Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
“Two ibuprofen would be great.”
He returns two minutes later with the ice pack, the pain relievers and a bottle of water, which he opens before handing it to me. I make quick work of swallowing the ibuprofen as he carefully places the ice pack on my swollen ankle.
“So you’re an old hand at sprains?” he asks as he sits down on the wooden coffee table. The way he’s chosen to sit allows him to keep the ice pack in place. I’m selfishly enjoying the way he’s taking care of me.
“It’s kind of an occupational hazard. It’s one of the reasons I’m okay with the upcoming season being my last. It takes a toll in a lot of ways but for me, the biggest issue has been my ankles. You’d know better than anyone how hard any sport is on the body,” I point out.
He lets out a dry laugh as he nods. “So true. I loved football, but I’m not sure I’d have played professionally if I’d known going in that I’d be tearing my ACL. Even though I had surgery, I’ll need to be careful with it for the rest of my life. There’s a reason pro-ballers get such big paychecks. Between the back, knees, ankle, tendon, and head injuries, most players aren’t lucky enough to rock a fifteen-year career like Tom Brady.”
“Do you miss it?”
Colin shrugs as he moves the ice pack a bit to the right. “Not as much as I might have had I not wound up coaching. I still love the game—it’s just in a different way now.”
“Do you plan to stay where you are?”
“Coaching jobs in Division I teams aren’t a dime a dozen. Right now I’m there but if something else came up…”
I swallow and look away, a flutter of panic in my chest as I consider what it would feel like if he moved across the country. I’ve tried not to focus on it, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not scared about what the loss of Nanny and Pop will mean about our future. Will I still see Colin or will we fade out of each other’s lives? I don’t want to lose him, ever.
“Hey,” he says softly as he sets his free hand down on my leg. “Where’d you go?”
I sniffle and try to regain my composure as I swipe my fingers under my eyes. “It’s just me being a crybaby,” I answer. “I was just wondering how often I’ll get to see you now, especially if you took a job thousands of miles away. I’m… scared. It feels like my whole world is crumbling around me.”
“Hey, hey,” he says soothingly as he gets off the table and crouches down next to me so we’re face to face. “I’m not going anywhere, Little Bird. If anything, in two or three years you’ll be sick of just how much you see me.”
“Never,” I answer, my voice trembling.
When he leans in close and pulls me into his arms, I think my whole world stops turning for a second. I sigh in contentment as I wrap my arms around him and return his hug. Somehow he maneuvers around so that he’s sitting on the couch with me in his lap—all without disturbing my ice pack.
Being held by Colin is like relaxation in a bottle. I yawn as my eyes flutter shut. I smile as I breathe in the smell that’s so distinctly Colin—Calvin Klein One cologne mixed with his natural scent. There’s nothing more comforting.
Colin’s chest rumbles beneath my ear when he says, “You’re tired.”
I nod and snuggle in closer as he shifts forward. “Grab the ice pack and hold on,” he says. I grab the top of the pack and hold on as he stands with me still in his arms. I’d pay really good money to do this every day of my life. I don’t want this to end at all. Now more than ever I need this feeling.
He carries me up the stairs and down the hall like I weigh nothing. My heart pounds at top speed as I try to form words. I know that what I’m about to ask is nuts and perhaps even selfish but I can’t not ask.
“I don’t want to be alone yet,” I blurt anxiously. “Would it be okay for me to chill out in your room with you on the bed and watch some TV until the ice melts?”
Did I mention that the ice pack is insulated and thus will take forever to melt? Although I can’t see his face, I couldn’t miss the way he gulps. “Of course,” he says after a beat. “Anything you need.”
When he strides into his room and sets me down on his bed, I just about combust. How many years have I wanted to be in Colin’s bed? I idolized him as a child, crushed on him as a tween-ager, and then I developed stronger feelings around the time I was fifteen. They’ve only grown as time has gone on.