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“How long did they say recovery would be?” he asks. “Coach Mason only told us you would be out for the rest of the season.”
“About six months. The paperwork says I’ll be pretty sore and stiff for the first one to two weeks after surgery, but it will gradually get better,” I explain. “It’s gonna require a lot of physical therapy, but I guess one of the hardest parts is not overdoing it. If I push myself too hard, there is the possibility of making the recovery take longer.”
“Your doctor isn’t wrong,” Katy supplies. “I’ve seen so many patients push it way too hard. You can end up doubling your recovery time if you aren’t careful. The key to a speedy recovery is taking your time.”
“That’s going to be a challenge for you,” Coach replies with a smirk.
I sigh. I’ve never been the most patient person, and I doubt this is going to be any different.
“I’ll make sure he follows the doctor’s orders,” Ian assures Coach, and I have no doubt he’s going to make sure I do absolutely everything I’m supposed to do.
While I’ve enjoyed Ian taking control over a lot of things, I’m not sure how I am going to feel about him taking care of me while I’m injured.
Am I going to feel smothered? Is it going to be too much?
I have a strong suspicion Ian is going to want me to stay here after the surgery, but I’m going to want my space. Thankfully, my apartment has an elevator. I doubt I could fight Ian on staying at my place if there were only stairs.
“GSU has fantastic physical therapists, but if you ever have questions or want a second opinion, feel free to shoot a message my way,” Katy offers, and I hand her my phone to put her information in.
“I’ll probably do that when your brother is babying me,” I tease.
“Oh, I doubt that my opinion will matter to him,” she replies and sticks her tongue out at Ian when he grumbles. “He’s always been the overprotective type. If he has something stuck in his head, even advice from a professional won’t change his mind.”
“I’m not that bad,” Ian argues.
“Remember the time I sprained my ankle, and you wouldn’t let me walk for almost two weeks even though the doctor said it would be fine?” she counters.
“The doctor wasn’t around to witness how you winced every time you put weight on it,” he grumbles.
“Which is normal and would have gone away the more I used it. Are you aware it’s possible to actually hurt someone by resting too much?”
In response, he huffs out a breath through his nose, and Katy rolls her eyes. “Good luck with his stubborn ass,” she whispers, and I chuckle. “Now, who’s ready for some embarrassing stories about Ian?”
I laugh while Ian groans, and I already know that Katy is going to be someone I love having in my life.
We spend a good amount of time visiting, getting to know each other, and catching up, but eventually, it becomes hard to keep my eyes open. “I really hate to cut this visit short, but I’m exhausted. I think it’s time for me to go to bed.”
I’m pretty sure it’s a mixture of the medication and the adrenaline wearing off that’s causing me to be utterly exhausted. Besides, the doctor said I needed to rest, and that’s what I’m going to do.
After Coach leaves, Ian helps me to his room and sits on the side of the bed once I’m comfortable. I didn’t want to change since I was already in a pair of soft sweats and a light T-shirt. Dressing was a pain in the ass with a fucked-up knee.
“I’m going to send an email in requesting time off next week,” Ian states, and I shoot him a what the fuck stare.
“Why the hell would you do that?” I ask.
He seems taken aback by my outburst, and his brows pinch together, clearly confused. “Because you’re going to need someone to take care of you.”
His Daddy instincts are in overdrive right now, but the last thing I want is for Ian to put his career at risk for me. “I’m going to be fine, and if I need help, I have roommates,” I remind him. “Taking a week off work for no reason would be irresponsible, and I won’t let you do it.”
“You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” he counters in a firm and demanding voice that lights an inferno deep inside me.
“But you can control my life?” I hiss out. “I know I’ve been letting you take the reins in many aspects, but you promised that we would talk through big things. You telling me what’s going to happen isn’t communication.”
Ian’s face falls, and he shakes his head, but I’m too pissed to care that he’s upset. I grab my phone off the nightstand and call Rio, avoiding Ian’s gaze while I do it.
“Hey, man, how are you doing?” Rio answers. “I wanted to check on you but figured you needed the rest.”
“I appreciate that,” I tell him. “I was actually hoping you could come pick me up from Ian’s place.”
