Chapter 9
LAINEY
“We are so excited to have you here, Lainey,” my new boss, Caitlin, says with a smile as I walk down a hallway in the arena at her side.
“Thank you so much. I’m happy to be here.” I grin, excitement brewing inside of me.
This is it—the job I’ve been preparing for, for years. I’m finally here, and I’m not going to let anything ruin it.
“Today, you’ll be with me. Then, starting tomorrow and for the first couple of weeks, you’ll be shadowing Helena. Get to know our facility, our setup, and get a real feel for the players.”
I bite my tongue at her comment. I already got quite a feel for Jensen’s face at the coffee shop. But I’m certain that’s not what she’s implying.
“After that, we’ll have you on your own schedule.
Certain players will be assigned to you, depending on their area of need.
For the time being, we won’t have you traveling with the players, as we already have the personnel assigned for our travel team.
But if traveling interests you and we have openings, I’m sure we can find a place for you in the future. ”
I hadn’t even considered travel being a part of it since it wasn’t listed anywhere in the description, but that would be so much fun.
“Yeah, if there is ever a need, please let me know.” I follow her down a new hallway as she fills me in about our day, trying to memorize our path in this insane facility.
“We’re meeting with a player this morning for their weekly session. No areas of direct need. Just an overall check-in to assess how they’re feeling and to make a plan for the week if anything needs attention.” She stops in front of a closed door and knocks twice.
“Come in,” a deep voice calls out, and a shiver shoots down my back.
Are you kidding me? I swear the universe is out to get me.
She pushes the door open and—
Jesus Christ … keep your chin off the floor.
It’s just a body. He’s just a man.
Jensen is sitting on the exam table in a tank top that shouldn’t even be classified as a shirt and shorts that are riding up on his thighs, exposing a few tattoos on his quads that I didn’t know existed.
But to be fair, he didn’t have any tattoos the last time we were friends, including the sporadic ones all over his arms.
I can still hate him and admire the work he’s put into his body simultaneously. Objectively speaking, he’s … attractive. Objectively speaking only.
Jensen’s lips tip up in a smile when we walk into the room, his gaze staying on me the entire time, only flicking to Caitlin when she starts to speak.
“Good morning, Jensen. How’re you doing?” she asks him, setting her binder down on the desk next to the computer.
He yawns and raises his arms up as he stretches, and I ignore the way his muscles flex, the veins bulging on his forearms. “Pretty good. You have a tagalong today?”
Caitlin gestures to me. “Yes, this is Lainey. She is our newest physical therapist to join the ranks.”
A moment that lasts a second but feels like an eternity passes between Jensen and me. Will we admit to knowing each other? Or will we pretend that we’re meeting for the first time today?
I quickly decide for the both of us, walking forward and sticking my hand out. “It’s nice meeting you.”
He takes my hand, gentle but firm. His eyes twitch and his thumb strokes the back of my knuckles, out of view from Caitlin. “It’s great to meet you, Lainey.”
I yank my hand away discreetly as my body temp spikes, despite my obvious disgust. He’s not surprised in the slightest to see me here, which leads me to believe that Luca gave him a heads-up about my new job. Of course he did. Those two haven’t skipped a beat in their friendship over the years.
“Anything to report? Any discomfort or pain anywhere?” Caitlin asks Jensen, who shakes his head.
“Nothing new, nope.” His gaze flicks to me for the shortest second, and that’s all I need to see to tell that he’s lying.
I know him, more than I’d like to admit. I’ve known him for most of my life. I can tell when he’s lying. I just don’t understand why. If something’s bothering him, then getting treatment is the best course of action, especially for his career.
“Great.” Caitlin claps her hands together. “We’ll just run through some stretches. The usual routine. You know how it goes.”
He smiles, nods, and leans back on the table, clearly accustomed to what’s next. Caitlin rubs some hand sanitizer between her hands before grabbing his right ankle and straightening his leg, stretching it out.
Studying him intently, I look for the slightest adjustment or resistance to indicate pain. But nothing is out of the ordinary as she bends that knee and moves it all around. She gently sets his right leg down before moving on to the left, her gaze on his leg.
But I’m not watching his leg, I’m watching his face, waiting for a wince or twitch. Jensen must feel my stare because his dark eyes drift over to find mine.
His nostrils flare, and I give him a moment to speak up and tell Caitlin about his discomfort. But he stays silent. My brows furrow, and I shake my head in disbelief.
When I part my lips to say something, Jensen clenches his jaw, the inner corner of his eyebrows twitching up in a silent plea. I bite down on my bottom lip to stop myself from saying anything.
I don’t owe Jensen, and as his physical therapist, I should tell Caitlin. It’s important for her to know. Yet I can’t force my lips apart.
A vibration thrums deep inside me, a forbidden excitement, all because I’m keeping his secret. It feels familiar and warm … and I hate it. We’re not friends anymore. Now, we’re nothing.
But that doesn’t explain why I stay silent for the next ten minutes while Caitlin finishes her examination.
She lifts her wrist and checks her Apple Watch. “I have to step out to take this call. Lainey, would you mind cleaning the table to get it ready for the next player?” she says, holding her phone in her hand while she strides toward the door and opens it.
“Not at all!” I respond eagerly—too eagerly—and I can feel Jensen’s stare burning into the side of my face as she answers her phone and steps into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.
The second I hear her voice trail away, I turn to Jensen, my lips pursed and arms crossed. “Why are you lying?”
He sits up tall on the table, holding my stare with an annoying look of innocence. “What do you mean?”
I cock my head to the side as my eyes fall to half-mast. “You know exactly what I mean. Why are you hiding it?”
He runs his hands through his hair, his body going rigid, including the straining muscles running horizontal right beneath his pecs, peeking out from his shirt. Taking a deep breath, he says my name with desperation. “Lainey.”
“Don’t Lainey me, Jensen. Don’t even say my name.”
He chuckles, not fazed from my tone. His face falls, eyes staring at the floor. His voice is serious, taking me by surprise. “You can’t tell them.”
I cross my arms. “Can’t tell them what? That your old knee problems are bothering you again?” I exhale heavily, somehow already so aggravated from the shortest conversation with him. “Why? I don’t get it.”
Flexing his leg out, he stretches it back and forth with a haunting look in his eyes. “Please. Promise me.”
I scoff, crossing my arms. “I don’t owe you anything. Besides, it’s part of my job now to report any injuries.”
A pained expression drifts across his face as he turns his head to face me. “I get it. You don’t want anything to do with me. You don’t owe me. You hate me. I fucking get it. But please, Lain, please don’t say anything.”
“Give me one good reason,” I protest.
He presses his lips together, his eyes bouncing back and forth between mine. “Whale shark,” he murmurs, knocking all the air from my lungs.
Whale shark … God, I haven’t heard that since we were all teens.
It was a saying in our friend group—a be-all and end-all phrase that was used to halt any questions, any concerns, everything.
When one of us said whale shark, it meant we dropped everything and were there for that person however they needed, no matter what, with no further questions asked.
But those same rules no longer apply.
I glare at him. “That doesn’t work with me anymore.”
He huffs, leaning back on his hands. “If Luca used it, would it work?”
I clench my jaw. “That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s still my friend.” I take a step toward him, my body boiling up.
His nostrils flare, and his eyes soften.
“I might not be your friend, Lain. You might not give a shit about me anymore, but you’re one of the most important people in the world to me, and nothing will ever fucking change that.
Even you dating the biggest asshole who will never deserve you won’t scare me away. ”
My heart aches as if a knife was plunged through it, jagged edges shredding up my insides. He can’t just say sweet things and expect me to just forgive him. Cole would be livid if he found out we were even having this conversation to begin with.
“I can’t do this, Jensen.” My tone is sharp, and my eyes burn. Oh, hell no, I am not crying right now.
Shooting up from the table, he strides over to me, and I back up against the wall, but he doesn’t stop until he’s a foot from my face, his hand pinned to the wall by my head.
“Why are you so angry, huh? After all we’ve been through, and you’re going to let that piece of shit divide us.” He points aggressively, and even though Cole is states away from us, I know that’s who Jensen is gesturing about.
I jab my finger into his chest. “You made your own choices not to disclose your injury. It’s not my fault that you can’t live with the consequences.”
He stares up at the ceiling in disbelief and I watch his nostrils flare as his jaw ticks. Genuine rage glows in his eyes when he looks back down at me. “And everyone else is living with yours. You couldn’t have picked a bigger douche in the league if you tried.”