Page 78 of Everything's Better With You
Terrell picked up his keys for him. When Joe reached out to grab them, he gritted his teeth and tried to smile, but Terrell pulled the keys back. “Hey guys? I’ll catch up with you later.”
The players waved and headed out the front doors.
“Terrell—” Joe warned.
“Let me get you inside. Then you can tell me what’s going on before I call my mom.”
Joe cursed and let Terrell open the door. He started to walk but he couldn’t put weight on his leg, so he used the handle of his suitcase to hobble into the apartment and Terrell took his backpack from him.
“Thanks, man, but I’m okay. Just a little strained tendon in my hip. I’m going to shower and then ice it and go to bed. I promise I’m fine.”
Terrell put his backpack down. “I’d believe that if I hadn’t seen your face. So who am I calling? Because you are not okay.”
“You always been this much of a pain in the ass?”
“Coach? I’m not playing.”
Joe groaned. He made it to the counter and leaned on it to catch hisbreath. “Look, I’m going to go into the training center across the hall and take an ice bath, then I’m going to go to bed. If you would be so kind as to just make sure I get over there without falling on my face, I’ll be fine. I don’t want to bother your parents—”
“Coach.”
Joe’s phone buzzed again and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Oh, great. Coach Payton. Awesome. The last thing I need is him showing up over here. Give me a hand, would you?” When Terrell raised an eyebrow at him, Joe said, “I’m not too proud to beg here, Terrell. Please. I went to the doctor; I have medicine. I’ll be okay, I promise.”
Terrell mumbled something about adults and hypocrites, but he let Joe lean on him as they hobbled out Joe’s door and across the hall. Joe used his keys to unlock the training room door and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the low tub that he could get in and out of. Hopefully. That was the plan.
“You’re gonna need help—”
“Just help me fill it with water and ice. You’re not going to be in here when I do this. Keep your phone handy, if you want, in case I get stuck, but I promise I’ll be fine.”
Terrell set up the tub and grabbed some towels, then he turned on Joe with a scowl.
“I’ll be up in my room. Keep your phone and call me if you need me. If I don’t hear from you in fifteen minutes, I’m coming back in. Let me at least call my mom?”
“I promise I will call her if it gets worse. I’m going to see her in the morning. I’ll tell her then. Thank you.”
Terrell was a good kid and Joe was not proud of roping him into his mess. He also had his mom’s feistiness so Joe knew he wasn’t going to just let this go.
Dammit.
Joe stripped out of his nasty airplane clothes and mentally prepared himself for sinking into excruciating pain.
Why the fuck do I do this to myself?He questioned all of his life choices as he set the timer for fifteen minutes and stepped into the tub. He used his upper body strength, grateful his shoulders weren’t fucked since he’d had cortisone shots a few years ago, and he lowered himselfinto the bath. He gasped and cursed and the tears fell involuntarily as his ass hit the bottom.
Why? Why did he have to torture himself? Why did this stupid career, the only thing he’d ever been good at in his entire life, have to hurt so fucking much?
He sat there sinking deeper and deeper into self-flagellation, jabbing at his soul’s deepest fears and beliefs, until he mentally gave himself a slap. Then he concentrated on breathing, counting between inhales and exhales, focusing on being there rather than feeling his body. His phone buzzed and he assumed it was the timer so he picked it up only to hear, “Hello? Joe?”
Leslie. Joe crumbled. His teeth chattered and the tears started up in earnest.
“Joe?”
“Hi,” he finally said.I miss you. I need you, please Leslie.He wanted to cry out, wanted to beg for Leslie to be by his side, terrified of being alone with his thoughts and his pain, but the shame kept his mouth shut.
“Joe! Where the hell are you?”
Joe heard banging outside and realized that, shit, Leslie was at his door. He was there.
“I’m in the training room,” Joe said weakly, “I’m here.”
