Chapter 1 #3
The doctor was quiet for so long I wanted to shake the answer out of him.
Then he cleared his throat. “I would say with the level of tear, your age, and the fact that you play a contact sport and are already hard on your body, minimum six months for full healing, and then probably some rehab after that to see what your knee will tolerate.”
“Oh,” I whispered. It felt like a heavy weight was crushing my chest.
“But that doesn’t mean you won’t recover faster. I’ve seen athletes bounce back from a lot worse,” the doctor said. “Which is why I recommend starting treatment immediately.”
Licking my lips, I realized my whole mouth was dry, but I had no idea if I had water. I clenched my hands in the sheets and let myself feel the weight of Aravind’s fingers on the back of my wrist. “Do you think I’ll actually recover—”
“I’m not going to answer that,” the doctor interrupted. “I’m going to refer you to the ortho surgeon, who will perform the surgery and continue to see you afterward. He’ll have a much better idea than I ever could.”
The answer made me furious, even if it was fair. He didn’t want to give me false hope, and he didn’t want to scare me into thinking that my entire career was over.
“I’m going to give you a few minutes. I’ll send in the nurse with your next dose for the pain.”
“Thanks. Uh…and can I have water?”
“Ice chips only,” he said. “There’s room in the OR for you tomorrow morning. Isn’t that lucky?”
Lucky? Was this man serious?
I listened to him leave the room, then flopped back, closed my eyes, and pressed my hand over my face. “Do me a favor, eh?”
“Sure,” Aravind said, uncharacteristically quiet.
“Don’t write about this.”
He took a breath, then said, “I won’t. I wouldn’t. I don’t even want to be here right now, but my dad thinks I need to start listening to my boss, who insisted I get first dibs on your condition.”
“You don’t listen to your boss?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
Aravind snorted a laugh. “No. I kind of fucking hate the guy, but my contract with them is almost up, and I’d like him to stop screaming at me every time I walk into the office.”
I didn’t really know what to say. I knew it was his job, and I really didn’t want anyone screaming at him, but god, I didn’t want people digging around in my life right now either.
“If I give a statement, will that get your boss off your back?”
He sucked in a breath. “Maybe. But why would you do that for me?”
“Because you’re kind of a shithead, but you’re also here to hold my hand and help me during one of the worst moments of my life. I guess that means something.”
His fingers shifted back to mine, and then he turned my wrist so we were palm-to-palm. He squeezed, and god, I wanted to pull him into my arms because all I really wanted was a hug.
But that would be too far. Too much.
“What would you like to say?” he asked after a long beat.
“Are you recording?”
“Yes.”
Of course he was. I cleared my throat loudly. “I’m feeling alright. I’m nervous but very optimistic about my recovery. The doctors at this hospital are amazing at what they do, and right now, all that matters is my boys do the best they can and make both me and themselves proud.”
There was a long beat of silence, and then he said, “You’re so full of shit.”
I opened my eyes, and something about the spot where he was standing against the light, I could see him.
Like, really see him. Better than I’d ever been able to before.
And fuck, he was so pretty. He had honey-amber eyes and tawny-brown skin he liked to show off with his loose-collared, crop-top shirt.
As he leaned in a bit closer, I could make out faint purple eye shadow on his lids and a red-tinted gloss on his lips.
I’d never ever met a man like him before. I wanted to reach up and trace my fingers over his dark, shadowy facial hair that made him look even more beautiful.
But I didn’t.
He bowed his head, and a lock of dark hair fell over his forehead.
“Will you be okay if I take off?” he asked.
No, I wanted to say. Please stay. You’re the only one so far who hasn’t made all of this feel like too much.
But I couldn’t do that. That wasn’t who we were to each other.
He was just some guy I couldn’t stand who made rude comments about the fact that I could see better than some of my other teammates and didn’t give a shit when I tried to explain why he was wrong.
But now he was also the man who stayed, and that had to mean something…
Didn’t it?
“I’ll be okay.”
He sucked in a breath like he wanted to argue, but just then, the nurse walked into the room. I didn’t bother trying to look for her, but I could tell by the squeak of her shoes that she was near the bed.
“Ready for your next dose?” she asked.
Aravind’s hand slowly slipped from mine, and then he stepped out of my sightline and into the static fog that was starting to fill in all those gaps I could no longer see. I could still smell him, though, and hear the soft way his shoes tapped on the tiles as he headed for the door.
I wanted to call out after him, but the burning sensation of painkillers hit my veins, and all I could do was take a deep breath, let them do their job, and drift off into the welcome darkness.