CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LEVI
My eyes open slowly, my head feeling heavy from… honestly, I don’t know what from. My mind snaps, bringing me back to last night. The fair, the games, the Ferris wheel. The confessions.
I wipe a hand down my face. Fuck. I said way too much. I couldn’t stop myself. It just kept spilling out of me. Something in me willed me to let this girl see all of me. I can’t remember the last time – if ever – that I let someone in like that. To see that much of me.
I feel so bare. Vulnerable. It’s a feeling that I’m not used to.
And she just listened. I didn’t sense one ounce of judgement coming from her which was refreshing.
Last night could have gone so wrong, but instead it brought us to a… truce of some sort. It’s brought us closer.
That thought alone is as intriguing as it is terrifying.
I shift to sit up, wincing when my shoulder protests. I roll it over gently to try to loosen it. Fuck, I must’ve slept badly on it – just my luck.
The dull throb serves as a reminder of all I have to lose if I fuck things up with Scarlett.
I grab a shirt out of my drawer, tugging it on carefully before padding into the hallway.
The second that I open my door, I pause. Because Scarlett just so happens to be coming out of her room at the same time.
She looks up, stopping in her tracks as well, pulling that plump lip between her teeth. Fuck, I wish she would stop doing that.
I break the silence. “Morning.” I say, my voice still gruff from sleep.
She pulls at the hem of her light grey sweater, seeming antsy. Like she’s just as uncomfortable with the vulnerability as I am.
“Good morning.” She whispers, a small smile gracing her lips.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask as we move out into the hallway to go downstairs.
“Just fine, Carter. Yourself?” She says mid-yawn, still waking up as we get to the kitchen.
I shrug. “Not bad.”
She nods before gesturing to my shoulder. “And how’s the arm?”
“Getting better every day, Doc.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “I’m not a Doctor, Levi. Be honest with me.” She pins me with a look that gives me no choice but to obey her.
God, she’s hot when she’s bossy.
“It’s feeling tender at the moment, but definitely not as bad as it was a few weeks ago.” I grumble as I go to fix myself a bowl of cereal for a quick breakfast.
She narrows her eyes as she contemplates me before she relents, obviously making up her mind that I’m telling the truth.
“Alright. We’ll keep it light during your session today.” She says as she grabs a juice out of the fridge.
“No need, Quinn. Just do what you normally do. That’s been working so far.” I say through a mouthful of cereal.
“High praise coming from you, Carter.” She smirks at me, before it flattens, and she raises her eyebrows at me. “What did I say about talking with your mouth full, though?”
Rolling my eyes, I swallow my food before speaking this time. “What time should I meet you in the Pilates room?”
“Eleven. Don’t be late, Carter.” She says as she saunters off, my gaze tracking her perfect ass in those black leggings as she makes her way up the stairs. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought.
…
It’s a couple of hours later, and I’m now sitting on the bed of the reformer watching Scarlett as she moves swiftly around the room to set the diffuser and music.
‘S&M’ by Rihanna starts to pour out of the speakers.
“Alright, let’s go, Carter.” She nods her head at me. “Kneeling, face toward the footbar.”
I get into the position she requested before awaiting my next instruction.
“Good.” She whispers, brushing her fingers across the back of my neck making me jolt at the touch. “Now we grab these straps from behind.”
I take the straps off the posts and into my hands.
“Sit tall.” She commands. I straighten up as she places her hand on my bad shoulder to adjust it. Fuck, her touch is so distracting. It feels so good. It makes me forget why we are even here in the first place.
“I’m trying.” I grit out.
“Not hard enough, Levi. Loosen your body. Work with me here.” Scarlett’s hand digs into my shoulder more forcefully.
“Careful, Scarlett.” I snap. “I’m still injured, you know.”
“Stop fighting me on it then.” She grumbles back.
“I’m trying, but your touch is distracting me.” I mumble, shrugging her off a bit.
It takes her a second to grasp what I am saying. Once she does, she takes a step back. “Oh– I’m so sorry.”
I release the breath I didn’t even know I was holding before sitting up nice and tall, rolling my shoulders down away from my ears.
She nods slightly before instructing me into my first movement. “Core on, Levi.” I repeat the mantra in my head. Inhale. Exhale. Belly button to spine.
“Inhale to prepare. Then exhale as you sweep your arms forward so that your hands come up in line with your shoulder. Keep those arms nice and straight.” I do as I’m told, feeling my shoulder twinge, protesting slightly at the tension of the spring.
But I can feel it getting slightly better, slightly easier each session.
Her hand slides under my tricep to help support my arm, her skin feeling too warm against mine. “Good, Levi. Now control as we come back down.”
I keep my pace slow as I bring my arm back down by my side.
“Next rep, now.”
Inhale to prepare. Exhale and sweep my arm up.
Easy enough, right? Only, not so much.
My shoulder spasms halfway through this rep, my arm giving out swinging back down by my side, the strap snapping off my hand.
My opposite hand instantly wraps around my shoulder, hips hinging forward, jaw clenching due to the pain.
Scarlett gasps.
“Fuck.” I grit out as she reaches out, her soft hand grazing mine to support my shoulder.
“Okay, Levi.” Her voice is soothing. “Let’s get some ice on that shoulder of yours, yeah?” Her green eyes soften as she takes me in.
She guides me downstairs, seating me on the couch before rushing off leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Every time I feel like I’m getting better and like I might be on my way to getting back on the ice, I get a brutal reminder of how devastating this injury really is for me. For my career.
Two steps forward, one step back.
I hear Scarlett’s footsteps returning, breaking me out of my spiral.
“Alright, hotshot.” She calls out as she enters the room. “Let’s get you sorted, yeah?”
I nod my head shortly.
She tilts her head at me. “Shirt off.” She commands, waving her hand.
Carefully, I pull my shirt up my torso, wincing as I start to drag it over my head while trying not to jolt my shoulder.
Wordlessly, she places the ice down and moves toward me, placing her hand over mine and softly pushing it away.
“Let me.” She murmurs, my heart skipping a beat as her one hand grabs the hem of my shirt, guiding it up over my head and the other supports my shoulder.
Her fingertips brush against my collarbone, making me tense, my muscles rippling against her touch.
It feels so good to have her this close.
I wince again as she moves my arm slightly to better guide the shirt over my head. She moves one of her hands to rest against my ribs.
“Easy, Lev. Take it easy, I’ve got you.” She says as her thumb starts to stroke my ribs in a soothing motion.
I release the breath I was holding, focusing on her touch – the one that feels way better than it should.
I smirk. “Lev, huh? That’s a first from you. You starting to like me a little, Quinn?”
Dropping my shirt to the floor, she scoffs, a soft flush creeping up her chest.
“You wish, Carter.” She says as she rolls her eyes, turning back to get the ice.
I say nothing in return as she wraps a tea towel around the ice.
“Hold still, now.” She tells me as she positions herself in front of me, my legs widening subconsciously to let her fit between them.
Placing one hand on my good shoulder, she places the ice pack against my injured joint. I flinch slightly – though, I can’t be sure whether it’s from the cold or from Scarlett’s tender touch.
“Sorry.” She whispers, as she holds the cold against my bad shoulder, her other hand stroking the length of my neck and shoulder in a comforting motion. Shivers shoot down my spine.
“No, you’re good.” I murmur back, lifting my head slightly so our eyes meet, hers flaring with something that looks like heat.
I brush my knee against her thigh making her shiver, a soft blush blooming across her cheeks.
“Levi.” She mutters, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Watch it.”
I shrug my good shoulder. “I’m not doing anything.” I mock innocence.
She rolls her eyes at me, silence encasing us as she continues to soothe me with her fingers softly stroking against my skin. In fact, she soothes me so much that I start to feel my eyes grow heavy.
I jolt awake when a shrill ring splits through the room. It takes my brain a second to catch up to where I am, realising I must have fallen asleep while Scarlett held the ice to my shoulder.
Scarlett gently guides my good arm over so that I now hold the bag of ice against my shoulder before murmuring, “Sorry, I have to take this.”
She jogs out to grab her phone, leaving me sitting alone with my thoughts icing my shoulder that just doesn’t want to heal. Great. This is exactly where I want to be right now.
I hear Scarlett’s soft voice growing closer as she walks back in. Taking her place in front of me once again, she tilts her head so she can hold her phone between her shoulder and her ear as she takes the ice from me again, giving my shoulder a quick look before holding the ice back on it.
“Okay. Yeah, I’ll watch the game. I promise.
Okay. Bye.” I narrow my eyes. Who the fuck is she talking to?
She hangs up before lifting the ice to peek at the damage.
“Not too swollen, Levi. You should be good. We’ll just have an easy stretch tomorrow when it calms down.
” She walks off to dispose of the ice leaving me sitting there to roll out and loosen up my shoulder.
Fuck. This is so painful - more mentally than physically, though.
When she returns, she pins me with a look that I wouldn't dare disobey. “Don’t you even try anything, Levi. Take it easy for the next couple of days.”
“Thank you.” I whisper, leaning back against the couch.
I hate sitting still. I hate sitting alone with my thoughts. But at this point, I don’t really have any other option. I just have to wait this out.
Though, being here with Scarlett now certainly makes that feel a lot easier.