How’s your face #3
I do not open them. Not because I do not want to speak to her. Because I already imagine what she will sound like: bright and furious, probably already threatening homicides. And I know I will enjoy it. Then I will say something I should not while painkillers are beginning to lower my judgement.
Maddy Fairfax made it clear she does not want to kiss me again. Nor speak of it again.
The thing is, everything she’s been doing in the last ten days reminds me of the freaking kiss. And those freaking shorts she’s been wearing? Fucking criminal. They make my mouth go dry and I want to run my hands on those legs while tasting her again.
Holy— The door flies open when the trainer is wrapping my ankle.
Maddy appears with Jenny behind her and a member of the event staff looking as though several rules have recently been negotiated beyond recognition.
“I told her she could have two minutes,” the staff member says.
“Four,” Maddy corrects.
“Two.”
“Three and a half. And I’ll ask for a date from Mike.”
The girl leaves before Maddy can continue bargaining.
Jenny looks at me, then at the tape around my ankle. “You alive?”
“Apparently.” I shrug and regret it immediately.
“Good.” She squeezes Maddy’s shoulder. “I’ll wait outside.”
Maddy enters fully after Jenny closes the door.
For several seconds, she says nothing.
That is how I know she was frightened. Her gaze moves over my face, ribs and ankle, checking each part as though the trainer may have overlooked a missing organ.
Finally, she folds her arms. “How are you feeling?”
I grin, satisfied. “Like we won.”
The trainer touches the wrong spot while putting on the pins. Enough that the pain tightens and my face apparently reveals something I intended to keep private.
Maddy’s mouth presses flat. “That fucker.”
“I believe the technical term is opposing player.”
“I’m considering murder.”
“Calebrie is really not worth the disciplinary hearing.”
She reaches towards my ribs.
I catch her wrist before she touches them. “Careful.”
All the humour I’ve ever witnessed in Maddy disappears. “Does it hurt badly?”
“Only when I breathe, move or encounter irritating women.”
Maddy’s eyebrows rise. “So constantly.”
The trainer finishes securing the wrap and stands.
“I need to speak to Coach. Don’t put weight on that until I’m back.”
He directs the final instruction towards me.
“He won’t.” Maddy answers instead.
“I won’t.” I nod in agreement.
Maddy turns her wrist inside my grip until our palms meet. I don’t pull away.
“Painful since you moved in.” I give her a smile despite my ribs’ objection.
“You scared me,” she says quietly.
I tighten my fingers around hers. “I’m okay.”
“You fell and didn’t get up.”
“I got up eventually.”
Her mouth twitches.
There it is. A small amount of my sunshine returns.
“You ignored my messages.”
“I was watching the end of the game.”
“There’s no screen in this room.”
“I was listening.”
Maddy squeezes my hand once, hard enough to communicate exactly what she thinks of that explanation.
“I have a meeting with Jenny and Mike,” she says. “I’m cancelling.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t asking. The proposal can wait.”
“The client is expecting you.”
“So?”
“So go.”
Maddy stares at me.
Part of me wants her to stay. A very significant part of me. But she has spent weeks building something that is finally beginning to look real, and I am not allowing a swollen ankle to become the reason she misses a deadline.
“I’m going home with Nate,” I assure her. “The trainer will wrap everything, Coach will complain and I’ll sit on the sofa being heroic.”
“You are never heroic quietly.” She looks unconvinced. A beat later. “You’ll text me?”
“I can do that.”
Maddy releases my hand slowly. I feel the absence of her fingers immediately.
She takes one step towards the door, then turns back.
“If you die, I’m telling everyone it happened because your dick offended too many people. The whole thing looked personal.”
Then, despite the ankle, ribs and genuine concern still sitting behind her eyes, I start laughing. “Nothing surprises anyone.”
“I’ll even make it sound impressive.” She declares before opening the door.
“Maddy.” I call out.
She looks back.
“Mike’s hand was on your chair.”
I blame the painkillers for releasing unsolicited sentences.
Her eyebrows rise. “Yes. And I’m also setting him up with the girl who gave me this four minutes.”
I give her a flat look. “Go to your meeting.”
Maddy’s smile grows slowly as she steps back into the corridor.
The trainer passes Maddy on his way back to the room.
He gives me his suspicious eyes. “This one yours?”
No.
Yes.
Not yet.
“She lives in my house,” I give him the correct definition.
He shrugs and gives me an ice pack for my ribs as I reach for my phone. Maddy’s unread messages fill the screen.
Maddy: that was dirtyyyyy
Maddy: Willy ur ok????
Maddy: answer me or I’m commit crimes
Maddy: I’m locating that medical room
My lips curve then immediately freeze at the trainer’s voice. “She told the girl outside that you’re engaged. You proposed last week.”
I bark out a laugh so sudden the pain in my ribs travel to my brain and pull an involuntary jerk on my leg. My ankle throbs as I read her last message before she walked through the door.
Maddy: pls be ok