Page 56 of Dream On, Liar

“Do it for your old man, anyway.”

I forced myself to smile. “I’ll see what I can I do. No promises though.”

12

Rihaan

I WAS IN MY very own personal hell.

Sparks of fire seeped into my skin as Maeve continued to massage my rhomboid. My shoulder blade had already been killing me by the time we finished training, and in an attempt to soothe myself, I’d overstretched the muscle. But even the sting wasn’t enough to override the sparks at the touch itself.

Which was stupid, and I was well aware of that.

I’d worked with plenty of physiotherapists before, and still nothing had felt this charged…ever.

After I’d left Coach’s office, I stayed true to my words and quit my spells, focusing on fielding before eventually moving to batting once my shoulder stopped screaming so loudly.

That was three hours ago, and since then I’d yet to hear from Maeve again. A part of me wondered if I’d gotten her in trouble again. Considering it had been ten minutes since I’d perched myself on the treatment table, and she’d barely uttered a single word.

I’d left lunch early hoping—subconsciously or not—that I’d catch her coming in and get a chance to tell her to lay it off. And maybe ask what her issue really was.

Ever since the day I forced myself to relieve the memory from when we first met, it had been playing in my head like a broken cassette. Yet, each time it replayed, I couldn’t find a single thing I’d done to make her this upset.

An involuntary hiss left me when her fingers pressed along the knot that had formed. Heat gathered beneath my skin as she gentled her touch. “Tell me if that’s too much.”

I shifted slightly. “It doesn’t.”

I waited for her to call me out, but when she didn’t answer, it only fuelled my confusion.

I’d spent most of the morning irritate by what she’d done and said, and now, when all she gave me was silence, and…professionalism, I couldn’t help but be bothered.

I glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

She was concentrating on my shoulder, expression unreadable.

“You're quiet.” I gave in, trying my best to keep my voice nonchalant, even though I was pretty sure this was the first time in my life I’d attempted to do such.

Her hands paused for half a second before continuing.

“You're brooding.” She matched my tone. “And frankly, I don't want to set you off again. I'm not exactly in the mood for another one of your tantrums.”

My head snapped in her direction. Until then, I hadn’t realised just how close she was She’d moved from behind me to near my shoulder, and a slight shift would have had us be one breath apart. But then her word landed again—tantrum—and the irritation flared back through me.

“You sure like that word, don’t you?” I snapped. “And you say I like to hold grudges.”

She blinked, amusement flashing in her blue eyes. “Maybe we’re just too alike.”

Something in my deflated.

Huh.

Maeve pressed into a spot, making me hiss again, only louder.

“Fuck.”

Her hands stilled, surprise flickering across her eyes.

“How painful was that, on a scale of one to ten?”