Chapter 24 Lincoln
LINCOLN
It’s only been a few days, but the difference Parker has made is incredible. She might be driving me to the brink of insanity, but after this, I have no doubt that I’m going to play better than ever.
“How does that feel?” she asks as I push my right knee to the floor in a butterfly stretch.
“Very much like you staring at my dick,” I quip.
“For fuck’s sake, Storm. Will you take this seriously?”
“Trust me, my career is at stake here; I couldn’t take this any more seriously if I tried.”
“Didn’t stop you from playing injured, though, did it?”
“Can we drop that now? You found me out. You’re working your magic.”
She shakes her head as I continue to bounce my knees.
“How does that feel?” she asks again, her eyes holding mine in warning.
“Perfect. You’d never know anything was wrong.” I smile at her, and her eyes narrow. I don’t think she believes me.
“Level of pain?”
“One.”
She holds my stare for three seconds before her lips twitch into the most incredible smile.
“Alright, there’s no need to be so smug.”
She drops onto her ass in front of me on the mats. It’s been just the two of us in here for an hour, and honestly, it’s been the best part of my day so far.
I love watching her work. Seeing the little frown line that appears between her brows when she’s concentrating and the small twitch of one side of her lips when something goes to plan or she discovers her therapy has had the effect she was hoping for.
But this, her smile right now...I wish I could bottle it and keep it forever.
“I’m sorry, it just…it feels really fucking good to be right.”
“And there I was thinking you’re always right.”
She shakes her head, her smile softening, but it’s no less breathtaking. “So you do listen to me occasionally.”
“I’m fixed, aren’t I, Doc?”
“Not quite, but you’re almost there.”
“You mean I still need these one-on-one sessions? Damn, not sure I’ll cope.”
“You know you enjoy them.”
Yeah, I do.
“I know you haven’t exactly enjoyed the start of my time here, but…”
“But what?” I ask when she trails off, not finishing her thought.
“Thank you.”
“I haven’t done anything other than be pissed off.”
She laughs. “I can handle that. I just…I needed this win. I know it’s only been a few days, and most people have been so welcoming and supportive, but I’m aware that not everyone thinks I deserve my place here.
But this…spotting your injury and having the chance to work with you and prove myself right? Well…it helps.”
As she speaks, my frown gets deeper, and anger begins to simmer inside me.
“Who’s said something?” I ask.
“It’s nothing,” she says, trying to brush her comment under the carpet.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m just aware that I’m a young woman in a man’s world. I want to prove my place, and this…you’ve helped.”
“You’re welcome. Maybe it was worth missing two games.”
“You know I was right.”
“Just so you know, I’ve never doubted you. We’re lucky to have you working with us, and if anyone, I don’t care how high up their position is, says anything that makes you question your position or your worth, you tell me.”
“Linc,” I warn.
“I’m serious, little P. You deserve this. You’ve worked your ass off, and you’re better than any other trainer I’ve ever worked with.”
“It’s been four days.”
“Yeah,” I muse, but honestly, she’s been taking care of me for much longer than that. From the day she decided to focus on becoming an athletic trainer, she’s been there in the background asking questions, practicing her technique, and soaking up as much information as she could.
It’s been an honor to watch her excel in her field. I never had any doubt that she’d make it. She was destined for this, and I can’t wait to see how far she goes.
“You’re going to get us to the Cup finals this year, Donnelly.”
“Shut up. You guys are going to do that.”
“We can’t if we’re injured,” I counter.
She smiles again, her eyes dropping to her lap. “It’s going to be a great second half of the season.”
“It is.”
Silence falls between us. Only our breaths and the distant whirr of the air conditioning can be heard as we lose ourselves in our thoughts.
“Parker?”
She looks up, her eyes colliding with mine. “Yeah?”
“What are you—”
“Knock, knock, knock,” a voice booms before Monroe bounds into the room like an overexcited Labrador. “I come bearing gifts,” he says with a shit-eating grin on his face and a takeout coffee tray in his hand. “Oh shit,” he gasps when his eyes land on me. “I didn’t know you’d be here, Storm.”
“Good to see you too,” I mutter under my breath.
“I didn’t know what your poison was, so I called Casey. She told me to get a venti skinny iced latte with a caramel shot. I hope that’s right.”
“Are you fucking blushing?” I balk when his cheeks brighten.
“Fuck you, Storm. What did you bring with you, other than your shitty attitude?”
“Oh shit, someone is feeling brave.”
“Enough, you two,” Parker says as she climbs to her feet. “Thank you, Hayden. That’s really thoughtful of you.”
“Kiss ass,” I mutter, also getting to my feet.
“Ignore him. He’s leaving.”
“And I thought we were bonding there for a moment.”
“I’ve known you since I was ten. I think we’re long past that, Storm.”
“Nine.”
“W-what?”
“I’ve known you since you were nine,” I correct.
I remember the day as if it were yesterday.
Rett and I had started middle school a few weeks earlier, and he’d invited me to shoot a puck around his backyard.
And there she was. Red pigtails, freckles over her cheeks and nose, in a pair of cute-as-hell overalls.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I tripped over my own damn stick when she carried a tray of cookies and milk out for us.
I didn’t understand my reaction to her that day, or for quite a few years, but as we all grew up, it started to get a little more obvious.
That first day I saw her, I thought she was the cutest girl I’d ever seen. By the time I was fifteen and she' turned fourteen, I thought she was the hottest girl on the planet. And now, as a woman, well…fucking breathtaking.
“Right, okay.”
“You two are cute,” Marilyn states as he kicks his sneakers off and drags his long-sleeved Vipers shirt over his head. “Got romance novel written all over you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t read; I wouldn’t expect you to get it,” Marilyn deadpans.
“Hey, I can read.”
“I never said you couldn’t, just that you don’t.”
Parker giggles behind me. The sound makes the hairs on my neck rise.
“And you do?”
“My sister and I have a book club,” he explains. “Each month we take turns choosing something to read. We’ve been doing it for years.”
“That’s so cute. What are you reading at the moment?”
My eyes get wider and wider as Marilyn begins explaining the basic plot of some dark stalker romance he’s in the middle of.
Honestly, it sounds beyond fucked up, but I can’t deny that I’m curious.
“I haven’t read a book for pleasure in years,” Parker confesses.
“We’ve got plenty of flights coming up. I can give you some recommendations. We read all kinds of genres. Not just romance.”
“Have I just entered the twilight zone?” I ask.
“Ignore him. Storm is just jealous you can read an entire book. He gave up trying in sixth grade.”
“That’s not true,” I argue. “I read…” My words trail off when I realize I can’t name a single book I’ve read since leaving school. “Well, I could if I wanted.”
When both of them laugh at my expense, I shove my feet into my sneakers and drag my hoodie over my head.
“I guess I should leave you to it,” I mutter and reluctantly move toward the door Marilyn walked through a few minutes ago.
“That would be wonderful,” Marilyn says with a smirk. “It’s my time with the hot doc now.”
“Monroe,” I warn.
“Chill out, Storm. I’m just teasing. Parker knows that she’s my favorite.” He winks at her before hopping onto her table on his front.
Refusing to leave just yet, I rest my shoulder on the doorframe and watch as Parker moves around the bed and grabs her iPad from the side. She wakes it up and begins typing, oblivious to my attention.
“What are you plans tonight?”
“Well, I’m glad you asked,” Marilyn barks.
“Not you, Rookie. Parker, what are your plans for the night?”
She pauses what she’s doing and looks up.
“Oh, um…I’m busy.”
“Busy? Doing what?”
“I’m going out,” she says, continuing to skirt around the truth.
“Out where?”
“A restaurant.”
“Any one in particular?”
“I’m not sure. Jeez, what’s with the twenty questions?”
“Stop being evasive, and I’ll stop asking.”
“Fine, I’ve got a date. He hasn’t sent me the location yet.”
Fire erupts within me.
A date?
I know she’s been dabbling with online dating, but I haven’t heard about her meeting anyone in a while, so I assumed that…
Fuck.
“You need the location. That’ll help you decide if he’s worth your time,” Marilyn says.
“Who’s the guy?”
“Storm,” she warns.
“Donnelly,” I counter.
“It’s none of your business.”
“No, yeah. You’re right, it’s not. I guess I’m just being selfish because we want your whole attention on us right now.”
Marilyn twists around and stares at me with a knowing smirk on his lips.
“I appreciate the concern, but no man is going to distract me from doing my job.”
I blink at her as my brain runs away with me.
She didn’t mean that as a challenge, but damn, I really want to make it into one.
What would it take for her to break? And could I be the one to do it?
“Good to hear. Good luck with her, Monroe. Her fingers are extra probing today.”
“I can handle her,” he says confidently.
Trust me, kid. I really don’t think you can.
“I’ll see you later then.”
Parker stops typing again and glares at me.
“Tomorrow. For your appointment,” she forces out, letting me know exactly how she feels about anyone knowing we live together.
“Of course. I promise not to be late.”
“This is fun and all, but you’re holding us up,” Monroe pipes up.
“Fine. Make it hurt, Doc,” I say before giving her a salute and walking out the door.
I should walk straight to the exit and head home, but something has me lingering just a few feet away.
“Is he giving you shit?” Monroe asks.
“Of course he is. But he wouldn’t be Linc if he weren’t,” she responds, her voice light and happy.
“If it gets too much, all you’ve got to do is say.”
“That’s sweet. But you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve known Linc long enough to know how to put him in his place.”
My brows shoot up.
Is that right?
The need to accept that unspoken challenge earlier gets even stronger. So does the need to somehow intercept her date tonight.
It was bad enough that I was left wondering if she went back with that douchebag in the club the other night. I can’t sit back and watch her go out with assholes from Tinder night after night.
With my fists curled at my sides, I finally march toward the exit with ideas spinning around my head.