I couldn’t fucking believe it. My ears were still ringing from what Dad had just told me.

“You are going to listen, and you are going to listen good,” Dad said as he came closer to the bed.

All I could do was nod, it wasn’t like I could get up and leave. I was trapped, in this bed, in this house, in this fucking town.

“After all you’ve fucking done to that girl, Alexis has been kind enough to agree to take care of you while you recover. So you will fucking listen to her and do as she says. Do you hear me, Ryder?”

Just the thought of her being the one to turn me over, stick a tube on my cock or even in my butt cause I couldn’t fucking move, had me pissed off. I hated not having control. I couldn’t do anything but talk and move my head. That was the only movement I could make. My body just would not cooperate. “But, Dad, couldn’t you have found someone—”

“No. Now shut up and listen.”

I closed my mouth for once in my life, and I listened.

“You fucking owe that woman. Don’t think I didn’t know she was in that accident with you,” he rasped as he got closer. “And how you managed to get her in that car with you is beyond me! So stupid, Ryder! You’ve been damn lucky that your coach took care of that last matter for you. You do realize she could fucking sue you, right?”

I held my breath, as I knew he had more to say on the subject.

“Alexis’s a fucking angel even considering doing this. She was an angel back in high school and still is, you never should have let her go. Probably would have kept you from half the shit trouble you’ve gotten into over the last few years. And yeah, I am aware of the lawsuit, non-disclosure or not. Your coach came by and told me what was what. You’re damn lucky they aren’t suing you either for breach of contract! And don’t even get me started on the fucking drug use and the fact that you’d only been out of rehab a few months when you pull this shit!”

Dad didn’t swear much. In fact, not at all. So, I knew that if I didn’t buckle down, I would be out. He’d disown me and refuse to help. A chill went down my spine at the idea that had I not gotten help before, I would have snorted most of my money up my nose. Lost my house. Lost my car, my career, everything. And then that girl… I sighed.

My house and car were the only sound investments I’d made with my money. So much money. They practically throw it at you to get you to sign on the dotted line. And for someone like me, all that money was just a temptation waiting to happen. And the temptations had been extreme.

“My whole point is, don’t be treating Alexis like shit or even behave like an asshole. She is going to be looking after you, treat her nicely.”

Easy for him to say. This whole thing was humiliating. I had wanted to get her back in my life, but this was not what I’d intended. Back in high school, Alexis had been everything that I wasn’t. Confident, and intelligent, sexy and beautiful. She’d aced exams like nothing. It had been just her and her mom and grandmother. They hadn’t had much, her mom worked all the time. Kids mocked her clothes. She ignored them. I hated that she’d been subjected to that.

But, I had done everything to be the bad kid in town, and I had a crowd following because of that. I needed the approval of others to think I was bad just to fit in. Sure I was the quarterback, but it wasn’t enough to be the star of the football team. No, I had to build this badass reputation. Drinking and smoking, hanging with Craig and the guys doing shit we shouldn’t have. When I asked her out, it was just to see if I could. Surprised the hell out of me she’d said yes. After a few dates, I stopped doing a lot of the shit stuff, I wanted to be good enough for her. Funnily enough, my game improved too. Then Prom happened and…

“Dad, I promise I will be on my best behavior,” I muttered the words because the more I was thinking about this whole situation, the more my head hurt. At least I wouldn’t need her to get a bedpan. The bad thing was I had a fucking tube on my cock for that. She would have to change it. The thought that this was what my life had come down to, sucked.

“I need to go to Vegas for work. I am not sure how long I will be gone.”

“Didn’t you just come back?” I asked, thinking I had to get well. I had to get out of this bed and at least to a wheelchair. The best thing would be to walk again. The doctors made it clear that I could make a full recovery, but that it would take time.

“I had to cut my last trip short to be here for you. Now that Alexis is here, I have to go back.”

“When do you fly out?”

I hoped he would say next week or even next month—that would be even better. Maybe by then, I could sit up. He could help me, then I wouldn’t need Alexis for all the personal stuff.

“Tomorrow.” He sighed as he started for the door. “The sooner all of this mess is sorted the better. I am going to lie down for a while. If you need me, you know what to do.”

I was hungry, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I had to have space. This newsflash was sending me into all sorts of panic.

My mind drifted to the accident I’d had a year ago. I’d had every intention of killing myself when I drove into that car. I’d gotten the news about that girl in the latest scandal. The lawsuit Coach was paying off with my bonus money for me. I didn’t even remember her name. Hell, I didn’t even remember meeting her! She claimed I raped her. At first, she’d only said we had sex, but then when she couldn’t blackmail me with that and the pictures she supposedly had, she started making accusations of rape. She had fucking changed her story completely, saying she was underage which made it rape and would go to the press with the pictures she had. I took it to Coach and he and the team lawyers got involved. She’d wanted money, like every bitch that I seemed to come into contact with since Alexis left me; they knew I was fucked up and took advantage. So, hence the lawsuit. The girl and I both signed nondisclosure agreements, and she got her fucking money and the lawyers got the pictures and negatives. The ‘accident’ had been ruled just that, an accident. Nobody was injured, thank goodness, just bad luck and a slick roadway from the rain.

Why does everything in my life turn to shit?

* * *

I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t—hunger was twisting my stomach into knots. I hated the idea of waking up Dad. If he were still sleeping then maybe Alexis would come in. I wasn’t ready to face her again, so I just lay there looking around.

I was in my old room. It had a bathroom en-suite and the walls that used to be covered with posters and football memorabilia were now sterile. There was no color or anything to the room. The only saving grace was it had a window, but the bed was nowhere near it. I knew that it faced the garden, if I could just look out of it, I’d see it. The furniture consisted of a closet, a wall-sized television, and all my monitors. Even the room I’d had in the hospital had pictures on the wall.

I hadn’t heard anything in this part of the house, and I was starting to wish Alexis would just show up anyway. I really was hungry.