Not again.
Sixteen
KNOX
Jaxon grumbles about having the entire day off. Hope scolds him whenever he sits, saying he should be lying down or standing. Then she insists on applying heat, thenice. Absolutely no massages, no matter how much Jaxon begs for one.
He’s getting incorrigible.
Dimitri and Hope go out to get something for Jaxon, but I also think that Dimitri just wants to get out of the house with her. I shoot Jaxon a look where he’s lying on the couch, on his good side, watching the game.
He snorts. “I should have finished it.”
“According to Hope, that’s a resounding no,” I say evenly.
“Yeah well, what does she know about determination?”
“She knows that you’ll keep going until you ruin any options for the future,” I grunt, then walk over and offer him a beer. He looks at it, then to the door. I roll my eyes. “It’s not hard liquor. You took your pills three hours ago. Hope’s not here.”
Sighing, he takes it and guzzles it. A groan leaves his throat as he sets it back on the table. “Coach is really worried about you. He’s been talking about a meeting tomorrow.”
“Great. Want to place bets on how long I’ll be benched?” he sneers.
“I’d rather—”
His phone goes off. He picks it up and I see a familiar flash in his eyes. He wants it to be Hope. Based on the confusion, then the twist of rage on his face, it’s not. I clear my throat. “We gonna talk about that?”
“Talking about nothing is an empty conversation. I don’t see much point in it,” he says with a shrug, then exhales. “A double whammy. Concussion and back strain.”
“We could just wrap you in a suit of armor with a stick shoved all the way up your ass, then see if you can play,” I offer.
He flicks me off.
“Ah, you’re right. You’ll have to be in bubble wrap too or Hope won’t allow it,” I chuckle.
Jaxon groans. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“Maybe you should make Hope convince you to lie down… by having her straddle you.”
His eyes are on me in a second. “If she had to tie us down just to touch us and could barely handle that, what makes you think she’s ready for sex?”
“She’s stuck in her head, Jax. I know you see it as much as I do. We tried a therapist, but she needs something to get her in the present, something to prove that we’re not…”
That we’re not Coach. That we’re not going to force her.
Jaxon’s eyes darken. “There’s no way to forget the past, Knox. It’s part of what makes us who we are. We’re lucky she wants us here at all.”
“That’s real dismal coming from you. Should we talk about—”
“Nah. I’d like to drink and watch the game. Actually take a day off, I guess.”
“To wallow?”
He shoots me a glare, the bottle halfway to his lips. “To exist, actually. If that’s fine with you. Since apparently, I need your permission.”
I hold my hands up defensively. Apparently Jax is having one of those days. Maybe it’s just ahimthing. He’s gotta deal with being injured. Plenty of us have been there, plenty of us are terrified of it ruining our fucking careers.
Luckily, we have Hope to help take care of things.
