Page 16

I rolled my eyes fondly. “You know I love you for it, though.”

“Thank God someone does.”

I followed her up the sidewalk and to the porch. As Lena stepped on the second stair she slipped, her ankle turning as she stumbled backward. I caught her before she hit the ground.

“Fuck,” she cried out.

“You okay?” I lowered her to sitting on the sidewalk.

Lena shook her head, tears in her eyes. “That hurt like a mother.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I turned my ankle. Not the newly tattooed one, at least.”

“That’s something, I guess. Can you move it?” I examined her right ankle, which was already swelling.

She shook her head and groaned. “Not without a lot of pain.”

“Okay. Let’s get you inside. Do you have the keys?” She passed me the keys to unlock the house and I helped her get up the stairs and inside. Just as we were settling her on the couch and taking her shoes off, headlights from a car in the driveway lit up the living room for a moment and then shut off. “I’ll get you some ice,” I said.

“I don’t—” Lena protested, but winced in pain instead of finishing her sentence.

“Don’t need help? Right.”

The front door swung open and Ellis stepped inside. “Kids, I’m—” He stopped speaking and looked at Lena on the couch, right foot elevated on a pillow, and then he looked at me, standing in the entryway to the kitchen. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Lena said.

At the same time, I spoke. “She twisted her ankle.”

“I’m fine.”

Ellis shook his head. “That thing is super swollen already.” He looked at me, his eyes dark. “Can you get ice and a little hand towel?”

“Yeah, of course.” I ducked into the kitchen to grab what he’d asked, and as I was filling a plastic freezer bag with ice, he called out again.

“How about a compression bandage from the first aid kit, too?” he asked.

“Where’s that?” I called back.

“Cabinet above the stove.”

“I don’t need—” Lena argued.

“Shh. Yes you do.” When I made my way back into the living room, Ellis had Lena’s ankle in his hands, gently inspecting it. “It’s already bruising,” he murmured. “You’re going to need an X-ray.”

“I’m fine,” she repeated.

“Lee,” Ellis said calmly. “You’re not fine.” He took the bag of ice from me. As he did, our fingers brushed and electricity shot up my arm, heat coiling in my stomach despite the freezing ice in my hand. Ellis glanced at me and I couldn’t interpret the look he gave me, that was more confused and curious than anything. A moment later, he wrapped it in the towel before gently placing the bag on her swollen ankle.

She groaned again before taking a deep breath. “Shit, that hurts.”

“I agree with him. You need an X-ray,” I said.

Lena shot me a look. “Traitor.”

I shrugged. “I just want what’s best for you. You don’t want to be hobbling around on a broken ankle for days or weeks until you decide to cave and get it looked at, do you?”