“Because you know I’m always right.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth.
Why was that sexy to me? “Right in therapy. Sports teams, eh.” I cracked up at her vicious scowl. “I never got to ask, Jets or Giants?”
“Neither. Buffalo Bills,” she scoffed. “The onlyrealNew York football team.”
“Are you serious right now? There aretwoNew York teams.”
“Who play inNew Jersey. I’m big on semantics.”
“Don’t I know it,” I rasped when our gazes stumbled together again. We arrived at the back entrance, the sun beating on both of us, but it wasn’t the cause of the sweat on my brow.
My head knew I was lonely, displaced, and on the rebound. The rest of me just wanted Danielle, no matter how it complicated things. What I felt for her wasn’t fleeting or out of desperation. As much as I didn’t understand it, I couldn’t deny it.
“That’s our whole session.” Danielle dropped my arm and beamed at me. Her pride always gave me goose bumps and made me work that much harder. “Try one crutch when you can, when you feel comfortable. You did great! The end is in sight, Taylor.” She tapped my arm and headed back inside.
The end is in sight.
What if I didn’t want it to be?
16
Jack
“Jack!”My little sister squealed as she accosted me with a hug. Thankfully, using only one crutch allowed me to catch her with my other hand.
“Easy, PJ. You’ll knock peg leg right over,” Dylan teased behind her.
“I’m glad you guys came.” I ambled over to Dylan for a quick guy hug. My parents came every other week, but this was the first time I’d seen my best friend or my sister since I’d first checked in. I still wasn’t the same as I was before the fall, but at least, I wasn’t the angry asshole I’d become right after. I had a shit ton of work to do before I was even close to how I was before the accident, but it felt good to be able to walk almost unassisted. When PJ texted me upon their arrival, I left my room and met them outside.
“You look so good, Jack.” PJ’s squeaky voice croaked as she hugged my arm. “You’re walking great.” Her sweet smile twisted my gut with guilt. Even though she drove me nuts at times, I adored my sister and hated how I’d treated her and my whole family like shit after the accident.
“Getting there.” I slid my arm around her shoulders. “I have a long way to go, but if I stick at it maybe I can go back to work in a few months.”Or I can figure out what the hell else to do with my life. Here, I measured life by the tiny accomplishments I gathered each day. Thinking about life back at home gave me an uneasy, empty feeling. “There’s a bench over there; we can make the candy exchange then.” I winked at her and drew her into my side as we strode to the metal bench.
“Four bags of peanut butter M&Ms, kind of an odd request.” She dropped a plastic bag into my lap after the three of us sat down.
“It’s for a friend.” I shrugged as I grabbed the plastic bag from her hand.
“For your therapist?” Dylan’s brows shot up as he drew back on the bench. “On your feet and back in the game? Congrats, bro.”
“You’re dating your physical therapist? Are you, like, supposed to do that?” PJ grimaced as she leaned back.
“I’m not dating her, Peege, but I like her. She’s beautiful and tough, and we see each other outside therapy, too. Nothing’s happened yet, so let’s just leave it at that.”
Her lips twitched as she nudged my side. “I love that you’re back in the game, too. Fucking Marina.”
I laughed and slid my arm behind her. “Easy, killer. You don’t have to keep hating on her, baby sister.”
“Um, yeah I do. You know she had the nerve to come to the house after—”
“Yes, I know.” I quirked a brow. “I heard the whole thing. And after you threatened to tear her apart limb by limb and threw her out, I doubt she’ll ever come back.”
PJ cringed before she leaned forward. “You heard all of that?”
“I think the whole block heard all of that.” I leaned over to kiss her temple. “I’m supposed to beyourprotector, remember? Now that I’m almost on my feet, you can stand down.”
PJ and Dylan shared a cursory but tense glance after my sister stiffened in her seat. Maybe she told Dylan the secret my parents kept trying to drag out of me?
“Hey, Jack.” Jake Kinney came up to the bench on a similar solo crutch as the one I hobbled around on. He had the same issue as I did, but in spades. I was a firefighter with a few years on the job, but he was a pro-football quarterback in his prime with his entire career at stake. The life-ending feeling my injury gave me was most likely tripled in his case.
