Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

6

"What the hell?"

Holly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. A tinny-sounding tune played repeatedly in the distance. "It's freaking one in the morning," she grumbled, climbing from the bed.

Tiptoeing down the hall in search of the source of the music, she found Eli's cell phone on the island in the kitchen.

"Mom" flashed across the caller ID screen.

"Shit." She grabbed the phone and ran to his bedroom. Not bothering to knock, she threw open the door.

"Eli." She hurried over to the side of the bed and shook him gently. "Eli, wake up."

He launched himself upright, squinting against the light that spilled in from the hallway. Two beer bottles sat on his nightstand, empty.

"Holly? What's that noise?"

"Your cell." She held it out to him. "It's your mom."

"Fuck." He took the phone and jabbed the green button to answer the call. "Hello? Mom? Wait, Jessie? What's going on?"

Holly sat down on the edge of the bed as he dragged a hand through his hair. Through the speaker, a woman screamed for Eli while another woman tried to speak over the screaming.

"Okay. Yeah, I'll leave now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He ended the call and stared down at the floor.

She touched his forearm. "Eli? What's wrong?"

"That was Jessie, my mom's nurse. Mom's having a terrible night. She can't get her to settle down. I have to get over there and help."

"I'm sorry." Holly pointed at the two beers on the nightstand. "You indulged some more?"

"Yeah. I better call an Uber."

"I can drive if you want," she offered.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. "You don't mind?"

"No. Wait, didn't you leave your SUV in a parking lot somewhere?"

"I've got a few cars. Can you be ready in five minutes? I don't want Jessie to be alone for long when Mom's so upset. It can be a lot to handle."

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

She hurried back to her room and changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a pink t-shirt. Her hair was a lost cause, so she tied it back into a ponytail, then slid on her glasses.

Miss lifted her head and glanced up at her with sleepy eyes from her place at the foot of the bed.

"No food right now, little Moo. You ate an hour ago, and I'll be back soon." Holly kissed the top of her head and exited the room, making sure the door shut firmly behind her.

Eli stood near the front door. He tossed her a set of keys as she approached.

"I appreciate this, Wilkes. I don't want to have to wait for an Uber."

"No big deal."

They rode the elevator together in silence while Eli studied his phone.

"This is so fucked up," he said finally, leaning against the wall. "You know, I usually sleep over there when I'm not on the road. Not all the time, but a lot. Though I come back here to the penthouse sometimes to get away from everything. It sounds shitty, but I need a sense of normalcy once in a while, and my penthouse gives me that. It's been tough on her since the playoffs started because I’m staying here all the time now. I visit as much as I can, but I sleep better in my own bed, and I need a good night's rest during the playoffs."

He took a deep breath and glanced over at her. "The nurses try not to bother me unless it gets bad. Lately, it's been more bad than good. They want me to consider a full-time facility for her."

"Eli, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how hard this must be."

"Yeah, it sucks."

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

"Over here." He led her toward the right side of the brightly-lit garage. "I grabbed the keys for this one."

Holly screeched to a halt as she stared at the bright yellow sports car. "You're joking, right?"

He frowned. "Why would I joke about a car?"

She gaped at him. "Eli, this car costs over two hundred grand."

His dark eyebrows shot up. "You know cars?"

"It's kind of a hobby," she explained. "I love watching all the expensive vehicles that pull up in front of the clubs. Though I've never seen you in this one. I'd have remembered."

Holly disarmed the security system and opened the door.

"It's new. Got it last month."

They climbed in, and she caressed the steering wheel. "It's so gorgeous. I can't believe you're letting me drive it. Every guy I know has been ultra possessive of their vehicle. I'd think you'd be paranoid about a car this expensive."

"Nah. It's insured, and I'm not like that. Cars are made to be enjoyed."

She started the engine and let out a squeal of happiness as she revved the powerful motor. "I can't believe this is happening."

Eli snorted with laughter. "Let's get going. I have to get to my mom's house fast, but don't get us pulled over, okay?"

Holly backed out of the parking spot and gave him a huge grin. "Sorry. I'm not making any promises."

* * *

She pulled up in front of a modest, nicely landscaped home in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. Though it was lovely, it seemed out of place among the other homes surrounding it.

"I paid to have it moved here from New York," Eli said, as if reading her mind. "That's why it looks so different."

"That had to be a pretty penny."

"It was worth it."

Holly pressed a button on the key fob to arm the car's security system as they walked up the sidewalk.

"Wait for me out here on the porch while I deal with this, would you? I don't want to freak her out with a stranger and make things worse."

"Oh." She brushed a lock of hair away from her face, then nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Eli glanced at the front door, then rubbed his forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Holly took a seat on one of the chairs nearby. It was sixty-six degrees outside, so she wasn't going to sweat during the wait. "Take your time."

The moment he entered the house, a woman—his mother, most likely—began screaming. She could hear Eli's voice as he spoke to her, soft and reassuring. Then, the screaming ceased.

What must this be like for him to deal with day in and day out? It had to be difficult even on the best of days, and horrible on the worst.

The front door opened fifteen minutes later. A woman who appeared to be in her early seventies with short, soft, gray hair stepped out onto the porch. She paused, staring at Holly as she belted a fuzzy blue bathrobe.

"Who are you?" the woman asked shrewdly.

Holly stood and gave her a tentative smile. "Hello. I'm Holly. I'm a friend of Eli's."

"A friend of my Eli's! How nice." A huge smile lit her weathered face as she grabbed Holly's hands. "Well, you're beautiful, dear. Just beautiful."

"Thank you."

His mother leaned in close, peering at her nose stud. "Is that a real diamond?"

"I wish, but no."

She lifted a lock of purple hair from Holly's shoulder and studied it intently. "Well, this is different, isn't it?"

Urgent voices and footsteps running toward the door pulled her attention away from Eli's mother. The door flew open, and Eli and a tall, blonde woman rushed out.

He dragged his hands through his hair, narrowing his gaze as at Holly.

"Mom, you can't just get up and leave the house. We were worried."

"We were just getting to know each other," Holly said smoothly, ignoring Eli's irritated expression. "Weren't we, Mrs. Donnelley?"

"You can call me Katherine, dear. Why are we all outside on the porch?" She waved her arms impatiently. "Into the house, everyone."

Eli looked even more annoyed. "Only for a bit, Mom. You need to get back to bed soon."

Katherine patted his arm and smiled at Holly. "He worries about me. He's such a good boy."

They followed his mother into the house, and the nurse held out her hand to Holly. "Hello. I'm Jessie, Mrs. Donnelley's nighttime nurse."

"I'm Holly Wilkes. Eli's friend."

"Nice to meet you." Jessie put her hand on Katherine's shoulder. "Mrs. Donnelley, I'm going to get things ready for you to go to bed. I'll see you in a little while."

"Okay, dear."

She followed Eli and his mother into the kitchen, and Katherine paused next to the fridge as they entered the room.

She stared intently at Holly. "Who are you? Are you my new nurse?"

"My name is Holly," she said softly. "I'm Eli's friend."

Eli ran a hand down over his beard as he studied their exchange. His entire body tensed, and the weary look on his face made her worried.

"Sit down," Holly told them. "How about I make some tea?" She looked questioningly at Eli. "Which cupboard?"

He gestured toward the one above the stove and sank down into a chair.

Holly filled the kettle and turned on the stove, then took down a pack of decaf tea from the cupboard. She lined up the mugs on the counter while she waited for the water to boil.

"Do you two know each other from school?" Eli's mother asked.

"Yes," Holly said, nodding. "From college."

"College? Eli's not in college," his mother argued.

"Not anymore, Mom." He reached across the table and took her hand. "That was a long time ago."

"I love your home, Mrs. Donnelley,” Holly said. “It's lovely."

"Thank you. "I..." She paused, then waved her arms, a look of frustration on her face. "Dammit! Dammit to hell!" She slammed her hand down on the table, her lower lip trembling. "I hate this."

"Mom," Eli said urgently. "Are you—"

"It's okay," Holly cut in. "It's really late, and I'm sure you're exhausted, Katherine."

"I am." Her shoulders slumped, and she stared down at the table. "I'm very sleepy. I think I'll go to bed."

"Mom, I have to go home." Eli's tone was soft and gentle as he spoke to his mother. "I need to get some sleep, but Jessie's here."

"Okay, honey." Katherine got up from her chair. "You go home and rest."

"Come on. I'll walk you to your room first."

Eli led his mother out of the kitchen, while Holly turned off the teapot and emptied the kettle.

After putting back the mugs, she peered into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

How had he managed to keep this hidden from everyone for so long? The entire time they'd been in the kitchen, the stress on his face had been evident. His whole body had tensed up the moment she'd offered to make tea, and the sadness in his eyes broke her heart.

It all made sense now. The clubs, the endless parade of women, the partying... he did it to forget. To get away from the harsh reality of his mother's Alzheimer's disease.

All of his behavior was nothing more than an escape. A shield of armor to protect himself.

Five minutes later, Eli came back into the kitchen, looking exhausted and a lot more irritated.

"Let's go," he ordered, his voice clipped. Holly set her jaw, saying nothing as she followed him outside. They were almost to the car when he stopped and turned around.

"What were you trying to do back there, Wilkes?"

Holly frowned. "What do you mean?"

He crossed his arms and glared down at her. "All your nicey-nice talking to my mom on the porch, then coming inside and making yourself at home. Even making fucking tea."

She stared at him, clutching at the water bottle in her hand.

"Are you serious right now?"

"I told you to wait on the porch," he snapped. "All you had to do was sit outside, mind your own goddamn business, and wait for me. But you couldn't do that. You had to barge in and get involved."

Oh, he did not just say that.

"You know what, Donnelley? Fuck you. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have known your mom needed you tonight. You were too goddamn drunk to even hear the fucking phone! I was even nice enough to drive you here so you didn't have to wait for an Uber."

He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "I didn't want to make your mom uncomfortable by not accepting her invitation to go into the house. And I was trying to ease the tension with a normal activity like making tea." She poked him in the chest. "And what do I get for it? You, acting like a first-rate asshole and treating me like someone who works for you. Newsflash, Eli—I don't. All I was trying to do was help you."

He froze, staring at her for a few seconds before the irritated look on his face gave way to one of agony. He whirled around and leaned his palms against the hood of the car.

"Oh, fuck." He hunched over, sucking in short breaths. "Fuck."

"Eli—"

"Something's wrong," he choked out. "I don't feel right. My heart's racing."

She placed a hand on his arm, and he shrugged her off. "Don't. Don't touch me." He slapped his hands against the car and staggered backward.

"What's happening to me? Holly, call for help. Something’s wrong."

She spotted a small park across the street. Lacing her arm through his before he could protest, she dragged him over to a wooden bench. "Sit."

"I can't get any air," he gasped, his eyes wide. "I can't—I can't breathe."

"You're speaking, so you can breathe. Sit," Holly said, pushing him down onto the bench.

She stooped down in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "Look at me, Eli."

He held out his trembling hands. "My fingers are numb. You need to call someone. I feel really sick. Am I... am I having a stroke?"

"No, you're having a panic attack. Watch me, okay? We're going to do a breathing exercise that will help."

"No, no." He shook his head wildly. "I'm gonna puke. Oh, fuck."

He vaulted off the bench and ran over to a nearby tree. Collapsing to his knees, he vomited repeatedly until there was nothing left.

Holly knelt next to him and rubbed his back. "You're okay now."

Eli sank down onto the ground with a groan. “Am I?”

She handed him the water bottle. "Rinse and spit, then drink slowly."

He did as she directed, then leaned back against the tree, covering his face with his hands as he sucked in deep breaths.

"Eli, listen to me." She took his hands and pulled them away from his face. He was alarmingly pale, and it scared the shit out of her. "Watch me, okay? Please. I promise, this breathing exercise will help."

He nodded, and for the next few minutes they sat there, doing the deep breathing exercises until he tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "I feel a little better."

"Good. That, my friend, was a straight-up panic attack." She squeezed his hand. "And probably way overdue."

"How did you know?"

"Personal experience," she admitted. "They suck."

He rubbed his temples and sighed. "I'm sorry, Holly. I didn't mean to take that shit out on you. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just fucked up. I'm so fucked up."

"Apology accepted. You're under a tremendous amount of stress, Eli, and you've been carrying all of this around forever. Am I really the only person who knows?"

He swallowed, then glanced down at the ground. "Yeah. I just can't tell my friends, Holly. Not now. I can't."

She stared down at their intertwined hands, overwhelmed with emotion. She wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay, but she couldn't make that promise.

And holding him... well, it was just another line she shouldn't cross.

"Are you ready to go home?" she asked. "You look beat."

He took another gulp of water from the bottle. "Yeah. I'm fucking wiped."

"Okay. Then let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

Holly tossed the keys to the sports car down onto the counter.

"Thanks for letting me drive. The circumstances weren't the best, but I loved it."

"Sure." He kicked off his sneakers. "Fuck. I need to go brush my teeth for like an hour. Ugh."

Holly laughed. "Yeah, I know that feeling. I'm going to go feed Miss and head to bed." She hesitated, then put a hand on his arm. "Get some rest, okay?"

"I will." He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome."

After using the washroom and changing back into her pj's, she fed the cat, then decided to check on Eli one last time.

He sat on his bed, leaning back against the headboard as he stared at the wall.

"Eli?"

He turned his head toward her. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to be okay?"

"It's not manly if I say I'm not," he answered. "Right?"

"No. That's bullshit."

“Considering everything I did to lose my man card tonight, that means a lot."

"Enough with the macho crap. You didn't lose anything." She climbed across the king-sized bed and sat next to him, then gave his sleep pants a gentle tug. "Lie down. You need rest, Eli. You're really pale, and you look so wiped out."

"Every time I close my eyes, I think about her being terrified of me earlier today, I just... Fuck, I don't know." His breath hitched, and he shook his head. "It fucks me up, Wilkes. It fucks me up so bad."

Seeing him like this was going to break her, and she wasn't a woman easily broken. He looked so lost and alone she couldn't stand it.

Holly slipped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. She'd crossed plenty of lines today already. What did it matter if she crossed one more?

"I know," she murmured. "Lie down. Try to relax, okay?”

When he lay back on his pillow, she cuddled closer. "Close your eyes, Eli. Count sheep or something."

He turned toward her, and her heart rate skyrocketed. He might be vulnerable right now, but having his face inches from hers, and his hot, minty breath all warm on her skin?

It was dangerous.

"Thank you," he whispered, resting his chin on the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her. "You knew exactly what I needed tonight."

"You needed a friend," she said simply.

"Friend, huh? Does that mean we're no longer in the ‘not friends, not enemies’ territory, then?"

"Go to sleep." It was next to impossible to keep even-keeled with his strong arms wrapped around her, but she'd initiated this intimacy, and she was going to see it through. "I'll stay in here with you until you're out, but that's it. Got it?"

He snorted with laughter and reached over to turn off the light. "Yes, ma'am."

In the darkness, she felt his lips brush against her ear, and his warm breath had her fighting off a shiver. "Holly?"

"Yeah?" she asked warily.

"Don't let go, okay? Just don't let go."

Her heart flipped wildly in her chest, and she swallowed hard. "I won't."

Glancing up at the ceiling, she stifled a sigh. So much for willpower. She'd already ended up on the other side of his door and in his bed.

It was going to be a long thirty days.