk in from now on.”

“Careful what you wish for, Hollywood,” Knox says, joining us.

“Did you guys clean?” I ask as I walk into the living room and take in the space. Not a beer can or dirty sock in sight.

“In case you wanted to hang on the couch today while you recuperate,” Brogan says.

“Hendrick threatened us,” Archer adds.

I bite back a laugh. It feels good to be back here.

“I can’t wait to steal the couch and make you all watch reality TV, but I am so tired I think I need to lie down for a bit. Thank you for this.”

They all nod as Hendrick ushers me into his room. I kick off my shoes and crawl onto the bed. I don’t even bother getting under the covers.

“I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years,” I mumble into the pillow.

“The doctor said to expect that.” He grabs an extra blanket from his closet and drapes it over me. “Your friends have been texting nonstop.”

He continues, answering the question I was about to ask, “Dahlia got concerned last night when you didn’t show up at the party. I found your phone and after her hundredth call, I decided to answer it. I only told her the very basics. They want to come see you later if you’re up for it.”

“I’ll be up for it.”

“We’ll see,” he says as he lays down next to me and wraps me up in his big, strong arms.

Somehow, I sleep for another twelve hours and then spend all of Sunday cuddled up with Hendrick. But when I wake up late Monday morning, I feel much more like myself. Knox took the day off and Flynn stayed home from school. Brogan and Archer go to classes, but are back early and don’t make any plans to go out. Having all the Holland brothers take care of me is sweet and weird, and somehow it feels so much like home. They’re like family in the same way Daisy, Violet, and Dahlia are my sisters.

Things with Hendrick and his brothers seem better, too. Maybe it’s that they’re all focused on me, but there’s an ease in their interactions. Knox and Hendrick made lunch together without throwing any punches, I noticed Hendrick practicing sign language with Brogan, and someone even put a calendar on the fridge with all their weekly activities.

My parents have been calling every hour. Hendrick fields most of the conversations, but I talked with them long enough to assure them that I was okay, and that the Hollands were taking good care of me. Eric, Lennon, and Mac check in too. I text with them a little. Mackenzie is in shock, Lennon blames himself for not realizing what was happening when he came by, and Eric is pissed. It’s all so tiring. I can’t even hate Ted right now because that would require feeling too much. I want to stay numb.

Paparazzi have been camped outside my house since news broke about my hospitalization and Ted’s arrest, so I haven’t attempted to go back. Eventually, but not today.

That night Hendrick and Knox cook dinner and the guys all humor me by watching my farmer dating show in the living room.

After, my friends come over. Dahlia and Felix are the first through the door. Dahlia’s eyes are filled with tears as she hurries to my side. She hugs me lightly like she’s afraid to hurt me. “I am so sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” I say but my voice wavers and I start to cry. All the emotions I’ve been pushing away refuse to stay dormant any longer as my best friend hugs me and tells me how much she loves me.

Felix and Hendrick hang back while we keep hugging and crying. Hendrick watches me like he wants to burn the world to take away my pain. Felix looks away, giving us a little privacy. “I heard the news. Congrats?” There’s a hint of uncertainty in the word, like he’s asking a question.

“Thank you.” Hendrick shakes his hand.

Oh my gosh! The tryout in L.A. Amidst all the drama, he missed it. But maybe they’re going to give him another shot or decided that he was so amazing he didn’t even need to try out? I don’t have a chance to ask him about it before Daisy and Violet show up with Jordan and Gavin.

After the initial questioning of the other night’s events, lots of hugs and more tears, we settle in the living room and hang out and chat like it’s just a normal night. Hendrick sits on one side of me holding my hand and Dahlia on the other letting me rest my head on her shoulder.

I think it’s going to take some time to work through all the emotions, but right now I’m just so happy that I have so many amazing people in my life.