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I push forward again.
Fuck.
I scream out in pain.
Lexie reacts instantly and grabs the machine handles from me. Dropping my arm, I grip it with my other hand as I hang my head. The pain is severe, certainly not the worst I’ve felt but still pretty fucking bad.
Lexie softly says my name, almost as if she’s trying to comfort me.
“Move,” I order her.
She says it again.
I shout at her to move again, and this time she listens, leaving me enough space to stand and stalk off in pain. The whole way to the locker room I curse Cody, that stupid motherfucker and that stupid accident.
If only he would have told me he was high, that he had fallen off the wagon, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be fucking hurting physically. Or emotionally for that matter because let’s face it, if I hadn’t been in such a shit place, I never would have met Lexie. And right now, after everything that’s happened, a part of me really wishes I hadn’t.
A hand touches my uninjured shoulder while I sit in the men’s locker room. The touch is way too delicate to be Gabe’s, so that leaves only one other person.
“Go away, Lexie. I don’t want to hear I told you so.”
“Good, because I wasn’t going to say that. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Her fingers run across my back to my bad shoulder.
“Don’t,” I warn her.
She doesn’t listen. Her fingers gently run over my shoulder exploring the area, and the mild pressure she applies eases some of the pain.
“How’s that?”
“Better.” It’s still painful, but the severity has decreased significantly. “I should have listened to you.”
“Yes, you should have.”
When I turn to face her, she’s standing between my legs. Instinct, desire—one of the two—takes over, and my hand caresses her thigh as I rest my head against her stomach. She allows me to touch her, to take solace in her, despite how awful I’ve been to her all day. Her hands rest on my head, fingers softly running through my hair.
As wrong as this is, being with her like this, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t feel right.
“Lexie…”
I look up at her, so much I want to say and do. So much that I can’t.
Saving us both, she walks away.
Chapter15
Lexie
The sun peeks through the curtains as I open an eye and look around, hoping Carter isn’t planning a surprise wake up again.
Yesterday had been a complete mess from the moment I opened my eyes. First, there was the blatant attraction in my bedroom, the way his eyes roamed my body. It was beyond obvious what he was thinking and wanting. He’s angry, though. I get it.
So, we went to the gym at an ungodly hour. From the moment we stepped through the doors, Carter refused to listen to anything I said. That part isn’t okay. He can be pissed at me. He can hate me. Hell, even if he never speaks to me again, I get it. What I refuse to allow is for him to throw away any progress he’s made on his arm because of me, even if that means I have to walk away and risk losing this opportunity with the Knights.
When he hurt himself, I’d intended to stay away and let him suffer the way he was making me suffer, but I couldn’t bear to see him like that. An overwhelming need to care for him overcame me, and I hurried to him. I comforted him and soothed the ache.
For a moment, he softened. He latched onto me, head resting on my belly, hands holding me. Knowing it wouldn’t last and not able to bear the rejection, I walked away.
Needing to clear my head, I opted to walk back to his parents’ house. The air was hot and thick but was nothing compared to the tension between Carter and me. I could actually breathe easier in the heat than I could when he was around.
