Page 17 of Don't Hurt Us
“Holy crap,” I growl, trying my hardest to stay calm.
“Oh my gosh!Maverick!I'm so sorry!”Danny rushes to my side and squats down next to me.The concern and tears in his eyes take away any anger I was feeling, but it doesn’t take away the pain.
“Are you ok?”Sydney drops to her knees and places her hand on my leg.
“Yeah, just great,” I grunt out.
“Where were you hit?”She winces as she speaks.
“In my thigh.”
“So not…” she trails off and clears her throat.
“She wants to know if I hit you in the balls,” Danny clarifies.
“Nah, he missed all the important parts, but it hurts like crazy.”
“I'm going to ask Coach Tom for some ice.”Danny rushes off before I can stop him.Though ice is probably a good idea.I might already be bruising.
I butterfly my legs and slide my shorts up my thigh.I have to push them all the way up and wince at the dark red coloring already spreading across my skin.
“That’s going to leave a mark,” Sydney whispers, brushing her fingers over my discolored flesh.
The pain isn't even a blip on my radar as her fingers outline the bruise.I’m too focused on her touching me to notice anything else.I'm mesmerized by her hand moving, almost in a trance.
“Maverick?”She says, making me blink back into reality.
“Yeah?”
“Did you hit your head?You weren’t answering me.”She smiles softly, making me wish she had never met her jerk of an ex.I’d treat her right.I’d take care of her and never make her feel like an obligation.
“Sorry.I guess I zoned out.What’d you say?”I scrub a hand down my face and internally chastise myself for not listening to whatever she said.
“I asked if you’re going to make it or should I start planning your funeral?”
“I think I’ll make a full recovery.Though if he had hit me an inch or two to the left, it would be a different story,” I groan, falling back onto the ground.
“Mav!”She giggles as she lays down on the ground next to me.“I'm sorry he hit you.”
“I'm not.If he were in a game, that hit would’ve taken down the pitcher.He would’ve easily gotten to first base, maybe even further.My job was to help him with batting and pitching, I did that.He’s doing well.He has a mean swing and that’s awesome.”
She scrambles into a sitting position again and hovers over me with a furrowed brow.
“You’re not mad at him?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Because he hurt you.”
“Not on purpose.”
“Rob would’ve been livid,” she whispers.“He would’ve made a big deal about it and made sure Danny was humiliated.For weeks he’d milk the injury, just to make sure Danny knew he did something wrong and to upset him.”
“Your ex sounds like a piece of crap,” I growl.
“Yeah, he was.I don’t miss him at all… I just think the kids need a man in their life.”She smiles sadly at me.
Right then and there, I know I'm going to try to be the man Danny needs in his life.Maybe it won't be in the role I’d like, but the kid is pretty awesome.
