Playing for keeps, p.1
Playing For Keeps, page 1
PLAYING FOR KEEPS
K.E. KING
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
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Chapter One
Tucker
“You and Luca are throwing a bonfire tonight, right?” Lexi asks as she lounges on a pool floaty identical to the one I’m currently on.
“Yeah. Everyone should be here after dark. Is Lilly coming out tonight?”
“No, she has something going on this weekend. Is Desh on his way?”
“Yep. He just texted that he’s leaving Chicago right now. Should be here in a couple of hours.”
“Good. Should be a fun night,” Lexi says as she sits up.
I can’t help it. Lately, when Lexi is within proximity, I can’t seem to stop myself from getting a quick glimpse. Especially when her older brother, and my best friend, isn’t close enough to see me checking out his little sister who’s two years younger than us.
If she wasn’t my best friends sister, I’d probably lean over, grab ahold of the floaty she’s on, and pull her closer.
I’d lay the flirt on thick tonight at the bonfire and wrap my arms around her shoulders every chance I got. She’d know I’m interested. I’d make that known.
Lexi looks over quickly at me. She catches me staring and offers up a sweet smile in response. She has no damn idea and that’s the way it should be.
It’s temporary, this newfound interest in her. It won’t last, I keep reminding myself.
It can’t last.
She slips off the floaty and into the cool lake water.
“I’m going to check on Luca. I’m freaking starving!” Lexi starts to swim to the dock and begins climbing the submerged metal staircase attached to it.
I nod, still floating quietly nearby with a Coors in one hand.
My vision catches on the sight of Lexi Benson emerging out of the water in her white string bikini and glistening soft curves. It happens in slow motion as my breath catches and my fingers itch to find out where those tan lines end.
I slam my eyes shut, trying to shake the image of what Lexi might look like naked in my hands.
She’s Luca Benson’s baby sister and a girl I've known most of my life. She’s off limits.
When my eyes open back up, I glance back at the dock, just in time to watch Lexi slip on the metal staircase. A loud crack from the wood echoes through my ears as her head slams against the dock on her way down.
“Shit! Lex!” I yell as I watch Lexi fall limp into the deep green water, as red begins to spread around her.
Blood?
There’s blood on the dock, too. I’m panicking, and my mind shuts off except for the need to get to her.
I have to get to her!
Tossing my beer bottle out of my hand, I dive for her.
“Luca! Luca!” I yell as I attempt to cradle her head into my shoulder – stabilizing her neck as best I can.
Breathe, Tucker.
I’m fumbling on the stairs as I try desperately to get us both on the dock.
“Shit!”
The stairs are slippery and I’m frantic to get her out of the water.
“Lexi?”
She doesn’t respond.
I manage us both out of the water and lay her on her back. She looks so pale against the damp wood of the dock.
“Luca!” I yell for him again.
My fingers glide over her face as I survey the damage. The wound is more noticeable now. I can practically see the bone through the large gash but the amount of blood pouring out is making it hard to tell.
Stitches. She’s going to need stitches.
“Lexi! Lexi!” I gasp out. “Say something! Anything!”
I tap her face a couple of times. I need a response-I need it now!
Check for a pulse.
My shaky fingers move to the pulse point on her throat. All I feel is wet, cold skin. “Please, Lexi. You can’t die. I’ll do anything.” Still, I can’t find a pulse.
“What happened?!” Luca yells faintly from the lake house deck. I hear him running towards us when I don’t answer quick enough.
“Get the keys! Get the fucking keys, Luca!” I demand with urgency.
Luca turns back around like we’re running drills and speeds back to the house.
“FUCK! Can you hear me, Lex?”
She doesn’t respond. A tinge of blue is starting to color her perfect full pink lips. Lips that I now wished I had kissed before this.
Will I ever get the chance now?
I can’t think like that.
“Lexi, wake up! Don’t do this to me.”
A sob-like sound breaks through my voice with the last word. It doesn’t sound like me.
Reign it in, Tucker. You have to make the right decisions to save her life.
I quickly consider my next move.
CPR!
Start CPR!
As I lean in to begin compressions, she starts coughing. I flip her to her side. She’s not spitting up very much water. It means I got to her fast enough.
She’s going to be ok; she has to be ok.
I pick up Lexi and cradle her again, trying to settle her back into the safety of my chest. The sensation of having her head against my heart sends lightning bolts through my body. A feeling I’ve never felt before from a single innocent touch.
I see Luca sprinting full speed towards us as I head straight for the driveway from the beach.
“Pull the truck around!” I yell at him.
He starts running for my truck.
“You’re going to be ok, Lexi. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. Just stay with me. I can’t lose you now.”
She moans into my shoulder and her eyes flicker open for a brief second and then close.
“My head,” she groans.
Relief settles when I hear her voice. It’s the first indicator that maybe we’re going to walk away from this.
As a football player, I’ve seen enough concussions to know what I need to do – keep her talking.
“Lex, where does it hurt?”
She only responds with another groan.
Luca speeds up to the closest spot he can get to us on the gravel driveway. He screeches to a stop, throwing my white four-seater Tacoma in park. He jumps out of the truck, rushing to help me open the door.
We get Lexi and I stowed into the back before he launches himself back into the driver side. We speed off to the nearest hospital that we’ve frequented since our summer’s here. Luca and I have gotten ourselves in some scrapes over the years. But this one? This is so much worse.
“Lex, tell me what happened?”
I attempt to get her to say something.
Anything.
Lexi’s stretched out across the seat. Her head lays in my lap, as I apply pressure to the gash with a practice jersey I had in the back seat. She’s still bleeding.
“Lexi, talk to me,” I instruct. “You have to keep talking to me. You can’t fall asleep. I know you’re tired, but you have to stay awake, ok?” I plead with her.
“My head hurts.” She winces as she finally answers me.
She tries to reach for the gash but my hand and the jersey block her connection.
“Just your head?” I ask in an attempt to keep the conversation going.
“Is she awake?” Luca asks, straining to see Lexi through the rearview mirror.
“Yeah, she’s awake — says her head hurts.”
“Lexi, stay awake. You can’t fall asleep, sis.”
Luca might look calm but I can hear the terror in his voice. “We’re almost there, Lex. Just a little longer.”
“Stay with me. Open your eyes, baby. Look at me,” I beg her.
I just called her baby. Fuck. The worst part is…it felt natural. I’ve never called a girl “baby” in my entire life.
“I’m so tired…” she trails off.
I force her to keep talking. After what feels like hours, we pull up to the entrance of the ER. Luca jumps out of the truck, and I kick the door open on my side. He comes to the other side to grab her out, but I can’t let her go. I pull her body into my arms. Luca runs back to my side and helps guide me as we make our way out of the car. Lexi is more alert now, but her words are slightly slurred.
A nurse runs out with a wheelchair, but I wave her off. Lexi’s staying in my arms until the minute the doctor tells me I can’t hold her — not a second before.
“She hit her head on the dock at our lake house,” Luca informs the nurse.
“We need to get her on a gurney and secure her neck,” she instructs as soon as we get through the automatic sliding glass doors of the Emergency Room. She places a hand behind Lexi’s head to secure Lexi against me.
The nurse attempts to direct me to the gurney waiting against the entry wall. I ignore her again, heading straight towards triage. I bet I know the back of the ER better than she does.
“Tucker,” Luca warns.
He and the nurse share a look but I won’t be stopped, not until I have her in an exam room and there’s a doctor hovering over her.
“She needs help, and she needs it now,” is all I can say in response.
The nurse runs to keep up with my urgent long strides as she tries to look at Lexi’s head wound.
“I’m so cold,” Lexi whispers against my chest.
Luca hears her. “It’s ok, Lex. We’re going to warm you up soon.”
The ER is freezing in comparison to the 97-degree weather outside. Being fresh out of the lake, our wet bathing suits are turning to ice.
Luca had thrown a towel over us when I pulled her from the car, so she’s covered as best as we can manage in her tiny bikini. Still, I pull her chest tight against me to cover her with my body. Her nipples are hard as they press into my chest but I’m too wound up to appreciate it.
Get her help!
Protect her!
I have one priority right now.
They take us straight back to a room. The nurse instructs me to sit her on the exam table. I’m reluctant but Luca is going to step in soon if I keep defying their help.
I gently place her down as the nurse immediately steps in front of me, quickly assessing if Lexi can hold her head up on her own.
She can. I know her neck isn’t broken.
Another nurse comes in and wraps a warmed blanket around Lexi. It brings me a little more ease to see color coming back to her lips. The doctor walks in soon after.
A charge nurse strides in with a computer on wheels.
“Who’s family here?” We both raise our hand.
Luca raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m her brother,” he informs.
“Ok, I need to ask you a few questions to get her in the system.”
She starts asking Luca information for Lexi’s chart. All the usual stuff; name, date of birth. Everything I know, too, but I’m not technically family.
They start asking questions about what happened. Luca refers to me for questioning. I give them the full play by play, or at least how I remember it. I try hard to keep my emotions in check and not seem like a lovesick puppy who just watched his whole heart drop into the lake, unconscious.
The doctor finishes his assessment and turns to us.
“I don’t think we’re looking at a concussion. Just a bad hit to the head. She will need stitches — quite a few of them. She was lucky you were close by when she fell. This could have ended differently.” He looks at me and then Luca. “We’re going to take her back for a CT scan, just to be sure before we release her. It might be a bit. Why don’t you boys go down to the cafeteria…call your parents. Let them know what’s going on.” He puts a hand on Luca’s shoulder. “We’ll have someone come find you there once we’ve run our tests.”
“Like fucking hell we’re going to leave her alone after what just happened,” I protest and gesture to Lexi. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body, and I could punch him in the face for even suggesting we leave.
Lexi stares at me in confusion after my outburst but she’s still a little out of it. I’m not sure how much she’s processing.
Luca grabs my arm, yanking me back.
“Thanks, Doc. We’ll wait in the cafeteria.” He looks over at Lexi. “We’ll just be downstairs, Lex, if you need us. I’m going to call mom.”
Luca puts his hand on my chest and pushes me backwards out of the exam room.
Lexi and I lock eyes on one another as Lucas pushes me out of the door.
Leaving her doesn’t feel right. I want to be with her. But I’ve been overruled.
Luca has two inches of height on me, but size-wise, he wouldn’t be able to move me unless I agreed to move. I don’t fight him. I’m also not ready to turn my back on her. Not until I have to. They start helping her into the wheelchair as we exit the room, and Luca reaches down to grab the towel that used to be wrapped around Lexi and I when we first entered the hospital.
I wish she were still wrapped around me so I could hear her breathing — feel her heart beating against mine. She was safe in my arms; she was warm in my arms. This hospital is too fucking cold. I clench my fists.
Luca unlocks his cell phone and hits the speed dial for his mom. He puts the phone to his ear and tosses the towel over my shoulders.
“Cover up, will you. Your body is obscene. Some poor old woman with a heart condition is going to see you and keel over when her heart explodes.”
Luca recalls the story I told the doctor to his mom, and then the information the doctor told us about Lexi’s condition. He leaves the stitches out of it. He also leaves out the part where the doctor told us that we got lucky.
“No mom. Do not leave your meeting. The doctor says they are going to release her soon.
“You don’t need to speak with the doctor, I promise. It was really nothing…. a little bump on the head. We’re just going to take her home and let her sleep it off. Doc says rest will be the best thing for her.
“Yes, I’ll call you if there is a change.
“I’ll check up on her every couple of hours. It’s not a concussion though mom. She’s going to be ok…ok?
“Yes, I will have Lexi call you as soon as they get us out of here.
“Love you too, Mom. Bye.”
I don’t bother to ask why he downplayed the incident. It wouldn’t help anything. Lexi is going to be fine, and we only have two more days left at the lake house. Then we can put it behind us.
“Baby, huh?” Luca grits his teeth, but his eyes stay on the stark white hallway as we walk. “What is that about, Tuck? Care to explain why you’re calling my sister ‘baby’? Or why no one else could touch her?”
I shrug and don’t say anything. Frankly, I don’t know what it was about either, but, at the same time, it felt… right.
All I do know is that the second she fell into the water unconscious and bleeding, it triggered something in me. It unlocked a part of me I thought was dead and buried. Buried with my mom seven years ago. Something I’ve guarded subconsciously since her death. My heart. But Lexi has some part of it now, and I don’t think I’ll be getting it back.
The drive to the ER, with Lexi’s head in my lap, trying to keep her steady as Luca drove us in a fury to the hospital. I couldn’t mistake the change happening in me during that ten-minute drive. She’s now a true contender and a potential distraction. I need to keep my sights on football. I can’t let my feelings for Lexi derail my NFL goals.
A couple of hours later, we’re back to the lake house. I look out at the end of the dock through the large living room windows and my stomach drops. The words of the doctor are on repeat in my head:
If you hadn’t been there, this would have ended differently.
I don’t feel in the party mood. Neither does Luca. But the alternative is to tell everyone that Lexi almost drowned. Not a great plan if Luca still wants to let his parents believe the accident was minor. Word will get around.
Lexi went upstairs with an ice pack on her stitches. Luca had assured her he would be up to check on her in a few minutes. Once we hear her door shut, Luca’s eyes are on me– arms folded across his chest– hip resting against the kitchen island.
“Tucker…what you did today. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t been there. I owe you. I’d give you anything you’d ask for…but my sister?” He shakes his head. “I can’t give you that. She’s my baby sister. And you’re Tucker Evans. The biggest goddamn flirt I've ever fucking met. A guy who’s had his tongue in the mouths of half the girls in our school.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I fold my arms against my chest and mimic his stance.
He stares me down more intently, his eyebrows raised. “You know how hard it is for me to meet a chick in our school that you haven’t had your hands on already? It’s a fucking chore to vet them properly before asking them out.” He sighs and then grins.
“I’m not criticizing you. It’s never bothered me before. But this is Lexi. Shit, you two have practically lived together most of our lives. How is that supposed to go over with my parents? How is this going to work when we go off to college and you break her heart because you want to live the college life and bang every hot girl on campus? I know you’re not looking to settle down. This is our senior year. I know your plans aren’t to go steady. Football— no girlfriends. That’s what you told me, remember?”
I nod. “I remember. It’s still the plan.”
“That’s what I thought, so I’m only going to say this once. My sister is off-limits. She’s not the girl you have around for a good time. She’s the girl you keep for a lifetime.”
