Chapter 34
Six Weeks Later
The past six weeks with Sloane and Gigi have sped by.
It’s like I blinked and it’s already the end of January.
Probably because I’ve been so wrapped up in Sloane, rehab, and trying to get back into the graphic design game that I haven’t seen the days go by.
But all that’s about to change. Will got rid of my cane two weeks ago and he just announced that in two weeks I’ll be done.
No more physiotherapy, no more massage therapy, no more weight training.
Nothing. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.
So now I have two weeks to convince Sloane to let me permanently move in with her.
We might not have talked about it, but we’ve been living like a real couple for the past six weeks.
I haven’t slept in my own bed since we went pottery painting.
Hell, I even have an underwear drawer in her dresser and my shirts are hanging in her closet.
We’ve even had a couple minor arguments over the last three months.
To me, we’re dating. I just don’t know if Sloane sees it that way. She hasn’t asked me to move in or what my plan is when I’mdone with rehab. If her reaction to my coming home with no cane three days ago is anything to go by, she thinks I’m leaving.
I’ve gotten to know her on a deeper level since moving in with her.
I thought I knew her as well as possible before, but now I can honestly say I know her better than I know myself, just like she probably knows me better than I know myself.
I know what every little twitch of her eyebrows, twinge of red on her cheek, every pull of her shirt, and every hairstyle means now.
The thing is, I don’t think she realizes just how much I know and notice about her.
I know she’s worried, but I also know that sometimes she likes to be alone in her thoughts when she’s trying to figure something out, so not wanting to push my wants on her, I didn’t say a thing when I got home without a cane.
Three Days Ago
I have a surprise for you.
Please tell me it’s not another dog.
Over the last week or so, I’ve been telling her that Gigi needs a little sister. I went as far as reactivating my Facebook to join a few dachshund groups, and have been sending her puppy pictures nonstop. I’ve even threatened to just come home with one—anything to get her to roll her eyes at me.
You’ll have to get home and see.
Liam
It’s not a dog. One day it will be, but not today. Today, I’m a free man. No more cane, no walking aid at all. I can officially walk on my own.
I thought I’d never get here. At one point, I honestly thought I’d have a cane for the rest of my days. But I guess Will’s water therapy worked. Can I run a marathon? No. Can I walk more than seventy-five meters without stopping? No. But one day, I will. One day at a time.
That’s another thing I never thought I’d be—a bright-side guy.
But lately, I get the appeal of looking on the bright side, instead of stewing in negativity.
I’ve never thought of myself as a negative guy.
Do I smile a lot? No. But that doesn’t mean I’m mean, or only think negatively.
My therapist actually agreed with me. She said I was just one of those rare people that never sees the glass half empty, but that I never see it half full either, and that maybe I should try seeing the positivity in certain things—to point them out.
Will says that my mindset change is what made us see so much progress in the last little bit of rehab.
I honestly can’t say what it’s been, I’m just happy that I can walk on my own again.
Not a sentence I ever thought I’d say. Smiling and shaking my head, I move to the kitchen to see what I can whip up for supper.
It’s Sloane’s busy day today. She left for the university at seven forty-five to be on time to teach her three-hour-long, nine o’clock class, then she has a short break for lunch, office hours in the afternoon, and a short one-and-a-half-hour class from four to five thirty.
It’s noon right now, so I have time to place a delivery order if need be. I’d make her a lasagna again, but she asked for it last week and I made it then. I can’t make it two weeks in a row.
I’ll call Summer and ask for her opinion. After our call before Christmas, I’ve been making an effort to reach out to her more often. I even sent her a house warming present when she moved into her apartment in Calgary.
Pulling up our text conversation, I press call. A few rings later, a man answers.
“Yeah?”
That I was not expecting. “Who is this?” I ask.
“Chase. Who is this?” he asks right back.
I ignore his question. “Where’s Summer? And why are you answering her phone?” I ask. My sister is notorious for not letting anyone near her phone, much less answer it for her.
“Because I can,” he answers in a sharp tone. “Who is this?” he repeats.
“Liam, her older brother. Now, put Summer on the phone,” I say in my own tone. Who the hell does this guy think he is?
“Oh shit,” I hear him mumble.
Then another male voice says, “She’s going to be pissed you answered her phone. You know how she is. Who is it anyways?”
“Her older brother,” the Chase guy tells him, making the second guy laugh.
What the hell is going on? Clearly I need to talk to her even more than I have in the last few weeks.
Finally, after what feels like a month but is just a few seconds, Summer answers the phone as if none of this is weird.
“Hey, Liam,” she says casually.
“Summer, who are tho—” I start.
“Levi’s friends. They live next door to me, and just helped me bring in some groceries,” she cuts me off nervously.
She’s lying. We might not be the closest siblings, but I know when all of my siblings are lying, and she is definitely hiding something.
But she’s a grown-ass woman and can have all the secrets she wants.
God knows I haven’t told Ronan I’m fucking his sister at every available opportunity.
“Sure,” I say, not believing a single word that left her mouth. “Anyway, I need your help. I want to make Sloane dinner again, but I don’t know what to make. What do you suggest?”
I can hear her release a breath on the other side of the phone in relief that I’m not pushing the topic of who those two men are. “Are you celebrating anything, or just because?” she asks.
“I guess you could say celebrating. I’m officially walking on my own—no more cane,” I tell her.
“Oh my God! That’s amazing, Liam! I knew you’d get there!
That’s so exciting! Does that mean you guys are gonna come visit me soon?
” she asks a mile a minute. I had promised her that when we had some time we’d come to Calgary to spend time with her, Levi, and Hannah.
I haven’t met Hannah’s new boyfriend Ian, yet.
I talked to him real quick on video, but that’s it.
Even through the phone I could tell he was a better guy than her ex-husband, Lucas.
“If you tell me what I can make Sloane for dinner, yes,” I tease her.
“Well, you’ve already made her lasagna and she made you mac and cheese . . . how about just a basic chicken with roasted potatoes and a salad. If she’s had a long day that’s always a nice meal. Plus, it’ll make the house smell good,” she suggests.
“Yeah, that could work,” I agree.
“Then do that. Listen, I gotta go, but we need to make actual plans for you to come visit, okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll talk to Sloane,” I tell her.
“Perfect. Love you, bye!” she quickly says before hanging up.
Oh yeah, there’s definitely something going on with her and one of those guys.
It’s just like Summer to be somewhere for two months and already stirring up something.
I pity the guy that she chooses. He’s in for one hell of an interesting life.
Shaking my head and smiling at the trouble I know Summer can create, I grab my phone and place an order for dinner.
By the time Sloane gets home at six, dinner is ready to be served and I even washed the sheets, knowing she loves nothing more than clean sheets after a long day.
She’s all smiles when she walks through the door, coming right up to me to wrap her arms around my neck and plant a kiss on my mouth. “Hey! Smells good in here,” she says softly, still holding on to me.
“Dinner is ready,” I whisper right back, wrapping both arms around her and dropping my head to give her another kiss. “How was work?” I ask, pulling away slightly, bringing my hands to her waist and giving her a squeeze.
She pulls back from me so there’s easily a foot of space between us, but her arms are still on my shoulders and mine on her hips. “Wait, where’s your cane? Did you drop it? Are you okay?” she asks, quickly looking around to spot it.
“It’s in the closet of the room I used to use,” I inform her with a big smile.
“What do you mean?” she asks, frowning. Well that’s not the reaction I thought I was going to get from her once I told her I was a free man—no more cane. She must have had a long day; I hope that’s all it is.
“Will thinks I’m ready to walk on my own, and I think he’s right. Can I walk very far? No. But with time and walking little by little I should be easily walking a kilometer or almost a kilometer by mid summer!” I tell her excitedly.
“So, you’re done?” she asks, turning away from me to pick up the bags she dropped by the front door when she walked in.
“Done?” I ask, confused.
“Physio, rehab,” she clarifies.
“Oh, no, not yet. I have about two weeks left, maybe three depending on how I do without a cane. Will thinks I might be good, but he really wants to make sure I don’t pick up any weird walking habits before he passes me onto another less-trauma-based physiotherapist,” I happily explain to her.
“Oh, well that’s good, I guess,” she says in a distant tone. “Congratulations.” Her tone is forced as she walks away from me.