“I know.” He tried to sit up, but winced in pain. “This is probably a sprain. I’ll be fine in two weeks.”
I ran a shaky hand through my hair. “You’re always angry when someone wrongs me, but when they do it to you, it’s whatever? Bullshit. Where did he go? If no one else is gonna do anything then I sure fuc?—”
My words fell short when soft lips connected with mine, and I could’ve melted into a puddle right then and there. Shit, now I felt like I was the one who had just played a full game of basketball. Who turned up the heat in the stadium?
There was a split second of a pause before he kissed me, saying, “Tell me to stop”without having to speak it aloud. It was safe to say there would never be a time when I did.
A few magical seconds later, I pulled away from the kiss carefully, fearful of hurting his shoulder more. With a tender smile, he moved his uninjured hand along my arm until it met and held my own.
My best friend just kissed me in front of an arena full of people.
They gasped, but it didn’t matter. I would worry over it eventually, but I wanted to ride out the high I felt from this for as long as possible.
Other medics on standby had arrived to help River off to wherever they were taking him. While they did, his eyes never wavered from mine, as if my presence was the only medical attention he needed.
It reminded me of when I broke my arm on the swing set in fourth grade. After River spent years encouraging me to swing high despite my mother’s disapproval, I finally fell off.
While I sobbed, the class bombarded me with questions, and the teachers frantically searched for aid. My only source of comfort was River, who sat silently beside me, my hand clasped between his warm ones, as he shooed our nosy classmates and waited for the adults to make a proper move.
Now, I got to be the one there for him.
Chapter Twenty
RIVER
Ihad been playing sports since I was a little tot, but I had never broken a bone. I preferred to think my skill kept me safe, but Alex called that arrogance. So be it.
I stepped onto the mat, water dripping off me, enjoying the warm, humid air from my steamy shower. It was hard to bathe when I couldn’t move my arm at all. If my right arm twitched even a little, a sharp, terrible pain would run through my shoulder.
I guessed a sling was superior to a cast because at least I could temporarily remove it for showers. My biggest problem was keeping still. Singing and dancing in the shower was my thing, so it was challenging to stop myself.
My chest and hair were still damp as I entered my room, and with one arm, I struggled to wrap a dry towel securely around my stomach. Alex’s eyes lifted from his phone and met mine, lips slightly parted.
His gaze dropped, then rose again, resting on my chest. He blinked twice, his eyes a bit lulled, like he’d forgotten I was still standing in front of him.
“Damn, am I that much of a catch?” I smirked.
His eyes returned to his phone, and his lips met as if he wasn’t bothered. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Too bad I was already flattered. “Help me put my sling back on?”
I took a seat beside him as he grasped the black sling off the bedside table. With care, he positioned my arm in the cotton holster, his brow creasing and lips pursed in concentration.
When the incident happened at the game, they rushed me to the hospital as if I were bleeding out. If you asked me, everyone around me had overreacted. Sure, I fell on the floor and yelled out in pain, but it wasn’t even that bad.
The doctors wouldn’t agree, and neither would the bone sticking out of my shoulder. Alright, so maybe I dislocated it. Still, I stood by my point.
Even though I told him not to, Alex got a ride to meet me from his friends. Since Carson was already missing the rest of the game to be with me, I didn’t want to bother Alex, who couldn’t even drive himself. He didn’t listen.
Now we were at my place, and Alex was playing caretaker. He folded my clothes that had been sitting on the bed for over a week, ordered us a late-night dinner, and even suggested running my goddamn bath water before I told him I wanted a shower.
And, fuck, it was sexy.
Watching the way his hands worked to fold my clothes sent a chill down my spine. I never pictured myself being in a steady relationship—not so soon, anyway. The only person I wanted to call mine, even in a friendly way, was Alex. Now I could admit that I craved more with him. I wanted to come home to see him at the stove, stirring a pot, focused not on the smell of food but on how good his ass looked in his usual black jeans.
A househusband.Myhousehusband.
Alex adjusted my arm, and I winced at the sudden movement, causing him to flinch. “I’m sorry.”
