Danielle let out a long sigh before she tapped my shoulder. “I’m not saying that you won’t get back on the truck again. You’re progressing great, but I can’t predict the future. But there are a lot of ways to make the world a better place without pulling on the turnout gear and running into a burning building. You have so much more to offer, more than you realize.” My eyes jumped to hers at the tiny crack in her voice. “That’s where I come in, to help you get as strong as you can for whatever is in store after you walk out. And you will walk out unassisted and strong. Of that, I’ll make sure.”
I burst out laughing. “You’re cute when you go all stern therapist.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “That’s why I’m here.”
I crossed my arms and drew back in the chair. “So what made you become a therapist?”
Her lips flattened as she took a deep breath. “When I was 17, just after we moved, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemo took a big toll on her and she needed physical therapy. I’d watch her work with the therapist every day, and the more she learned how to move again, the more she’d start to light back up. The therapist was returning her life to her by taking away her helplessness. I wanted to do that.”
“You do.” I slid my hand against hers and laced our fingers together. She stiffened but didn’t pull away. “I haven’t just beenJackin a very long time. At least, it feels that way. With you, you don’t sugarcoat anything, but you give me hope, hope I honestly didn’t have when I walked in, no matter how many stories I heard about how good this place is.” I let out a nervous laugh, overcome with a flood of emotion I didn’t know how to process. “You brought me back to life, and for that I’ll always be thankful.”
“You’re welcome,” she whispered as she tried to pull her hand away. I tightened my grip until she looked at me.
“You’re more than only a therapist to me. You know that, right?”
She nodded, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. Her eyes clenched shut before squeezing my hand back. Was that a confirmation that I was more than just a patient to her? Maybe only one of us had verbalized our feelings, but they were too strong to ignore. We pretended to run into each other outside of therapy when we were really seeking each other out. She fought to keep the tough-as-nails therapist mask with everyone she interacted with, but she let it fall for me, even if only for a few moments.
“I’d better go. It’s late. I’m glad you liked the cake.” She forced a smile as she stuffed the containers back into the bag.
“I loved the cake. Give me your cell.” I held out my phone.
She froze before craning her head to me. “Why?”
“Because it’s late, and I want to make sure you get home okay. I’ll text you, and you can text me back. I promise I won’t harass you.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“But I do. I care about you, Danielle. Give me some peace of mind.”
I wiggled my phone in front of her before she grabbed it, punching in her number before handing it back to me.
“Happy?” Her eyes darted away from mine before rising from her chair.
“Very.” I stood with my crutch and grasped her hand, letting my thumb drift back and forth across her wrist. “Don’t forget, okay?”
“I won’t. See you tomorrow, Jack.” She jerked her hand away and left. I felt better but still uncertain about my future. No matter what it turned out to be, an ache grew in my gut, wanting Danielle to be a part of it.
19
PJ
“Why don’tour families have pools?” Riley asked me from where she lounged on one of the reclining porch seats. “Both our yards have no shade and no pool,” she scoffed. “We say this every August as we roast our asses off.”
“We can add it to our bucket list.”
Riley lived two houses away, and we were always in each other’s room or yard. That was, before Dylan and I got together. This was the longest we’d hung out in weeks. “When I’m a famous artist and you’re … what are you majoring in again?”
“I’m undecided. Which means I have no clue, but that’s all part of the college experience right?” She took a sip from a bottle of water. “Not everyone is a creative genius like you.”
“I’m far from a genius, Ry. I’m still figuring things out, too.”
She craned her head to me before lifting her sunglasses. “You seem to have your little secret affair across the street figured out though, right?”
“It won’t be secret for long. We just … haven’t found the right time.”
“I’m sure all that sexy time gets in the way.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Not that you’re very forthcoming with details.”
“Maybe I want to keep things to myself.” And not reiterate how I throw myself at my boyfriend on an almost nightly basis, and he shuts me down at third base.
