Page 69 of Just for the Cameras
“Just fucking stupid. She should have gone to a hospital, but she thought she was going to train with me instead. Carelessness.”
“Uh-huh, and why do you care so much?”
Great question.
Keeping my voice to a whisper, I say, “Because now she’s attached to me publicly, and I can’t have her looking like she’s all beaten up.”
I let the words fall past my lips, but deep down, I know that’s not really the reason. No, when she looked up at me and I saw her bruised face, nausea rolled through me, followed by an immediate flood of desire to murder whoever did this to her. She’s not really my girlfriend, I know this, but ever since I laid eyes on her this morning I’ve felt like…hell, I don’t know what I’ve felt. Just different.
And seeing her hurt, it doesn’t settle well.
“Why don’t I believe you?” he whispers back.
Because I don’t even believe myself.
“I think she needs an X-ray,” the trainer says. “I’d suggest taking her to an urgent care.”
“You have an X-ray machine here,” I argue. “Just take it here and don’t waste the time.”
“That machine is for the team,” the trainer says, looking uncomfortable.
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” Maple starts to slide off the table, but I stop her before she can get very far.
Staring down the trainer, I slip my arm around Maple’s waist and say, “She’s with me.”
The trainer looks between the two of us and then nods. “I understand that, but team rules.”
Yeah, I’m not going to accept that. Running my tongue over my teeth, I pull my phone out and send a text to Darby Welcott.
Graydon:Sorry to bother you, Mr. Welcott, but I’m in the training room right now with Maple, my “girlfriend,” and she got banged up in a car accident. Nothing too serious, but she needs an X-ray. I’m nervous if I take her to an urgent care it will cause a scene. Trainers won’t give her an X-ray because they said it’s against team rules. Can I get some support here?
Hutton looks over my shoulder. “Oh shit, you went there?”
“Of course I fucking went there.”
My phone dings with a response.
DarbyWelcott: Anything she needs. The trainers are required to treat her, so make sure they follow up with care.
Graydon:Thank you.
I look up at the trainer and show her the text from Welcott. She nods and then says, “Right this way…uh…”
“Her name is Maple,” I say. “And she’s my girlfriend.”
Maple’s eyes shoot to mine, confused and embarrassed.
“Of course, right this way, Maple.”
The trainer takes her back to the X-ray machine and then Hutton turns toward me with concern and amusement. “Graydon, do I even need to ask?”
“Don’t,” I answer. “Please, just fucking don’t.”
I stare down at Maple’s pink-wrapped left wrist as she receives instructions from the trainer.
The X-ray identified a minor fracture of her ulna where the car door was pushed into her wrist. Since it was a nondisplaced fracture, she didn’t have to cast it, but it needed to be splinted. I asked if they had pink wrap, and when they said no, I told them to get some.
It took about thirty minutes, but they rushed back with some pink wrap and took care of business. Gretchen, of course, made her way into the training facilities, probably hearing about the accident from Welcott. I also saw her taking pictures of me hovering over Maple while they wrapped her arm.
