“You sure? You almost decked one of the Papadakis,” I point out.
He groans, running a hand over his face.
“Look, it’s not even that bad,” I tell him.
He turns toward me, finally looking up. There’s a dullness to his gaze, and his expression is deeply unamused, but he’slooking at me. I can’t help but grin, glad he’s not completely gone.
“Really,” I tell him, measuring out an inch with my thumb and forefinger. “It’s just a little glowing.”
“A little glowing,” he repeats, like he’s testing how stupid that sounds out loud. “Right, because spontaneous bioluminescence is famously a minor inconvenience, up there with a paper cut.”
“And only we can see it! So it’s not like anyone will make fun of your heightandthe fact that you can glow.”
Colten punches my arm, but it barely hurts. “If you’re trying to be reassuring, please stop, you asshole.”
“Actually, this could be useful,” I say thoughtfully, holding his hand to keep him from punching me again.
He narrows his eyes. “How? I need you to be specific, so we don’t end up with homemade ‘salami’ disintegrating the floor again.”
“Well, night drills would be easier, right?” I say, trying not to think of the meat I forgot about under my bed when we lived in the dorms. “You’re basically a giant portable flashlight now.”
He stares at me, blinking, his fist tightening in my hand like he’s considering his life choices, or maybe mine.
“Say that again,” he says, very calm. “So I can be sure I heard it correctly before I decide whether or not to push you into traffic.”
“You’d miss me,” I say.
“I’d visit your grave to make sure you stayed there,” he replies instantly.
“Aw, you do care,” I say, grinning wider.
And then, he laughs.
It’s quiet, maybe a little reluctant, like it had to fight its way out past everything else, but it’s there.
The dullness in his gaze fades, something sharper and more familiar taking its place as he rolls his eyes at me.
I loosen my grip on his hand, which is apparently a mistake, because he immediately lands another punch in the same spot.
Okay, that one actually hurt. I don’t react because I’m strong and brave, and also I refuse to give him the satisfaction.
“You’re unbelievable,” he says, shaking his head.
“I know,” I reply, smiling at him.
He lets out a big sigh, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
“Does this mean you’re finally willing to finish the drills you skipped earlier?” he asks. “Or should I start billing you for wasted time? Because at this point, I’m considering it.”
“Oh wow,” I say, raising my eyebrows. “Using magical medical conditions to manipulate me? That’s low, Colten. I expected better from my free personal PT.”
“You forfeited the right to quality care when you compared me to a flashlight,” he shoots back.
I consider pretending to argue, but under the bit of lightness he regained, he still looks a little shaken.
So I just shrug and say, “Fine, if you want drills, we’ll do drills.”
Colten nods before taking a large, steadying breath and heading back towards the field. I quickly follow after him, keeping an eye on his expression in case he tries to punch me again.
