Emergency Call
Chapter 44
Tandy’s POV
I received a call at two–thirty in the morning. It is well–known that a call received this early in the morning will be a problem, and it was. I woke Russell, and we packed an overnight bag quickly. My baby had been attacked, and I needed to get to him as soon as I could. I felt
terrible as I knew our relationship had been strained lately. I was angry at him for costing me
time with my grandbaby, but I would never wish for him to be hurt.
I still had to adhere to the agreement or knew my time with Corbin would be cut short. I
couldn’t allow that to happen. As much as I wanted to scream at Garrett and shake him in
frustration, I couldn’t. I completely understood why Addison was so angry with him. I would be,
too, if Russell had done that to me. How could my son hurt her like that and all over a lie? I
was disgusted by both Garrett and Valerie. I know in my heart that he only believed it because
Valerie had said she witnessed it.
Tammy was new around here, and none of us knew her. I knew her for what she was. She
wanted to latch onto someone going to go to the pros. Russell played for a short time. He was
not as good as his father or grandfather had been, but Garrett was. We had known that he was going to surpass all of them. His dream was going to be realized.
Addison had always been there for him. They were best friends for so long, and I saw when it
changed for her. The summer, they turned fourteen. They were both so shy with each other
after they realized that their feelings were no longer best friends anymore. Ana and I had both.
seen the crush beginning and were so happy about it. Addison was a great girl. I was glad that my son saw her as more than a friend. That is until Garrett suddenly decided that he didn’t
want to be friends with her anymore.
I couldn’t help but think that some of this was my fault. That I should have stepped in more when they stopped being friends. Garrett refused to talk about it. I should have asked Valerie,
but she didn’t seern involved. I bore some of the guilt, as I never liked Tammy. Not from the
moment I met her. She was deceptive from the start, and I didn’t want any of my children
around her. But they had both vouched for her, and I wanted them to be able to make their own
choices.
They didn’t listen to me or what I was telling them. I know I probably could have done more, but I never suspected what was happening at the time. I never thought that my son, who I taught to respect others, especially his best friend, would have turned his back on Addison
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Emergency Call
like he did. I didn’t even realize the football was missing. I was only in his room long enough to leave his folded clothes in a basket on his bed and hang the rest. Maybe if I had noticed.
sooner, this would never have happened.
Russell disagrees, but that is because he doesn’t want me to feel guilty about it. I love him for
that, but Tammy did a number on my family and best friends. We both felt terrible at what
Addison went through. We both saw her slowly start to gain weight. We both knew she was
comfort–eating to cover losing Garrett, but there was nothing that we could do about it. We
were both there for her, as much as we could be. Addison was much more to me than my best
friend’s daughter.
I loved Addison and wanted her to be a member of my family. Ana and I dreamed of the day
that they would get married. Ana was going to design Addison’s dress, and I would help get
the backyard in shape. We would remove the fence between our two properties to create a
large area for the wedding. Ana wanted it to be a small ceremony where they married on the
gazebo in her backyard. That was why, each year, her backyard looked better and better. We
had plans, and they crashed and burned, all because of Tammy. All because Garrett was
foolish enough to get tricked by a scheming girl.
I knew Tammy. She wasn’t the brightest bulb in any group. So, it is incredible that she has
been so successful, especially for the timeframe that she was given. She shouldn’t have been
able to pull it off. I hate that Garrett must have wanted to believe the worst about Addison. There was no other way that it could have worked.
I have to blame Garrett and Valerie. I knew why he was mad at her once he discovered what
had happened. I know my son. He was so hurt by what ‘Addison‘ had allegedly done that he
was a complete jerk to her. I didn’t have to be there to know. I saw the c*****e left behind by
his actions.
I know that he only really believed it because he believed Valerie. Their relationship was the
most damaged at the moment. He still hasn’t forgiven her. I don’t know if he ever truly will. I can understand why. He only believed what had happened because he had heard it from Valerie. If she hadn’t stepped up and vouched, she had seen it with her own eyes. Addison
would have never been put through the hell that Garrett so willingly gave her. Garrett knows it,
and I knew it, too.
Valerie felt terrible about it and insisted on testifying at the trial to correct her wrongs. She wanted to apologize to Addison but was too ashamed to do it, but Addison did come to the trial. I knew why. She was pregnant and didn’t want it known. Plus, no one knew how to
contact Addison besides Russell and me.
I am sure Addison will return one day and allow Garrett to meet his son. Addison is not a
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Emergency Call
heartless person. She is just hurt. The pain was still real for her, as she had truly loved Garrett. It takes a while to get over that kind of pain. That is why I do not push anymore. Our family
had hurt her enough. I can’t allow her to be hurt by my family again.
Russell drove us to the airport while I bought our tickets to North Carolina. I paid extra not to get a layover on the flight. I needed to get to him as quickly as I could. I also ordered our rental car while we were waiting at the airport. My mind was racing. Why had Garrett been attacked?
He had no enemies. I have been in his building before. They have gate security, and you need a pass card to scan to enter the building. This should never have happened.
Russell hugged me to his side. “It is going to be OK. The police are already investigating it.
They will have answers for us. They are even going to station someone outside his room. He
is safe. We will get him and bring him home to heal. We will know more once we get there.
Garrett is strong; he will heal. Just stay calm. Everything is going to be alright.”
“I feel guilty because I can’t tell him he’s a father. He almost died today. He needs to know, but I can’t let my grandbaby be taken away if I do. It is breaking my heart, Russell. I feel like I am being torn in two,” I told him as I cried on his shoulder.
“When we come back, we will talk to Addison. Maybe her heart will be moved by Garrett being attacked. It might show her that life is short. He would have never known about Corbin if they had been successful. They had a knife. It is not a stretch to think that his life could have been taken. I think that Addison will change her mind. It has been long enough, Tandy. I understand
her anger and frustration. She has a right to it, but Garrett has rights, too, as do we. We can get a lawyer to fight for our rights. I don’t want to hurt Addison, but I can’t keep letting her put you and me through this. I almost slipped up on his last visit. It needs to end,” Russell told me.
“Okay, we will work on it when we get back. Does he have someone with him?” I asked.
“His coach is still there waiting for the surgery to be completed. He knows that we are
coming. The doorman that found him called his coach after calling an ambulance. That was
who his emergency contact was there. His place was supposed to be safe. Hopefully, the police can get to the bottom of it. We need to be prepared. It could be his rotator cuff. They
won’t know until they get in to see how bad the damage is. They think it was done by fanatics
who don’t like him,” Russell advised.
At least he wasn’t going to be alone. He is still in surgery, and I am glad they put an officer on
his door. I doubt they will come back to finish him off. I think they were just there to hurt him,
not kill him. If they wanted to kill him, they could have done so with the knife. I think they just
wanted to end his career, which is heartless, as it had just begun. My heart is breaking for my
son. I am going to have to get the tears out now. I don’t want to cause him to worry more by
seeing me break down once we get there. I started making plans.
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Emergency Call
Garrett doesn’t need to be left alone. We will have to take turns at the hospital. We will stay at
his house until he is well enough to travel. I was worried, as it really depends on the damage
as to what his options are going to be. He could always work at our company, but I knew he
would hate that. His dream had always been to play professionally–not for it to be cut short
so soon after he realized his dream.
As we loaded onto the plane, I couldn’t calm down. My anxiety was in overdrive, and
everything was taking too long. I made a mental note to make sure that the police didn’t drop
the ball on the investigation. This was a serious attack, and it needed to be treated as such. I
didn’t want it to make the news, but because it involved a professional player, I was sure it
would be hard to hide. I know that this is his worst fear come to life. He had just achieved his
dream, only for it to potentially be ripped away from him. I felt horrible. I was praying that his injuries would not be serious. I didn’t know if he would be able to bounce back from this or
not.
Why would someone do this to him? Why now when he was about to start his second season? My heart was in my throat, and I was going to be worried until I saw with my own eyes that Garrett was safe. I sent up another prayer as we taxied to take off. We should be there soon. I am not going to let this go. Whoever hurt Garrett would be caught, and I would ensure they were punished for their actions. I am also going to make sure that Garrett meets
Corbin. He needs to know he is a father.
