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Looking around the room, I spot a dresser with one picture frame sitting on top, but I can’t make out who’s in it. Sunlight peeks through the slats in his blinds, casting stripes on the bare wall. I know men’s bedrooms tend to be minimalistic, but this room feels empty and cold.
Nana’s words this morning echo in my mind. I worry he’s alone too much.
“Hey.” Bryce gives my hand a squeeze. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry you’re still feeling this way.”
He watches me like he knows what I’m thinking. “I should be fine by tomorrow.”
Thunder rumbles low in the distance. “It’s supposed to rain all day.”
“Sounds like the perfect lazy day.”
I lie beside him, curling my body around his. “I want to spend it like this.”
“You don’t have to waste the day in bed with me.”
I press a kiss to his arm. “A day with you could never be a waste, no matter what we’re doing.”
He snakes his arm around me, and holds me tight. He doesn’t say it, but I know how much what I said means to him.
“How about a back massage? Would that help?”
“I’d have to be crazy to turn down a back rub from a beautiful woman.” He lifts a finger and points to a white bottle on his nightstand. “You can use my CBD gel. It has a cooling effect that helps numb the pain.”
“Do you take anything else for the pain?”
“No. When I was in the hospital, the doctors gave me oxycodone. It helped, but I knew how addictive it was. I saw too many of my teammates get hooked on painkillers, and I didn’t want to go down that route. So, I did a lot of research, and found CBD.” He gestures to his nightstand again. “I take the oil every morning and night to help with the pain, and use the gel when it’s bad.”
I squirt a handful of the gel into my palm, and smooth it over his lower back. His muscles tense. I press my thumbs against the muscle beside his spine, and hold it for thirty seconds before rolling over it in a circle.
“Are you always in pain?”
He nods. “Some days are better than others, so I appreciate the low-level days. What really annoys me is the phantom itch. Sometimes, I’ll feel itchy in a spot on my leg, but I can’t feel it when I scratch it, so I can’t make it go away.”
“I’d never know you deal with these things. You don’t show the world you’re in pain.”
“There are many people who have it so much worse than I do. In the spinal unit, I met people who couldn’t move a damn muscle on their whole bodies, yet their attitude and outlook were better than mine. And in the end, I got to stand up, plant my feet on the ground, and walk out of there. I learned to be grateful for the second chance I was given. I took a lot for granted before my injury. I had fame, and money, but I didn’t have perspective or awareness.”
“Traumatic experiences make you realize how precious the life you’re given is.”
“Have you ever had an injury before? Any broken bones?”
I chuckle. “I got hurt once. I was getting out of a cab, and it had just snowed. I stepped out onto a sheet of ice, and my feet went out from under me. I landed on my tailbone and fractured my coccyx.” I chuckle. “I literally broke my ass.”
“It’s still the finest ass I’ve ever seen.”
My cheeks heat. “I can say the same about yours.” I give it a squeeze, and grin. “It’s one of the first things I noticed about you.”
He turns his head, craning back to look at me. “You checked out my ass?”
“Yup. You were walking ahead of me with my suitcase, and I couldn’t help myself.”
He chuckles. “Even though I was Nana’s ass of a grandson?”
“Even then.” I lean down, and press a kiss to his cheek. “You don’t realize it, but you’re quite attractive, Bryce Holden.”
He closes his eyes as a smile pulls at his lips. “I’m glad you think so, Charly Johnson.”
