Page 83 of Back Outside Edge

Plus, he’s far from well yet. This isn't something I should take to heart.

Mrs. Marquez squeezes me again, then lets go. "How's he doing?"

"I don’t really know. We talked for like a minute, and then he went to sleep. He didn't get a chance to tell me." Am I fishing for information? Absolutely. Do I feel guilty about it? Not even a little bit.

Her hand on my arm, Mrs. Marquez guides me a little bit away from the bed towards the door. We don't actually leave the room, but we're further away from Evan, at least. Less likely to wake him as we talk. "You know about his fall."

It's not a question, but I nod. "I watched it happen, yeah. But I haven't been able to learn much about his injuries. Is he ok?"

As Mrs. Marquez fills me in on the details, my heart breaks more and more every time she adds something. I can imagine how Evan feels. How devastated he must be. Learning that even if he does get back to his old skill level, it'll be too late for this Olympic cycle, breaks me. How can Evan even be functioning with that information? "He's been keeping a pretty brave face on it," she concludes, "but I know it's hurting him."

Of course it is. The Olympics have been his dream as much as they are mine. He's worked so hard to be competitive at them. And now all of that is gone because of one fall.

Fuck, no wonder he worries about my training regimen so much. Ironic, though, that I'm not the one who got injured. In a horrible, depressing kind of way.

"But he'll be all right," I say aloud, as much to reassure myself as to double-check.

"He will be." She nods decisively. As if no matter what happens, she will make it so. I like this woman.

"Is it all right if I stay with him?" Is she going to fight me for bedside time with her son?

But she just smiles at me. "Of course, honey," she answers.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me." She beams. "I'm sure he's so happy to have you here."

Then why didn't they call me? But I can't throw blame around, not when this is my fault. "I'm just glad I'm here."

"So am I," she pats my arm, "I'll leave you two alone now, yes? I think I'll run down to the cafeteria. Can I get you anything?"

"Honestly, I could use a coffee." I smile at her. "I haven't exactly been sleeping well. And there was the plane last night."

When I start to pull my wallet out of my pocket, she lays a hand on my arm. "I'll get it. You just take care of our boy."

After she leaves, I turn back to the bed, where I see that Evan's eyes have opened. Ah. That explains her rush out of the room.

"Your mom is kind of amazing."

His smile is bigger now, as if even the hour or so he's napped was enough to renew his energy. "Isn't she?" His voice is stronger, too, and I am so relieved to hear it.

When I return to the chair, his hand reaches out for me, and I take it. It's so natural holding hands with him. It's coming home.

Chapter 32

Evan

Three weeks after the fall

Outside Calgary, Canada

Stefan never leaves my side, through my last few days at the hospital in New York, the agonizing plane ride home. He helps set me up with my new physical therapists and doctors.

I argue with him and my parents about where I’ll stay during my recovery. I want to go home to my apartment in Calgary, where the commute between me and my doctors would only be a few minutes. They want me to come home where they can take care of me.

Since my apartment's on the second floor, and there's no elevator, they win.

A week into having five people hovering around me nonstop, I'm one "Do you need anything?" away from murdering the lot of them.