Page 83 of Hat Trick
The offer is tempting, and for half a second, I consider it.
But then I remember there are at least five more months left in the season, and I don’t want to spend them awkwardly dancing around him while our friends watch and wonder why we can’t be in the same room.
It was sex.
Greatsex.
That’s it.
And I need to get my head out of my ass and stop thinking about him.
“I’m sorry. I’m being weird. Can we start the day over?” I ask.
“Too late. I’m already sweating my ass off from your training plan. There’s no going back now.” He kicks his left leg out, foot nudging my knee. “Tell me what book you’re reading or I’m going to be pissed.”
I relax, laughing when he blinks at me with big, wide eyes. “There are motorcycles involved.”
“Ethan would be so proud.”
“It’s good. I’ll bring it for you to read when I’m finished.”
“It’s like our own library system.”
“Yeah, and you’re distracting me from getting your exercises done. Get on your stomach, Mitchell. I’m onto your games.”
“Guess I need to find a new distraction tactic.” He lifts his shirt to wipe his forehead then his glasses, and I know he’s testing me. I pointedly stare at the floor. “I’ll figure you out, Armstrong.”
“We’re doing hip extensions next. Same position you would get in for hamstring curls.”
“Love when you’re bossy.” Riley swings his lower half around and lays on his stomach. “What am I doing for this one?”
“You’re going to lift your residual limb off the table.”
“Ah. Okay. How many times?”
“Twelve.”
“Fuck. You’re mean.”
He starts the movement with his right leg. I place both of my hands gently on his lower back, right on the start of his backside, to make sure he’s working the correct muscles.
“Keep your stomach on the table,” I explain, getting a grunt in response. “There you go. That was a great adjustment, Riley. Feel the difference?”
“Unfortunately,” he grits out, and his next rep is slower. “Like this?”
“Perfect.”
I keep my hands on him, my grip slackening with each rep he completes. I want him to do it on his own, and when he finishes number twelve, he groans.
“That was hard as hell.”
“You did great.” I grab a towel and a water, bringing them over to him while he sits up. “Does anything hurt?”
“There’s some throbbing and tingling on the right side of my body. My leg hurts even though it’s not there. It’s weird. It doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes it’s like static.”
He runs a hand over his right thigh, thumbs pressing into his muscles. He works lower, massaging his residual limb, and I watch him so I can try to learn what helps.
I read about phantom pain when I started researching limb loss and what happens after an amputation. It’s a physiological experience with a few root causes like nerve damage and central sensitization, and besides medication and some therapies that may or may not be effective, there’s only so much you can do.
