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3
NICK
Iwake up feeling like shit. Partly because Lis stayed with her mom last night and I hate sleeping without her and partly because it really feels like something is going on with her, even if she keeps insisting everything is okay.
Throw in the fact that I have that meeting with my coach today and my head is all sorts of fucked up right now.
Groaning, I roll over and reach for my phone. After she sent me the text telling me she was staying at her and her mom’s house, I’d just texted back to tell her I love her. I didn’t ask her again if she was okay, and I didn’t ask if she wanted me to come over.
I wanted to, but maybe she and her mom just wanted to catch up and spend time together. I had taken Lis away from here for all of Christmas to spend with my family, so maybe it was selfish of me to expect she’d drop by, see Judy for a few hours and then come back here.
And as much as I would’ve loved to have gone over there after drinking with the boys, we all stayed probably longer than we planned and the last thing I wanted was to show up at Judy’s place drunk. So I came home and slept like shit by myself.
Opening up the message thread, I can see that while Lis didn’t respond to my message last night, she has sent me one this morning.
Lis:Hey, already at work, early start and it’s chaos here. Good luck with your meeting today, I’ll come over after work, if you’re going to be home? There’s something I want to chat with you about.
I glance at the time,noticing she sent the message over two hours ago, before I type out a response.
Me:Thanks, babe and YES, please come over, I missed you last night. Hope work isn’t too crazy. Also, any hints??
I swallowhard as I stare at our messages, all of that worry I’ve had over the past few days still swirling in my head as I try to figure out if something really is wrong with us. And what it is that she wants to chat with me about. Clearly, it’s something serious, something that can’t be said in a text message, but what?
Maybe she’s changed her mind about coming with me if I make it back on the team? It’s the only real thing I can come up with because I can’t believe for one second that Lis wants to break up. Not now, not after everything we’ve been through.
I wait to see if she texts me back, but no message comes through, and I try to chalk it up to her being busy at work. She did say it’s chaos there and she has been off for a few days, so I’m sure she has heaps to catch up on.
Instead, I get up, wandering into the kitchen to put on some coffee. After I’ve grabbed a cup, I head back to my bedroom, pulling on a t-shirt as I see our unpacked bags still sitting on the floor by my desk.
I’d meant to unpack them yesterday, but then Alex had texted, and I’d hung out with the guys before eventually coming home and crashing. Now though, I have no excuse, so I take a sip of coffee, leaving my mug on the desk as I grab both bags, open them up and empty the contents onto my bed, figuring I’ll put in a load and then maybe head down and see if I can help Lis out at the lodge. It feels like the least I can do for her.
A pile of clothes and other shit falls out and I begin separating out our dirty clothes from everything else, smiling when I hold up the tiny string bikini Lis had been wearing when I came home from golf. Fuck, she looked so good in it, and it had taken all of my self-control not to tug on the strings when we’d jumped in the pool together that afternoon.
Just as I’m about to grab the clothes, my phone pings with a notification. Thinking it’s a message from Lis, I grab it, my smile falling when I see it’s an alert, reminding me of the PT appointment I have in 30 minutes.
“Fuck,” I say, quickly organizing an Uber as I leave the dirty clothes on my bed and instead pull on a t-shirt and some sweats before grabbing my sneakers.
Mandy callsme into her office not long after I arrive and when I walk in, I see that instead of a video conference, it’s actually now going to be a face-to-face meeting, because my coach is here in Badger Creek, along with the team doctor.
“Nick,” the coach says, smiling as he stands and holds out his hand. “You’re looking good.”
“Ah, thanks,” I reply, trying to mask my confusion as I say, “I thought this was going to be a video meet?”
The coach smiles, sitting back down beside the team doctor as he says, “It was, but then we had some time on our hands and thought why not come and see you in person, get an idea of how that knee of yours is doing. It’s looking good by the way, you walked in here like you weren’t even injured.”
I glance at Mandy, who for the first time in as long as I’ve been coming here, isn’t smiling. When I turn back to the coach and doctor, they’re both smiling up at me, with what I’m guessing is my file resting on the team doc’s lap.”
“Um, I mean yeah, thanks. It’s definitely getting better,” I say, taking the last spare seat, as Mandy sits beside me.
“Great,” the coach says, clapping his hands together. “Doc here has had a look through your file, and it looks as though things are coming together nicely, so we were thinking we might be able to accelerate the rehab, get you back out there sooner than we thought.”
“Accelerate?” I ask, shooting Mandy a quick look. She’s clearly not happy about this suggestion, the look on her face telling me she doesn’t agree with what the coach is saying.
“Yes,” the coach confirms. “We thought perhaps it was time to get you back out on the slopes, see what kind of form you have.”
Mandy shifts beside me, leaning forward a little as she says, “I’m just going to voice my concern and objection to this plan.Again.It’s far too early for Nick to risk skiing just yet. He’s had a major injury that required extensive surgery and rehab. Rehab that isstillongoing.”
I turn to her. “You think it’s too early?” I ask, knowing that as frustrated as I’ve been about not skiing, the last thing I want is to reinjure myself. That would be a death sentence for sure.
