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“This is too heavy.”
A laugh burst from me before I could stop it. “I’m happy to carry it if it’s too much for you to handle, Big Guy.”
He smiled but shook his head. “I just meant you shouldn’t be putting this much pressure on your back while it’s healing. Not for extended periods of time.”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Usually it’s not so heavy, but I brought along my laptop to do some work later.”
When we reached the building, he held the door for me again. I groaned as we approached the stairs.
“We can take the elevator up. At least to the third floor. It’s best if you’re a little out of breath when we get back, but one flight ought to do it.”
I shook my head and gripped the railing. “I’m never getting in that elevator with you again.”
“Yeah, probably not a good idea,” he said and cleared his throat. His cheeks reddened, and I felt my own burn.
For the next ten minutes, I climbed while he stood behind me, offering words of encouragement.
Two flights up, I was such a sweaty, shaky mess, he told me to stop. “Why don’t you ride the elevator the rest of the way. I’ll walk up.”
I nodded, too out of breath to answer. When the elevator doors slid open on the fourth floor, he was already waiting. Dr. Cohen looked up when we walked into the office together, and Cammie smiled.
“Let’s cool down with some stretches,” Cal said. He placed my bag carefully on the floor by the table I’d laid on earlier and guided me to the middle of the room. We talked as little as possible while he worked me through a series of stretches, but when our time ended, I smiled and thanked him, loudly.
“When should I book my next appointment?” I asked. I didn’t need to raise my voice anymore since Dr. Cohen had inched closer to us as soon as his patient left.
“Let’s get on a Monday and Thursday schedule, if that works for you. That will give you enough rest days in between to recuperate.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” I grabbed my bag and waved at Cal, and Dr. Cohen for good measure, and made my way to the reception desk.
Cammie beamed at me. “First thing in the morning again?”
“Yes. I like to catch a ride with my mom on her way to work.”
“You’re all set then.” She glanced behind me as Dr. Cohen walked past us to his office and shut the door. “Let me walk you out,” she whispered, rising from her chair.
“You don’t need to,” I said as she pulled the bag from my shoulder.
“Dang, woman,” she said in the hall, hefting it with both hands. “You carry too much.”
“Trust me, that’s the least of my baggage.”
For some reason, we both started laughing. Cammie pressed the elevator button. “Look,” she said once the doors closed behind us. The elevator felt three times larger than when I stood inside with Cal. “I know this is entirely unprofessional, but Dr. Cardoso is like the big brother I never had. He’s also an amazing practitioner.”
I held up my hand to stop her. “I don’t need the sales pitch. He told me about the online reviews. We have an understanding.”
Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank goodness.”
“So, Cal’s like a brother to you?” I asked raising an eyebrow.
“I’m not blind,” she said. “The man is hot enough to melt butter in Antarctica, but I wouldn’t date him, even if I hadn’t sworn off men.”
“Why is that?” I asked. Not that it mattered, but Cammie and Cal seemed like a perfect match. She even had the same willowy frame and long blonde hair as Avery.
She shrugged. “Two broken people rarely make each other whole. At least not in my experience.”
“Maybe,” I said, softening my voice. There was something so likeable and sweet about Cammie. The thought of someone orsomething hurting her made me sad. “But in my experience, broken people like us make the best friends.”
She smiled. “You don’t seem broken to me, Rowan. Not in the way Cal and I are. I can’t wait to see what happens when you realize you’re not.”
