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I take the ice pack from Noah and shove it under the back of my shirt as I ease down onto the kitchen chair.
“You okay?”
I give her a tight nod. “I’ll be fine.”
“You should go to the doctor about your back.”
“It’s fine.”
“Dad—”
“Got another prank idea?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, looking a hell of a lot like me when I’m pissed. “Don’t change the subject.”
“It’s just sciatica. It’s fine.”
“But you’re in pain. They could give you pain medication.”
“I’m not taking pain meds.”
“What about an injection? My friend Charlotte’s father got an injection in his spine to help with the pain from his accident.”
“I wasn’t in an accident. And I don’t want a needle in my spine.”
Her nose wrinkles. “You’re the biggest baby.”
“You hungry? I’ll order a pizza.”
Romeo’s ears perk up at the mention of food.
Noah lets out a frustrated sigh and turns to walk away. “Whatever.”
“Hey.” I tug her hand before she can leave. “You don’t have to worry about me. It’s normal for construction workers to be in pain and—”
“Is it because of Mom?”
The question stops me in my tracks. “What?”
“Are you scared of taking pills because of Mom?”
She hasn’t asked about her mother in a couple of years. It’s probably because I avoid this topic whenever she brings it up.
“I take Tylenol if the pain gets bad, but I don’t need anything else. I’ll be fine.”
Noah nods and chews her bottom lip, quiet as she mulls over whatever’s going on in her mind.
I should ask her what she’s thinking. I should say more.
Instead, I pull up the pizzeria in my contacts and lift the phone to my ear. “I’ll get half with mushrooms and peppers for you.”
I know I can’t evade her questions forever, but it’s complicated and I don’t know how to talk about this with her.
One day I’ll tell her everything.
But not today.
5
