Secrets Of Third Base

13

Cade lives in the pool of housing offered by the team. After reading the full extent of his accommodations list, he is also required to have his own living space due. No wonder everyone thought he was such a douchebag.

She pulls up to the home. It's small and suburban, but nice and kept. She knocks on the door but to no avail.

She tries the doorknob. Cam had given her the key to his house. He had convinced him for a copy for emergencies.

It's locked.

She knocks again. Nothing. She double checks the number even though Cade's car is parked on the street.

She takes a deep breath and slides the key into the deadbolt. It turns easily.

When the door creaks open, it's dark inside. Blackout curtains on every window. She calls out for him. Nothing. 

Her heart is pounding when she turns on the light.

It felt like some kind of horror movie, but she is pleasantly surprised to see a nice tidy and kept living room. A couch, a coffee table, a tv and entertainment center, a rug, and even coasters.

"Cade?" She tries again.

She slowly begins her descent down the hallway.

There are three doors. One is open and she can tell it's the bathroom.

She knocks on one of the two closed doors. Per usual, nothing. 

She turns the knob to another pitch black room. The light from the hallway illuminates it enough to see that it is a bedroom.

"Cade?" She says.

This time, there is a slight noise. A groan almost.

"It's Brooke." She says.

The response is another groan. She braces herself and turns on the light.

Again, she is greeted with a completely normal sight. A bed, a dresser, a nightstand, clothes neatly hanging in an open closet.

She steps inside.

Cade is laying on the bed, on top of the duvet, but under a throw blanket. He is out cold. A wave of frustration rushes over her. How can he throw away his future like this?

Then she is reminded of the Cade she has grown to know. There is always more than what meets the eye. She reminds herself why she is here.

She leans down next to the bed.

"Cade. It's time to wake up." She says. She lays her hand on his back, and he stirs a little.

She shakes him just enough that his eyes slip open ever so slightly.

"Brooke?" He asks sleepily.

She smiles.

"Hey." She says and any anger is immediately washed away.

He blinks a few more times and pushes himself up on his elbow.

"What's going on?" He asks, seeming usually dazed even for just waking up.

"It's 4:30. It's game time. I got your key from Cam to come find you."

After a brief moment of processing he looks at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It's blinking red.

Then he finally seems to come to life.

"Elliott is going to kill me." He says. His eyes are watering.

"No, he won't. I will talk to him, but we need to get to get moving." She says.

She leans onto the bed next to him, but stands back up hastily after realizing she had sat on something.

She reaches for whatever it is. It's a small box.

"Temazepam?" She questions.

"Do you have trouble sleeping?" She asks.

She is surprised to see Cade isn't actually moving from his spot, despite the nervous expression on his face.

"I um...yeah. I struggle with insomnia. It just helps sometimes." He says.

That would explain why he was such a rock when she arrived.

"What time did you take it?" She questions.

He doesn't answer. He is looking around the room anxiously now.

"I'm not mad. This can be a really helpful medication when it's used properly." She tries.

"Anyway, we can talk about that later. It's time to get moving. I don't want you to get in trouble." She says and pulls the blanket off of him in an effort to get him moving.

"Brooke!" He yells.

She realizes quickly what she had done.

Cade is wearing a diaper. It's grey with elastic on the sides. He quickly grabs a pillow and shoves it between his legs.

She expects him to be angry. She would be. Anybody would be. Except he isn't. He just has that fearful look in his eye again. Like he is in trouble. Like he did something horribly wrong.

She shakes off the initial shock and gathers her thoughts before anything slips out.

"I'm sorry." She says. She sits down on the bed next to him.

His body is shaking the same way it was the night they made love.

If there is anything she has learned about Cade is that he can almost always be soothed by a gentle touch.

"It's okay." She tries and strokes the side of his cheek. She rests her hand on his shoulder, giving it a few gentle squeezes.

He looks up at her. It's probably too much when she leans her cheek onto his scruffy brown hair, but she does it anyway. He relaxes into her the way he always does.

"It's embarrassing." He says.

"It doesn't need to be." She says easily.

He doesn't respond, but he turns his face into her neck and takes a deep breath, blowing out hot hair onto her chest. She leans back into him. She almost forgets what she is doing there.

"We do need to go, though. Are you okay?" She asks.

He nods.

"Can you...wait in the living room?" He asks quietly.

She gets up, as much as she just wants to stay here with him.

It isn't more than three minutes before he emerges again. He looks more alert than before, rushing to get his things in order.

As she watches him, he begins to spiral, starting to rip open bags. She isn't sure what he is even looking for. She decides to step in when he starts frantically dig through a dirty clothes hamper. She can tell he is on the verge of tears. His breath is fast and his hands are still shaking.

"I'm such a fuck-up." He says, voice quivering, still digging through discarded t-shirts and socks.

She makes her way over to him, wordlessly, she takes his wrist in her hand.

"Come here." She says.

She wraps an arm over his back, and with just the slightest tug, he is completely limp in her arms.

"It's going to be okay. We will make it to the game. It's alright." She soothes.

She holds him like that for a while. Until the sense of urgency fades.

"Let me drive you. Drink some water and have a snack on the way up. It will clear your head. You got this." She says.

He doesn't look sure, but at this point, he has nothing left to lose.

He does as she asks and grabs a bottle of water, a Gatorade, a Protien bar, and an bag of Sun Chips from the kitchen.

She nods and ushers him out the door.