Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“ I hate you,” Antony gasped, leaning over in his chair and sucking in great gulps of air.
Riley was starting to get really good at ignoring how words like that hurt, instead she put her hands on her hips and smirked, praying he didn’t see through the facade. “I told you you were making me public enemy number one. You still agreed to it.”
“I take it back.” Antony sat straight, his sweaty hair sticking to his forehead as he glared at her. “I don’t want to do the race any more.”
Riley raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. “Fine. You can be a quitter.” She shrugged one shoulder. “No one will blame you, after all. I’m sure they’ll?—”
Antony growled and pushed his chair forward a little more. “Stop talking smack. We both know you won’t let me quit.”
“I think we both know that’s not true,” Riley said, sticking her nose in the air. “You won’t let yourself quit. There’s a difference.”
Antony grunted and glared sideways at her before lifting his head and shifting his shoulders. “You’re a hard taskmaster.”
“You were warned.” Riley had to work hard to hide her smile. Antony probably really did hate her, and that hurt, but she was also having fun.
How the two of those things were possible was anyone’s guess, but here she was.
Sighing, he shoved his hair back. “What now?”
“Now we cool down.” Riley spun on her heel and began walking back toward the house.
“We only went a mile!” Antony shouted from behind her.
“Half mile,” she corrected. She kept her pace slow until he caught up, nearly taking out her ankle. Riley had to stiffen her limbs to keep from side stepping into Griffin.
“The race is a 5k,” Antony grumbled.
“And you’re still getting your strength back,” Riley reminded him. Whatever he was grumbling under his breath was definitely not for Riley’s ears. She allowed herself to grin. It was better than crying, after all.
“I need to go farther,” Antony complained.
“You need to work your way up,” Riley argued back. She turned her head as they walked. “You’ve still got several weeks, Tone. You’re not just starting from ground zero. You’re starting from serious injury. Our goal in this race is simply to reach the finish line, not to move like the wind.”
Antony glared up at her again. “Wheels are faster than legs.”
“They can be,” Riley agreed. “But your arms have to be able to keep up.”
He grumbled again. “My arms are fine.”
Nothing could have stopped Riley from examining said arms. They were fine. They’d always been fine. Fine wasn’t even enough of a word. Antony had started lifting weights as soon as he was considered old enough, and his biceps showed his dedication. Even since the injury, he’s stayed fairly broad. His arms were getting used for a lot more than usual, and it had obviously helped him avoid losing too much bulk.
But bulk was different from endurance, and while Antony needed strength, he also needed to last. Right now, he simply didn’t have the stamina.
“You’re blushing.”
Riley’s gaze snapped to his, and heat immediately infused her cheeks. “What? No I’m not.”
Antony grinned. “Then why are your cheeks red? And why were your eyes on my biceps?”
Riley’s head snapped forward so fast she nearly made herself dizzy. “We just finished running,” she snapped. “Of course my cheeks are red. It’s hot out here, and I’ve been exercising.”
“Uh, huh…” He definitely didn’t believe her. “And the staring?”
“I was zoning out. I didn’t know where my eyes were.” Why did lies taste so bad? Like fermented lemon juice. Riley had to keep from making a face at the obvious fib. Antony might be a whiny jerk right now, but he definitely wasn’t stupid. Which was a pity at the moment.
“Hmm…” He hummed under his breath, but didn’t push the issue and Riley was so grateful she could have kissed him.
She could have kissed him, anyway. The smirk he was sporting right now just made his masculine face all the more attractive, which was ridiculous. Though…it might have been funny to see how he’d react if she did lean over and plant one on him.
Riley shook her head. She wasn’t allowed to go there. She was Chief Meanie. He was Wounded Hero. She needed to keep this a strictly professional relationship. It was the only way she could come out of it with her heart intact.
That nasty lemon taste hit her again.
The truth was, there was no way to come out of this with her heart intact. She’d given it up long ago, and the more she helped him, the more she fell.
Her future was growing more bleak by the second.
“You know…”
Riley looked over.
“I think maybe I’m getting sore.” Antony frowned and rolled one of his shoulders. “I’ll let you massage them if you can take out the garbage.”
Riley narrowed her eyes and punched the very shoulder he was referring to.
“Hey!” Antony laughed. “We need to work on your massage skills.”
“I’m not your personal slave,” Riley retorted. “You’ll let me massage them? And take out the garbage?” She clasped her hands under her chin. “Oh, Antony! What a wonderful suggestion! If only there was some airhead here who would fall for such a thing!”
“You’re the one who said you’d only train me if you also got to clean.” He sniffed. “I thought I was just speaking your language. It’s not like it’s my fault you’re so bad at making deals.”
“The deal was to teach you how to clean. Not for me to do it forever.” She poked his shoulder, wanting to touch it again and having a good excuse. “And the race is because I’m excited for you. I love that you want to get out and do something. My mom always said that movement is medicine.” She held her arms out to the side. “And gorgeous scenery like this makes it even better.”
Antony chuckled. “And what about the company? Don’t you think it’s pretty amazing?”
Riley put a hand to her chest. “I thought you’d never say something!” Leaning to the right, she scratched Griffin’s head. “Who’s a good boy, hm? You’re the best boy in the whole world!” Riley made her voice extra high on purpose, hoping it would irk Antony.
“Ahem,” Antony said louder than normal. “I think you missed the point.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Riley stopped walking and got down on one knee, wrapping her arms around Griffin before giving him a kiss on top of his head. “You’re amazing,” she gushed. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Standing back up, she smiled at Antony. “Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes we miss the most important people in our lives.”
How stupid was it that Antony was feeling an intense burst of jealousy? Watching Riley pet and gush over Griffin had Antony wanting the same attention.
It had been fun for a few minutes. The teasing, the laughing, the light flirting, but now? Now he wanted to send Griffin to the pound and take all of Riley’s attention for himself.
“Idiot,” he whispered under his breath.
“What was that?” Riley’s look was a little too innocent to be believed.
“Nothing.” He gave her a mocking smile in return. “I was just thinking how we should go for another half mile. But maybe Griffin isn’t up for that.” Never, ever, ever would he admit that his arms were on fire. Riley wasn’t kidding when she’d said he would need to work his way up in endurance. The skin on his burned hand was screaming for relief, but Antony would go to his grave with that piece of information.
He needed freedom, and this race was the first glimpse he’d had in a long time.
Riley looked far from impressed. “You think Griff is the problem?”
Antony tilted his head. “Why did you pick the name Griffin?”
Riley’s footsteps faltered for a split second. “Well, that was a big change in topic.”
Antony shrugged. “I’m serious. It’s a good name. I actually like it, but it just seems really…grand. Like masculine and strong.”
Riley smirked. “Are you saying the dog doesn’t match the name?”
“He’s not exactly a boxer or rottweiler, is he?”
“Don’t listen to him,” Riley cooed to their companion.
“So?” Antony pushed when she didn’t give him a real answer.
Riley pushed out a breath. “I, uh…was looking for names with meaning.”
“And what does Griffin mean?” Now, he was really curious. The question had been thrown out in fun, but the longer Riley stalled the more Antony wanted to know.
She glanced at him sideways, then put her focus back on the sidewalk. “Griffin means survivor.” Immediately after answering, Riley stepped behind the wheelchair. “Give your arms a rest. I got this.”
Not having a good response at the moment, Antony dropped his aching arms to his lap and let her take over.
How did this bright eyed blonde catch him so off guard at every turn? And why couldn’t Antony keep his heart from responding?
Survivor.
Had she been thinking of the puppy? Or the man?
Antony looked down at his hands, red and blistered from the workout. Did it really matter who she was thinking of? Survivor was an apt description for them both. Antony wasn’t thriving, he wasn’t truly living, but he was surviving.
Still, he wanted more.
He wanted the air in his hair and the breeze on his face. He wanted the ability to maneuver through life without causing stares and whispers. He wanted to be useful and serve, like he used to…and he wanted companionship. Not pity, not charity, and not just friendship.
He wanted someone who wanted to be with him. Who didn’t care about his puckered skin and his shaky leg. Who never made him feel looked down on and appreciated what he could contribute to their relationship.
Antony clenched his hands closed, squeezing the fiery red skin and stretching the scars on his knuckles.
The problem was, he didn’t have anything to offer in return. He was being pushed by a young woman because his arms were overworked. He had no marketable skills. He couldn’t control his temper, and more times than not, he made the females around him cry.
Who in the world would ever be willing to take on someone so broken they didn’t even recognize themselves ?
“There’s steam coming out of your ears,” Riley teased, her voice much lighter than a few moments before.
“At least we know there’s a brain in there somewhere,” Antony muttered.
“Eh, none of that now.” Riley turned them into the driveway and hefted Antony toward the gate. “The time for self pity is over, Tone. You’ve had enough of it. This race is you moving on. Don’t let one rough practice stop your progress.”
“What progress?” he grumbled.
“Looks like we need to get you some gloves.” Riley tsked her tongue and set the brake on the chair before opening the gate and coming back for him. “Do you think we could train Griffin to tug on that cord?” She laughed. “That might be the most helpful thing he could do for us.”
Antony huffed, but his lips twitched. “How do you do it?”
Riley didn’t answer him right away, and Antony immediately wished he hadn’t spoken the question out loud. Maybe if he was lucky, Riley would spill him on the sidewalk, and he’d hit his head, fall into a coma and by the time he came out of it, she would have forgotten he asked in the first place.
When they made their way safely into the apartment, Antony had to curse his rotten luck.
How many times was he going to make a fool of himself in front of this woman? It was a good thing she’d made it clear there wasn’t anything between them because Antony had bared his soul to her more than once already and for a man who had always been the strong one, it rankled.
“I don’t,” she said finally, almost too soft for him to hear.
“Don’t what?” Antony twisted in his seat so he could look at her face, which was unusually solemn.
“Hang on.” Riley parked him in the middle of the open space and headed toward the bathroom, coming back with a first aid kit.
“Where did that come from?” Antony blurted. He definitely hadn’t brought it to the apartment .
Riley chuckled. “You’re not the only one who does grocery shopping.”
He rolled his eyes when she pulled a chair out in front of him. “Don’t, Ri.”
Shaking her head, she sat down and popped the case open. “We need you to heal quickly, Soldier. Letting your hands sit raw for several days will put us behind in our training.”
When she gently lifted his left hand, Antony gave a token tug, but the feel of her cool fingers was too much to fight and he let her have her way.
Riley tsked her tongue as she slowly wiped his palm with a disinfectant wipe. “You should have said something,” she lightly scolded.
Did she sound slightly breathless? Or was that just Antony’s overactive imagination?
He shook his head. “What do you mean ‘you don’t?’” he pressed, referring back to what she’d said so quietly a moment ago.
Riley’s shoulders drooped. “I’m not always happy.” She glanced at him from under her lashes. “I have bad days too.”
“You don’t act like it.”
Riley shrugged one shoulder, then finished her wrap and reached for his other hand.
This time Antony did pull back. “I can do it.”
Riley’s head came up and she pinned him in place. “Antony Harrison,” she said in a fierce tone. “If you think you’re going to pull back from me just because of a few scars, you are an idiot, and I’ve never, ever taken you for one.”
His breathing was too fast and his heart was trying to jump outside of his chest. “It’s my hand.”
“And I’m the one wrapping it for you.” She reached again, this time managing to grip his wrist, but he held tight, not letting her bring the hand to her lap. After a momentary stare down, Riley’s face softened, and a shiver rocked his spine. “How many times do I have to say it, soldier?” she whispered thickly. “You’re wonderful. You’re handsome. A few lines in your skin don’t change that. And they certainly won’t drive away the right people from being close to you.”
Like the invisible band snapping from his lungs when Antony had first tried “running” in his chair, something broke at her words. Those dang butterflies he had first associated with the pretty woman in front of him had once again turned into a herd of stomping elephants, completely wild and untamed. It was far too powerful to control or to ignore.
No more words were spoken as she slowly pulled his hand out from his side and gently tended to his injuries.
Antony did his best to hide his reaction to her touch, but any idiot could have seen it. He was trembling, barely able to stay upright or keep from reaching for her. But when his hand was wrapped and she brought it up to leave a light kiss on the back of the bandages, Antony nearly jumped out of his seat.
“Thank you,” Riley whispered, her misty gaze meeting his. She ran her finger over the back of his hand and slightly up his arm. “These scars? You have them because of us…because of me. Because you cared enough to keep us safe.” She looked at him again, tears turning into determination. “You gave enough, Antony. And I want you to know that I’m grateful.”