I couldn’t believe it. Dad had just phoned to say that all his problems were over and thanked me a thousand times. Thanked me for what? That was what was on my mind. I was exhausted, having been through every one of Sebastian’s injuries and procedures over the years. I didn’t want to miss anything. I wanted to make sure that the conclusion was right, and that he could play next season. Sure, I had gone a bit overboard and the consequences had I found something had run through my mind. There was nothing worse than finding out that another doctor had done a procedure incorrectly and being forced to flag it. It would have hurt not only their reputation, but mine too. I could be seen as an underdog and the sports-medicine business was already so damn political. I did find a couple of red herrings, but after digging deeper. I found nothing to be wrong with his treatment and his after-treatment, which was just as important. He had gone to the right number of physiotherapist sessions and

She was scared—it was clear to me now. Zoe had come over to get her brother’s ball. I suspected that either he had kicked it over or she had, just to get my attention. One hour later we were still in my garden later just trying to figure out which bush it was hiding in, and Emma showed up at the door. She had fire in her eyes when she saw Zoe. I should have told her then that it wasn’t what it seemed, but some part of me thought that she deserved it. I had been calling her every day for over a week.Not one phone call back. The funny thing is that she actually thought that I was with Zoe. She didn’t have a clue what she did to me. I wanted Emma, no one else. I hadn’t wanted anyone else since I first saw her in the dorm. No other girl had made me want to commit. I didn’t sleep around, but as soon as I heard the words, “Are we dating?” that was when I dropped them like a ton of bricks. But Emma was different.I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Her dad had already called to tell me t

It was our first vacation together and I knew that he was going to ask what was wrong. He kept going on about it on the way there. Subtly hinting about me not having my period for the last two months. What is it with men?Why don’t they say exactly what is on their mind? He asked if we should stop at the store on the way to the airport, because I forgot to pack something. I ignored him, pretending that I didn’t know what he was on about. I could see the disappointment on his face when I said that there was no need. Was he upset, because he knew? Or was it the fact that I didn’t tell him?The season was starting and he needed to get his head back in the game. He had been jogging and doing exercises with Mason when he had managed to get out of bed. Which hadn’t been often. The thing is I knew that I wanted to be with him. There was no doubt about that in my mind, but the thing that got me was the fact that we had moved so quickly.Kind of too quickly!I had to think about a job, and

MasonIt was still fucking daytime, but with all the curtains closed and windows covered, the room looked dark. Not that I gave a damn what time it was outside, because I didn’t plan on leaving my home.There was a part of me that was angry for locking myself in, and feeling sorry for myself. I still wouldn’t leave the house, though.I didn’t have the courage to leave, after all. Not anymore.“Fuck, this is boring,” I grumbled, drinking the last of my beer, then crushed the can and tossed it in my trashcan. The can went in, and I smirked, but it quickly dropped with a sigh as my eyes turned back to the TV. “If they’re gonna show this kind of play to people, they at least need better players.”Like me, I thought, then cast that thought away, too. It was a dangerous thought to have for me recently, but sometimes, I couldn’t keep myself from wishing.I was watching a football game, and it was already in its last quarter. I wasn’t on either side, but the team on the losing side was a fair

Fuck.Sophia was one of the last people I wanted to see at the front of my door because I knew how stubborn she could be when she put her mind to it. I didn’t want her there for a lot of reasons. I was embarrassed at how I’d let myself go, at how quickly I’d changed in such a short time. I also wasn’t ready to face the world and people again, and I didn’t know if I would ever be ready. Hell, I hadn't spoken to my own family yet, and I didn’t see that happening any time soon.What do I do…?When I decided to lock myself away, I’d had a plan. And in this plan, once I felt I could pick myself up and give life a try again, I would reconnect with the people I was currently pushing away. If I had to be honest to myself, Sophia wasn’t only on the list, but among one of the first people I would reach out to, besides my parents and even above my best friend. Sophia was Sebastian’s sister, but if she really stopped talking to me, I knew that bastard wouldn’t help me. No matter how close we we