25. Mia
MIA
Ow. When I woke up the next morning, my leg was throbbing, and my back hurt from sleeping flat all night. Normally, I was a side-sleeper.
Hobbling to the bathroom was hard. I leaned first on the desk, then the dresser to get there. But once I’d washed up and changed into clean clothes, I felt a little better.
There was a knock at my door when I returned to the room. “Come in,” I called, rather than walk to the door. It was Diego.
He entered, carrying a tray loaded with breakfast food. “Morning. How are you feeling?”
“Leg’s still bad. Head’s far less fuzzy.”
“That’s a start.” He looked around, still holding the tray. “Do you want this at the desk or breakfast in bed?”
I considered. Breakfast in bed sounded decadent, but the doctor had ordered bedrest. From what I remembered.
“In bed.”
Diego put the tray temporarily on the dresser and helped me get back into bed and settled. It felt strange, him touching me, but since he’d carried me yesterday, it probably shouldn’t.
He adjusted the pillows under my leg and then pulled the covers back, while I leaned against the headboard. “Good to see you’re keeping the leg elevated.”
He put the tray next to me and hovered nearby. It made me think of Aaron referring to him as a den mother the night of my welcome meeting.
But no den mother looked that damn good. While I’d seen in the mirror that I still looked pale and worn out, he was the picture of good health. Dark eyes bright and alert. Flawless tan skin. Biceps that stretched the arms of his blue t-shirt. And tight jeans that fit him well. Really, really well.
“Thanks,” I said after taking a bite of the breakfast sandwich he brought. “Is there anything else I’m supposed to do besides keep it elevated? And bedrest. Those are the only two things I remember.”
He caught me up to speed on the antibiotics schedule and when to change the bandage. “Basically, just take it easy for a few days, and you should be fine.”
“Thank you for taking me yesterday.”
He waved that away. All in a day’s work for an RA, I supposed.
“I’m just happy you’re doing better.”
I thought about asking him just how out of it I’d been yesterday, but I didn’t really want to know.
He left me to eat in peace, but I could barely finish half of it before I got sleepy. When I woke again, the tray was on the desk chair where I’d left it, but there was a big bouquet of flowers on the desk. They were beautiful, a mix of blues, yellows, and whites surrounded by lush green leaves.
I longed to find out how good they smelled, but getting out of bed at the moment seemed too hard.
There was a knock at the door, and it was Aaron again.
My head spun a little as I sat up, but not as much as last night. “Hi. Come in.”
“Hey,” he said, coming toward me. He hesitated and then leaned in, kissing me lightly on the forehead. “I came to see if you needed help flipping the mattress again.”
I laughed and then groaned. “I’m never, ever doing that again. Even when I do have two working legs.” He was still hovering, so I gestured toward the desk chair. “Have a seat.”
He moved the tray. “Diego’s famous breakfast sandwich. He doesn’t make those for just anyone, you know.”
“Only the wounded?” I asked as he sat down.
“Something like that. How are you feeling?”
I gave him the short and sweet version. The nap had helped, but I hadn’t been on the antibiotics long enough for them to make much of a difference. Then again, it was somewhat better, and I had a vague memory of getting some kind of shot yesterday at the clinic.
So maybe it was time to focus on something other than my leg. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” His smile was gentle and encouraging.
“I have to make a video presentation for my class, and mine’s going to be on helping foster kids navigate the college application process.”
“That’s a good topic. I know the process can be daunting for a lot of students.”
“Was it for you?” I asked curiously.
“No. Three of my siblings went here, so there wasn’t much doubt I’d get in.” Aaron got that somewhat embarrassed look he often had when discussing his family’s wealth and privilege.
“The thing is, instead of making the presentation myself, I’m supposed to assemble a team, so that I can get experience managing a project.”
He smiled. “So you’re looking for flunkies to boss around?”
“If you sign on early, I’d be willing to elevate you to a minion.”
He laughed. “I’m in. What do you want me to do?”
“I was thinking the voiceover. I’d write the script, and you’d just have to read and record it.”
“Me?”
“I’m fairly sure you know how to read.”
“Yeah, but…” he bent his leg, resting his ankle on his opposite knee. “My voice is pretty ordinary.”
“I don’t think it is. When your grandfather gave that beautiful speech at the anniversary party, he still had his strong public speaking voice. The kind a politician needs. And I’ve heard an echo of that in your voice a couple of times.”
“Really?” he sounded genuinely surprised.
“Yes. I think you’re kind of… growing into it. So maybe my bossing you around will help.”
He grinned. “Then by all means, sign me up.”
“I already did.” I shifted on the bed, moving my leg a few inches over. “Thank you. And thank you for the flowers, too.”
He glanced at the desk, and his face fell. “Not from me. I should’ve brought you some, though.”
Oh crap. “Sorry, I just thought…” Shit. This was embarrassing, and now I’d embarrassed him. “Is there a card?”
He examined them. “No. They smell good, though.” Perhaps to cover the awkward moment, he switched the subject. “Diego told me about the thing with your boss.”
Okay, he’d traded an awkward topic with a painful one. “Yeah, I really screwed that up.” Not that I was the best employee in the world, but I’d never made a boss cry before.
But Aaron just looked confused. “All he said was that she needed an internship over the winter break and that he thought she could ask about The Fraser.”
“The what?” That part of the conversation with Diego was coming back to me, how he’d basically just created a job for himself.
“It’s a resort way up in the mountains. Very exclusive. If she could get an internship there, I’m sure she could write her own ticket anywhere she wanted after she graduated.”
“Thanks, that’s a good idea.” I made a mental note to look up that resort and mention it to Zoe. “You make a good minion.”
He grinned. “High praise, indeed.”
I was feeling better by the next afternoon, when there was a soft tap at my door, though it was open. I looked up to see Cody.
“Hey,” I said, gesturing him in.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better, I think.”
I sat up and scooted back against the headboard, only wincing a little as I dragged my leg along the mattress.
He came in and took off his jacket. It was actually black leather, not his usual hoodie. It looked really damn good on him. Underneath it was a long-sleeved gray Henley shirt, buttons open in the front, that hugged his muscles.
“Let me help,” he said. Without any hesitation, he pulled aside the covers and repositioned the pillow under my leg.
“Like that?” he asked.
“A little higher… yes, perfect, thanks.”
He nodded and sat down in the desk chair, like he was used to being in my room. I was glad because I wanted him here.
He pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen. “Sent you something.”
I picked up my vibrating phone and opened a message with an attachment. Then my jaw dropped. “These are… are these notes from class?”
“Yep.”
“You listened in class and took notes? In chem class?”
“Yes.” He gave a half smile. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Yes,” I echoed. Wow, he’d done that for me. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”
I laughed. “And I’m betting a last time, too?”
“Unless you miss Friday’s class.”
“No, I don’t think I will. I’m feeling better. The scrape is even starting to itch a little, so I think that means it’s healing.”
“Yeah, probably, although that part’s a pain in the butt—well, pain in the leg.”
“Exactly.” I paused. “I’m glad you’re here, because there’s something I need to ask you.” His only response was a cocked eyebrow, and I flushed. “I mean, I’m glad you’re here anyway, it’s not just because?—”
“Just ask.”
Nodding, I talked to him about my project for my digital advocacy class and how I needed to assemble a team.
“Well, that’s a fucked-up assignment,” he said, when I was done explaining. He kicked off his shoes and put his feet up on the edge of the bed, his ankles crossed.
“Better than some. Remember all those stupid ones they’d give us in grade school where you had to write about your parents? I hated those. It was like the teachers had no concept that maybe some kids came from difficult backgrounds.”
“I never did those assignments.”
“I did, but I made things up—like the way I wished things were, not the way they were. Anyway, for this, I was wondering if you’d be part of my team.”
“Sure.”
“Thank you. The teacher said there are sites where you can get royalty-free music. And basically, I just need some kind of soundtrack to go under the pictures and the voiceover. It’s got to be quieter in some places and louder in other places. Could you help me with that?”
“No.”
“No?” I echoed. It was his right to say that, of course, but it still stung a little.
“I’ll make you something new for you,” he said. “As long as you’re back on Friday, I can go back to using class time to focus on music.”
That sounded amazing but also like it would take a lot of time. “But isn’t that a lot harder?”
“Not really. There are all kinds of ways you can mix the sounds in the audio lab. That kind of stuff is usually not very inspired. Just kind of your standard generic background track.”
“Won’t that be boring for you?”
“Maybe, but that’s the career I’m signing on for. Again, not many jobs for the next Beethoven.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You’ve mentioned him twice. Is he your favorite composer?”
“My favorite deaf one, yes.”
Okay… that was strange, but this was Cody. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. What’s with the smile?”
“I actually have a team. So far, it’s you and Aaron.”
“Sounds like a good team to me.”
He seemed to understand that meant something to me, and it did. I was so used to being on my own. And then I thought that Sara and I would be a team this semester. When that didn’t work out, I thought I’d be on my own again.
And now I wasn’t.
My next visitor was Jenna, with a tray of lunch. Cody nodded curtly at her and left. She gaped after him as I threw off the covers and hobbled my way over to my desk.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Were you two talking?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. You’re like the Cody Whisperer. Since the semester started, I think I’ve only had one real conversation with him. And it was a very short one.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“He’s a hot guy,” Jenna said, looking at the doorway where he had disappeared. “Is there anything going on that I should know about?”
I shrugged. “You should know I’m very grateful you brought food.”
She laughed. “All right but keep me posted or I might die of curiosity.” She eyed the beautiful flowers on my desk but didn’t ask about them. I still hadn’t figured out who brought them, but after the embarrassing moment with Aaron yesterday, I didn’t want to make assumptions and ask anyone else.
“Will do.”