6
When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed.
Vanessa was sitting by my side. Hearing me stir, she turned around, her face a mix of relief and guilt.
“You’re awake? You scared me to death!”
“You were unconscious for six whole days!”
“The car was coming right at you–why didn’t you move?”
She rambled on, reaching out to help me sit up, but I shifted away from her touch.
Vanessa froze, her expression uncertain.
“Are you… mad at me?” she asked hesitantly.
She quickly tried to explain. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to leave you like that–it was just instinct to push him out of the way…”
Her voice trailed off, and guilt flickered across her face.
I remained indifferent. “I understand. It was just a reflex. No need to explain.”
After all, Griffin had always been more important to her than me.
Once, a situation like this would’ve broken my heart. But now, I just felt numb.
Vanessa, looking like a scolded child, tried to continue her apology.
But her phone rang, cutting her off.
She glanced at me guiltily before hesitating and answering.
“Vanessa, where are you?”
Griffin’s voice came through the line.
C
<
“My hand really hurts–probably from that fall during the accident. What if it’s permanent?”
“Do you think this will affect my ability to play?”
“Can you come check on me? I’m worried I might not be able to compete anymore…”
It was just a minor injury, yet he made it sound like the world was ending.
Was I the one hit by a car, or was it him?
Vanessa immediately grew anxious but didn’t respond right away. Instead, she gave me a conflicted look.
“You should go. I can take care of myself,” I said calmly, saving her the trouble of deciding.
Vanessa let out a relieved sigh.
She hung up the phone and turned to me, apologizing profusely. “I’m sorry. I really wanted to stay with you, but Griffin’s been in such a bad place since his hand got hurt. I’m worried he might do something drastic.”
“Don’t worry–I’ll come back as soon as I’ve calmed him down. If you need anything, just call the nurse, okay?”
With that, she hurried out of the room.
I chuckled softly to myself. I knew she wouldn’t be back.
This wasn’t the first time she’d left me behind for Griffin.
Last year, on my birthday, she abandoned me in the middle of a forest to bring Griffin an umbrella. It was pouring rain, and I got lost, nearly freezing to death.
If it hadn’t been for some hikers, I might not have made it out.
The sound of the door opening pulled me from my thoughts. A nurse entered, carrying a tray. Seeing the empty room, she frowned.
“Where’s your family? No one’s here to take care of you? Don’t they know you were in an accident?”
I smiled weakly. “I don’t have any family. I’ve always been on my own.”
The nurse’s eyes widened in surprise. “Then… wasn’t that girl who was here your girlfriend?”
“No. We broke up a week ago.”
The nurse looked stunned and struggled to find a way to change the subject. Thankfully, my phone started ringing.
Relieved, she handed it to me. “You should answer that.”
As soon as I picked up, my former manager’s furious voice came through.
“Logan Hartman, pack your stuff and leave!”
“Your hand’s useless now–what good are you to the team?”
“Consider this your official notice: you’re fired!”
The nurse looked away awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the harsh words.
I hung up, my chest heavy with emotion. My voice dropped. “Am I really done playing?”
The nurse quickly interjected.
“No, no! Your hand may have a severe fracture, but it’s not irreversible. With proper recovery, you can still compete.”
11:10 AM
<
I gave her a faint, bitter smile. It felt like she was just trying to comfort me.
If it wasn’t so serious, why had the team discarded me without a second thought?
Maybe I really was finished.
As I wallowed in self–pity, the nurse suddenly gripped my shoulder, her eyes sparkling with determination.
“If they don’t want you, I do! Join my team!”
