"What does he need?" I asked.
"Rest, fluids,and regular meals. Those ribs will be sore for a while, but they'll heal on their own if he doesn't do anything stupid, faster if they're just bruised." She gave me a stern look. "That means no heavy lifting, no sudden movements, and definitely no more sleeping on concrete floors."
"I'll make sure," I said.
Nancy raised an eyebrow at me. "Will you now? And how long exactly are you planning to play nursemaid, Cole Armstrong?" I didn't have an answer for that. I hadn't thought past getting him somewhere safe.
"Right," she said, clearly reading my expression. "Well, call me if his breathing gets worse or if he starts vomiting. Any confusion, lack of awareness, call 911 immediately. Otherwise, he just needs time." She handed me a small bottle of pills. "Painkillers. Two every six hours, with food." She gathered her things and headed for the door, pausing to look back at me. "Whatever this is about, Cole, be careful. You've got a season to think about."
After she left, Ricky let himself out of the bedroom. "I should probably get back," he said.Great, I thought. It was just going to be me and Phoenix and a million questions I didn’t have answers for.
And not because I didn’t want to answer, but because I didn’t trust anyone with my truth.
Chapter six
Odd-Man Rush - An offensive rush where attackers outnumber defenders.
Phoenix
Four days after the beating I was crawling back to life: bruises shifting from red to purple, every inhale a lesson not to breathe at first, but by day four, I could breathe without it hurting just fine, and my lip was healed. Nancy’s soup—duty-bound by Cole’s hand, arriving every few hours in the first two days—was patching the hollows in my belly, but I hated it. Not the soup, but comfort was a trap, and I was starting to sink in it. I needed to leave.
I watched him in his immaculate kitchen—coffee brewing for him, weak tea for me because caffeine felt like hammers in my skull. He hovered with the careful devotion of someone tending a shattered bird, and his kindness was a vise around my throat. Ricky had been on babysitting duty when Cole had a game, but to be honest, at first, I was too much in pain to care. “You don’t have to do this,” I croaked, voice gravelly but stronger than before.
He lifted his eyes from the kettle. “Do what?”
“Play nursemaid. I’m fine.”
His jaw firmed, and something stirred inside me. Something very inconvenient. I must be getting better for my body to show some interest in anything other than shelter and food.
“Nancy said—”
“Nancy said rest and regular meals. Not a babysitter.” My words cut clean and sharp like Cole’s blades on the ice.
He poured the hot water over my tea bag. “I’ve got training then a meeting in an hour. Want me to call Ricky to stay with you?”
My chest flattened. He was ignoring me. “Call Ricky? What am I, five?”
He set the mug down so hard the porcelain rattled. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Isn’t it?” I pushed myself up despite the protest of fractured ribs. “Poor little Phoenix can’t be left alone in the fancy apartment. Might steal something or break your precious minimalist aesthetic.”
His accent sharpened with irritation. “Where’s this coming from? I’m trying to be considerate.”
“Considerate?” I laughed, bitter and raw. “Your good deed for the year?”
He stared at me like I’d sprouted claws. “I pulled you out of that warehouse. You were half-dead.”
“And now you expect my gratitude.” The words caught in my throat like poison. “Kneel and thank the rich boy for rescuing street trash.”
His face stilled. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Tell the truth?” My voice rose, ragged. “This is a guilt project, isn’t it? Makes you sleep better with your millions, saving a broken homeless guy.” He shook his head. “You’re being an arse.”
“Am I?” I swept my arm at his sterile living room. “What happens when the novelty fades? You’ll toss me back the moment I’m inconvenient.”
His eyes flashed. “Like you tossed yourself into my bed with that camera?”
The accusationslammed into me, and I burned with shame. “There it is.” We’d been dancing around this for four days, and I knew the reckoning was coming. It was almost a relief.
