“I’m sore as fuck.” He rotated his left shoulder, wincing.
“It’s been a few days. We should get you in the ice bath for fifteen minutes. I’ll get it started,” I said. I adjusted my thick glasses before walking a little faster toward the room.
It smelled like a locker room, which was a horrible and pleasant smell to me. Being the daughter of two semi-famous coaches meant I spent most of my time trailing my parents, and that meant lots of locker rooms. I turned the lights on and began the process of filling the large metal tubs. Players tended to takethem every other day. Fact: if you were trying to build muscle, then you should take an ice bath twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the workout.
A little mirror was placed there, andof coursethe guys looked in at it. Rumor was there would be a girl on the team next year, and it made my stomach flutter. IwishedI’d still be here when that happened. There needed to be more female representation here, and after this internship, I planned to apply for a seasonal role with the NFL. It was the easiest way to secure a full-time spot with a team, and that was the goal. That meant not screwing this up at alland being the best intern we had.
Henry could recommend as many as he wanted but made it a challenge to only choose one. I’d make sure it was me.
Fact: there were only twenty-one female athletic trainers in the NFL. I wanted to make that number twenty-two just out of spite. I watchedJust Wrightwith my mom so many times that I wanted to channel Queen Latifah and be badass.
I had both tubs filled and checked the chart to see if anyone signed up or if the coaches determined someone had to do it. Generally, the players listened and obeyed when it came to their physical health. They wanted to be on the field all the time, so preventative care was easy.
It was the concussions or injuries that slowed them down that caused them to be… sassy.
“Ready for me?” Oliver walked in, wearing black shorts that hung low on his hips. While Abe was starstruck by the talent the guys had, I had to bite my cheek sometimes when they lost their clothes.
I wasn’t a prude. I wasn’t innocent, per se, but being around hot, naked, sweaty guys wasn’t a place I was comfortable or used to. Like now. Oliver wasn’t like Luca Monroe or Brady Smith, with their large rippling muscles, but he was toned, and itreminded me that it had been months since I had any connection with a guy.
Keeping my eyes on his face because I was a professional, I smiled. “Sure am. Hop in. I’ll set the timer.”
He neared the tub and hissed as he stared at it. “It never gets easier.”
“I can spout the science about it at you if that’ll help.” I adjusted the orange bow in my hair.
“Okay, Emerson. Talk nerdy to me while I torture myself.”
I snorted, hitting go on the fifteen-minute timer as Oliver lowered himself into the tub. He released a grunt that I swore vibrated the walls. “Fact: the water is dilating the blood vessels, and cold water constricts them, creating a pumping flow that is good for inflammation.”
“It’s hard to breathe,” he gasped, squeezing his eyes closed. He gripped the side of the tub hard.
“Count to ten slowly.” I neared the tub, keeping my voice steady and my face serious. While I wasn’t a coach like my parents, I knew that bedside manner and confidence were half the battle. “You can do this, Oliver. Your body needsthis to be the best. Now, inhale with me.”
He did.
“Exhale for ten beats.” I waited, my gaze steady as he settled into the ice. His attention moved to me, and I nodded. “See? You can do hard things.”
“You’re so good at this, Ivy,” Abe said, walking into the restoration room with a shadow behind him. I kept my focus on Oliver, but the air changed around me. It felt heavier, like a static energy before a summer thunderstorm. My pulse sped up with the weight of it, but I forced myself to be immune.
Kind of like Oliver and the ice bath. I knew it was better for my soul to ignore the feeling, tonotgive in to the urge to glanceup and seewhocaused the change. I knew who it was. OfcourseI knew, but it didn’t matter.
“Twelve more minutes, Oliver. You can do this. Tell me if you need to focus on something else.”
“I want more facts,” he grunted out.
“Ivy and her facts,” Abe said, chuckling. “Callum, once you get in, I’ll start the timer.”
“Thanks.”
That deep, friendly voice hit me in the chest like a sack. Some people were born with the ability to charm with just a look or a lilt to their voice, but Callum oozed charisma in everything he did. He drew people to him with his magnetic personality and ability to make you think you were the most important thing in the world.
Until you weren’t. Then the sun stopped shining, and everything got colder. That thin layer of ice around my heart only strengthened in the three weeks since I’d been with the football team, and our interactions had been limited.
But this was the first time I had to be with him in a room for fifteen minutes.
My smart watch buzzed, alerting me my pulse was higher than normal, and I wanted to sayyeah, no shit, you dumb technology robot. What would you do if your former childhood best friend turned enemy walked into a tiny room? Tell me that, Siri.
Chewing my lip, I went to the check the stock of supplies. We were absolutely full as I’d done it yesterday, but how could I just stand here? If it was any other player, I’d small talk or ask about the upcoming game against Ohio, but that was too far for me.
