Page 65

Three more days until I could play again—assuming I didn’t mess my body up.

Then I could kiss her properly, the way I’d been dreaming about since she’d walked up to me in that yellow dress.

I had three short days to prove I was worth the risk she was taking on me.

I could wait that long.

Probably.

The hip ached from tension and from lying in her bed for hours without letting myself touch her because I’d promised we’d take our time.

I was a fool. A noble fool, but still.

My phone buzzed at 4:48 AM.

Found your note, Ellie texted. “Everything” is a big word, Kedish.

My thumbs moved before my brain caught up. It’s the right word.

You didn’t have to leave.

I know. I wanted to do this right.

Sneaking out at 4 AM is “doing this right”?

Leaving before I convinced you to let me stay forever is doing this right.

That’s annoyingly romantic, she said.

I’m an annoyingly romantic orc.

Keep icing your hip.

Yes, Dr. Lundrig.

She sent a smiley face. See you at the arena.

I stared at that text for longer than I should’ve before I made myself put the phone down.

The apartment was still dark and quiet as I got down on the floor and started the stretches.

Hip flexor first. Thirty seconds, feeling the pull along the front of my hip. Her voice echoed in my head, telling me to breathe, and I did, feeling the muscle release.

I did the adductor work next, lying on my side, leg extended, holding the position while my inner thigh protested. Three sets. Hold thirty sec. No cheating.

Her handwriting was burned into my brain now. How she underlined no cheating twice, like she knew I’d be tempted.

Halfway through the second set, I caught myself thinking about her hands. How she’d gripped my thigh in the pool to position the stretch. I tried to focus on the burn in my adductor but failed.

I couldn’t stop remembering the little furrow that appeared between her eyebrows when she was concentrating. The freckle at her temple I wanted to taste.

My hip pulled wrong, and I had to restart the stretch.

I finished the third set and sat up, breathing harder than the stretches warranted.

The break room before the team had to leave for the second game was loud with two dozen hockey players trying to eat and talk at the same time. I sat with Veskar and Fedor at our usual table, a plate of chicken, vegetables, and rice in front of me I was pretending to be interested in.

Ellie sat three tables over with Patty and Neva.