Page 120 of I Knead You Tonight

I frown at him, and he mimics me. “You’re a little stinker. Anyone ever tell you that?”

He blows spit bubbles, laughing and tossing his legs about as I try to force the suit onto him. His legs might be little, but damn are they strong.

I hear my shoulder do that disgusting clicking thing it does and try not to wince at the pinch of pain.

I don’t have time to focus on the hurt and feel sorry for myself.

Riker is my main priority right now.

It takes me another few minutes, but I finally manage to get his sleep jumper on and zipped. I’m nearly sweating by the time I’m done.

I stand him up on the end of the bed, his little hands wrapped around my fingers. He’s smiling at me, looking pleased with himself for causing me to sweat.

“Damn, kid. Just got my workout in for the day with all that.” He wiggles around, his little hands gripping my fingers tighter as he tries to hold himself steady. “Dang, Riker. Look at you go, standin’ up. So strong, buddy.”

More laughter and grins.

“Okay, you ready for someSpongeBoband bum time on the couch? Yeah? Come on, let’s go be bums.”

He wobbles forward, and I tighten my hold, only nothing happens in my shoulder.

It completely gives out.

And Riker goes tumbling headfirst off the bed.

Slice Nineteen

Drew

“Listen, Drew, don’t freak out, okay? You have to promise not to freak out.”

My heart plummets to the floor then flies back into my throat all within the same moment.

I try to take a deep breath, try to just breathe and keep calm.

“W-What’s wrong?” I hear myself ask.

Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it has nothing to do with Riker.

I pace back and forth down the hall of Slice, worrying my lip between my teeth.

We’re not technically allowed to have our phones on the floor, but Simon knows we all keep them on us anyway, and when mine started buzzing incessantly in my apron, I knew I had to answer.

“We’re at the hospital.”

We’re at the hospital.

If I thought my heart sank before, I was wrong.

“Winston…what happened?”

“He’s okay. He…he fell.”

“How?”

“My shoulder.”

My blood feels like it’s on fire. His shoulder.His fucking shoulder.The same one he refused to get looked at. My son fell because of his stupidity.

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