Page 66 of Skate the Line

A heavy breath rushes from my lungs as soon as he’s gone. I take advantage of it and all but run up the stairs to hide in my room like a child. My hand hurts. The numbing shot has worn off, but I’d rather deal with the throbbing pain than ask Rhodes where the medicine is.

I flop onto my bed and shut my eyes. My bandaged hand is cradled on my stomach, and I focus on my breathing. I replay the entire evening at the hospital. My stomach turns, picturing the doctor’s furrowed brow when he pulled up my medical history on the computer.

It’s been almost an entire year, and I’m still on edge.

I blow air out of my mouth. “Ughhh.”

“In pain?”

I jolt upward, strands of my hair flying past my face. My gaze lands on Rhodes standing in my doorway, leaning against the door as if he doesn't have a care in the world. I’m not dense, though. He probably has hundreds of questions roaming inside his head after being in that hospital room with me.

The rattling of pills pulls my attention to his hand. “I brought you some pain medicine and water.”

As callous and grumpy as he seems at times, he surprises me more than I care to admit.

“Oh, thank—” I clear my throat and try again. “Thank you.”

Rhodes walks farther into my room and steals all the air with him.

He’s so intense that even his long strides draw my attention.

I reach out with a shaky hand and take the two pills he’s spilled onto his large palm. He unscrews the top of the water bottle and hands that to me next. I wipe my mouth with my sleeve when I’m finished, and he takes it from me, placing it on the little table beside my bed.

In an attempt to ease the tension, I try to make a joke. “Who knew you could be so attentive?”

He chuckles. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“Afraid it’ll ruin your rep?” A tiny smile curves against my lips.

“The team would never let me live it down,” he says. “But I am a dad, after all. I know how to take care of someone.”

Is that what he’s doing? Taking care of me?

My heart races with the subtle reminder of the last time that very action was implied.

The room spins.

I suddenly feel sick.

“Sunny.”

“Huh?” I snap my eyes to the doorway. Rhodes made his way over there at some point, but he’s headed toward me again.

“You’re shaking.” He’s concerned.Great.

“I’m fine!” The words zip from my mouth so quicklyIdon’t even believe them.

“I don’t think you are.” The scratchy sound of his hand against his jaw grounds me. “What do you need me to do? Do you want me to leave you alone? Do you want to talk about it?”

I silently repeat his question.

My eyelashes flutter with confusion.

I answer him without even thinking. “The only thing I want is for you not to fire me.”

“Fire you?” The audacity is clear as day. His heavy brow furrows, and angry lines work themselves into the creases of his forehead. “Were you expecting that I came up here to…fire you?”

I stumble over my words. “Well…I…at the hospital…” I loosen my shoulders and try again. “I just figured that with me freaking out at the hospital, you’d have concerns about the safety of Ellie. Like, what if she needs to go to the hospital, and I?—”

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