Kent laughed softly. “No. He and I had our issues, but that was all on me. We’re better now, and he’s amazing. You just have to be patient and let people be amazing. And remind yourself that it’s not pity. It’s kindness.”
“Always?”
He huffed. “Maybe not always. Some people do suck. But the good ones don’t.”
“Or they do, but in a way we don’t mind.”
Kent blinked, then burst into laughter. “You’re way more fun than your brother.”
I couldn’t help a smile. “Thanks. Now…about that yoga class?”
Kent carefully climbed to his feet, then walked across the room and pulled a small tri-fold pamphlet off his desk. “The accessible classes are on Wednesdays and Sundays. There are two teachers who are both disabled, and all you have to do is let them know your limits. And,” he said, pointing his finger at me, “youhave to respect your limits. I don’t want your ass limping in here next Friday because you fucked up.”
I flushed because, yeah, that did sound a bit like me. I took the pamphlet and opened it, scanning the text in the middle. There were accommodations made for people with mobility issues, vertigo, and people who were blind or had low vision. They even had an ASL interpreter on call for anyone who needed it.
I immediately thought about Dax and wondered if he was into yoga. He was a mechanic, so chances were low, but asking wasn’t the worst thing. And maybe having something to do outside of the home with someone who wasn’t involved in this very tight-knit group of people would help me feel a little better.
Maybe then, I could fix whatever felt broken between Nash and me.
“Thanks for this,” I told him softly.
Kent grinned and offered me my cane, then a hand up. I was still wobbly and walking pigeon-footed, but it wasn’t as bad as last week, so I was going to call it progress.
“Let me know how you like it,” he said as we headed for the locker room so I could change out of my sweaty PT clothes.
“I will. And thanks for the talk. I think I needed to hear it from someone who’s been there.” I hesitated, then said, “But can you also not mention any of this to Creek?”
Kent frowned. “Like the insecurity stuff?”
I swallowed heavily. “The fact that I’m here. He…he doesn’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out how to tell him without him freaking out.”
Kent’s eyes went wide. “Yeah. Your secret’s safe with me. But speaking as someone who’s been through it, you should tell him soon. No good can come from lying for too long.”
Yeah. Or at all, I knew. But I was already in it this fucking deep. I could stretch this out just a little bit longer.
Nash was just getting home the following Wednesday when Dax pulled up to the curb in his very loud car. I watched through the window as Nash got out and walked over, signing quickly to Dax, who responded at a slower speed than he used with his Deaf friends.
Nash was working hard at ASL for Tameron, but I knew from firsthand experience that it wasn’t the easiest language to become fluent in if he didn’t use it every day.
Still, Dax was patient and kind.
I couldn’t make out what they were saying from so far away, but I had a feeling Dax was telling him about yoga because Nash’s gaze immediately snapped toward the house. I ducked down and nearly lost my balance, but I caught myself on the edge of the couch as I backed away from the window, then went for my shoes.
I hadn’t told him about the class, but mostly because he hadn’t asked me anything other than how I was feeling before turning on a TV show or pulling up a book on his Kindle. I was a little hurt by the way he was shutting me out without completely shutting me out, but I was used to that kind of thing.
Grabbing my cane, I opened the door just as Nash was coming up the walkway, and he gave me a look, eyebrows raised. Dax was leaning against his car, looking a little nervous, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Nash had said to him.
“Heading out?”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip and attempted to step past him, but my legs decided to spasm at that moment, and if it hadn’t been for his impossibly strong arms catching me, I would have eaten shit right there on the walkway. “Fuck.”
“Hey. I’ve got you,” he murmured, helping me back up. He kept holding me as my legs acted like they were full of jelly, and for a moment, I wanted to turn around and go back inside.
But I thought about what Kent had said. How I needed to prove to myself that I could do it, so then I could prove it to everyone else. So I held him for a moment, willing my brain to calm down and my legs to go steady.
“I’m all right,” I said after a few moments. Nash let me go, but I could tell he was hesitant. “I’ll see you later.”
“Will you be back for dinner?”
