He shook his head. “Nah, it’ll be fine.”
“That knee is already sore,” she said. “If it was already injured, then -”
“I said it’s fine, Kira.” He collapsed on the bench before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. But,” he lowered his voice, “it’ll be fine. Trust me. The ball didn’t hit me that hard, all right? I have a bad knee and the ball happened to hit it wrong. It’ll be back to normal in the morning.”
She gave him a doubtful look as Daniel joined them. He held his hand out to Connor. “Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Go away, Daniel,” Kira said.
“It’s all right, Kira.” Connor shook Daniel’s hand. “Appreciate the apology.”
“Kira, can I talk to you for a second?” Daniel said.
“No,” Kira replied. “I’m busy. I’ll call you later.”
Daniel looked like he was going to reply, but the umpire shouted, “Time’s wasting, let’s get back to it.”
“Sorry again, doc.” Daniel jogged back to the pitcher’s mound.
Jack appeared with ice wrapped in a towel and plopped it down on Connor’s knee. He winced but gave the man a nod of thanks.
“Put your foot up on the bench,” Jack said.
Connor swung his leg up obediently, balancing the ice pack on his knee and smiled at Kira. “I’m good, but I won’t be playing. You don’t need to stick around and watch the game.”
She frowned but before she could reply, Jack touched her arm. “The game’s starting. You need to go back to bleachers.”
She wanted to sit on the bench with Connor and badger him into going to the hospital. Instead, she made herself smile at him and said, “I’m sticking around. I’ll see you after the game.”
“Yeah, sure.” Connor’s voice was distracted and the way he grimaced when he shifted the ice pack, suggested he was in more pain than he would admit.
Worry gnawing at her belly, Kira headed back to the bleachers.
* * *
Kira stared at Connor, wondering if the hurt she felt was clearly written across her face. “You don’t want me to come back to your place and help you?”
She was standing next to him in the parking lot of the sports complex. The game had ended almost half an hour ago and most of the players were long gone. After it took nearly twenty minutes for Connor to limp his way to his car, Kira was even more determined that at the very least, she should go back to his apartment and help him somehow.
“No, it’s not that. Honestly, I don’t need help. My knee is already feeling better,” Connor said.
“Is it?” She studied the way he stood, barely putting any weight on his right leg. “Because it doesn’t look like it is.”
“It is,” he insisted. “But it is sore, and I’m tired, and I won’t be very good company tonight.”
“I don’t mind,” she said. “I can make you something to eat and bring you ice packs. Whatever you need.”
“No, really, it’s good,” he said. “It’s Saturday night. You should go and have fun with Grace and Addison.”
“I don’t want to,” she said. “I want to go home with you and make sure you’re okay. Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there, all right?”
“I said no,” he said.
This time she was certain he could see the hurt on her face.
He grimaced and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. Look, I’m not the most fun guy to be around when I’m in pain, all right? I’ll probably just take some Tylenol and go to bed early. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve been through this before and it’ll be fine in the morning. I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Bye, Connor.” She knew when to admit defeat.
He squeezed her hand again before carefully easing behind the wheel. She watched as he turned the car on and then waved goodbye. His face was a solid block of pain as he drove away.
* * *
“I know you’re angry, but I really don’t think my brother did it on purpose.” Addie plopped down on the couch next to Kira and patted her leg. “Daniel’s selfish, but he’s not deliberately malicious or cruel.”
Kira sighed. “Yeah, I know. I was just pissed at him. I’ll text him tomorrow.”
“Maybe he really is jealous.” Grace was sitting in one of the recliners. “Maybe he didn’t mean to do it on purpose per se but ended up taking out that jealousy on Connor in some sort of macho bullshit way.”
“That does kinda sound like Daniel,” Addie said.
“Yeah, maybe.” Kira glanced at her phone again. Maybe she should text Connor, just to make sure he was okay. She’d already texted him once to see if he made it home and he had replied, but it’d been half an hour. Maybe he was reconsidering his decision to be alone. She could just confirm –
“Kira!”
“What?” She stared at Grace.
“I said that you didn’t seem that happy about Daniel’s potential jealousy,” Grace said.
“I’m worried about Connor,” Kira replied. “I think he was in more pain than he let on. Besides, if the way Daniel shows jealousy is by trying to hurt Connor, then I don’t want him to be jealous. I just want him to leave us alone.”
She didn’t miss the way Gracie glanced at Addie. Kira frowned at her. “What?”
“What were you and Connor going to do tonight if he hadn’t gotten hurt?” Addie asked.
Kira blushed. “I told you, get to know each other a little better.”
“Oh yeah? By talking or kissing?” Addie said.
Her face went even hotter. “Does it matter?”
Grace took a swig of beer. “Have you and Connor had sex, Kira?”
“What? Of course, we haven’t. You know this isn’t real.”
“We know it isn’t,” Grace pointed to herself and to Addie, “but we’re starting to wonder if you and Connor do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Addie gave her a delicate look, “that you and Connor are acting like a real couple.”
“That’s the point,” Kira said.
“You’re a little too good at it, if you know what I mean,” Grace said.
“No, I don’t think I do,” Kira replied.
“Look, you told us that Connor doesn’t like PDAs, right?” Grace said.
“He doesn’t.”
“Then why can’t he seem to stop touching you whenever you’re in public?” Addie said.
“I – well, because he’s trying to help me make Daniel jealous,” Kira said. “He’s doing what I asked him to do.”
“Yeah, well,” Grace drank more beer, “then Connor deserve an Oscar for his performance because the possessive way he gets around you is more than convincing.”
Kira didn’t reply and Addie touched her leg. “It’s not a bad thing if you’re sleeping with Connor, honey.”
“We’re not,” Kira said. “We’re not, but we…”
“Ooh girl, no stopping now.” Grace swung her legs over the recliner. “Not when it’s just starting to get good.”
“We’ve done some… stuff.”
“What kind of stuff. Be specific, Kira. Specificity is important.” Grace grinned at her.
“He’s seen me without my, um, shirt and bra, and he’s,” Kira made a motion toward her tits, “done stuff to me, here.”
“How was it?” Addie asked.
“Amazing,” Kira said. “He’s not just good at kissing.”
“Did he make you come?” Grace asked.
“Grace Louella Larken!”
Grace made a face. “Ugh…Louella. God, my parents hate me.”
Addie giggled. “It could be worse. My middle name is Mabel for God’s sake.”
Grace grinned at her before wiggling her eyebrows at Kira. “Did he, babe?”
“No, we haven’t, I mean… we just kind of fooled around a little.”
“But you want to do more,” Grace said.
Shit. She hated how we
ll Gracie knew her. “Yes. Okay? Yes. Last night I asked him to come in and show me some other stuff. He said no because I was tipsy but said that if I was still interested tonight, he would come over. I’ve decided that I’ll have a better chance with Daniel if I know some sex stuff. Like, not necessarily sex, but you know…”
“Handies and blowies?” Grace made the universal wanking off sign in front of her mouth as her tongue pushed against her cheek.
“Gross, Gracie.” Kira tried to scowl at her, but a giggle slipped out.
“Is blowie even a sex term for fellatio?” Addison said.
Grace shrugged. “I dunno but it’s better than saying - hey, Connor, will you give me a lesson on fellatio? I would like to learn how to fellate like a fornicating fool.”
Kira burst into laughter and even Addie giggled. “You’re nuts, Gracie.”
“Yep,” Gracie said solemnly. “Okay, let’s recap. Kira and Connor are in a fakey-fake relationship. Dr. ‘I Don’t Like PDAs” Connor puts on an Oscar-worthy performance as her boyfriend complete with the most public displays of PDAs I’ve ever witnessed. Kira is asking him for not-quite-sex lessons to improve her chances with Daniel, even though she suddenly doesn’t seem to care all that much that Daniel might be jealous. Are we all caught up?”
“I care,” Kira protested. “I love Daniel.”
“Do you, though?” Grace said.
“I do,” Kira insisted. “I just – I’m attracted to Connor and he’s attracted to me and with as much sex experience as Daniel has -”
“Gross.” Addie drained her wine glass.
“I just think it would be the smart idea to not go into this completely naïve to sex. I’m not going to give up my virginity or anything to Connor, but there’s no harm in fooling around a bit. We both know what this is.”
“Are you sure? Because this sounds like a really quick way to complicate things,” Grace said.
“It isn’t,” Kira said. “We’re both adults and why shouldn’t I have a little fun with him? I’m not going to have sex with him.”
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Grace said to Addie.
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” Addie said.
“Fuckin A, Addie. Fuckin’ A.” Grace raised her beer bottle to Addie in a salute before taking another swig.
“I’m not having sex with him,” Kira repeated. “But, even if I for some weird reason decided to have sex with Connor, what’s the big deal? You’re always telling me that a woman’s virginity is nothing special, Gracie.”
“And you’re always telling me it is,” Grace said.
Kira just shrugged. “Maybe I’m changing my mind.”
“Which is your right and we will support you no matter who you choose to be your first banging partner,” Grace said. “But that being said, think carefully about whether this infatuation with Connor is worth giving up something you’ve held on to for a deliberate reason.”
“You don’t think having sex with Connor is the right decision?”
“I didn’t say that,” Gracie replied. “Ultimately, it is completely your choice who you sleep with for the first time. But remember that Connor isn’t interested in a relationship. I don’t want you getting hurt, honey.”
“I won’t,” Kira said. “I know this is fake and, besides, my feelings for Connor are just lust. But, like Addie said before, maybe it isn’t such a good idea to save yourself for just one person. Why shouldn’t I do a little tasting off the menu? Right, Addie?”
“Do as I say and not as I do,” Addie said.
“So, you regret that Harrison is the only guy you’ve slept with?” Kira said.
Addie hesitated. “I don’t – I mean, obviously I love Harrison and want to spend the rest of my life with him, but there might be a little bit of – not regret – but more curiosity about what other guys may or may not be like in bed.”
“You ready to share who you have a dirty little crush on yet, Addie-pants?” Grace said with a grin.
Addison pulled at the pearls around her neck. “I already told you, no one in particular.”
“Okay, Addie, whatever you say.” Grace pointed her beer bottle at Kira. “Honey, we love you and we want what’s best for you. Just make sure you think long and hard about any decisions you make regarding Connor, okay?”
“I will,” Kira said. “Stop worrying, Gracie. I’m not thinking that Connor is falling for me or something like that. He wouldn’t even let me help him tonight. The only reason we were going to hang out tonight was because of the sex stuff. Once he knew that was off the table, he didn’t want me anywhere near him. Those aren’t the actions of a guy crushing on a girl.”
“Maybe,” Addison said. “Or maybe he just didn’t want you to see him in pain. It’s like the guy at the game said. Some guys are super weird about women seeing them in pain. Makes them think they’ve lost their man card or something.”
Addison’s phone buzzed and she checked it before bouncing to her feet. “I have to go. My mom just got a migraine and Dad is at his woodworking club. If she needs to go to the hospital, I’ll need to drive her.”
“Your poor mom,” Kira said. “Give her our love.”
“I will.” Addie gave them a distracted smile before leaving. The front door slammed, and Grace gave Kira another shrewd look.
“Now that it’s just you and me, is there anything else you want to say?”
“Nope,” Kira said. “I don’t have feelings for Connor, and he doesn’t have feelings for me.”
Grace drank the last of her beer. “If you say so, Kira-bear.”
Chapter Thirteen
Shit. He was in trouble. He knew it even before he was fully awake. Knew it even before he threw the covers back and saw the swollen purple mess that used to be his right knee.
He sat up, groaning loudly when it sent fire radiating from his knee down to his toes. He grabbed the pill bottle from his nightstand and muttered a curse. He’d taken the last leftover Percocet last night. It had done a great job of dulling the pain and allowing him to get some sleep, but now the agony had roared back to life, even worse than last night. Hell, had he been in this much pain since the surgery?
Shit. Double fucking shit.
Panic surged through him. What if he’d torn the ligaments again? What if he’d completely destroyed his knee and this time, they couldn’t put him back together again like Humpty Dumpty? He could forget about even playing baseball recreationally. Hell, he’d be fucking lucky if he didn’t have to use a cane for the rest of his life.
The panic made the pain worse, made his knee throb and pulse until he thought he might puke. He leaned back against the headboard, taking shallow breaths and waiting for the churning in his guts to settle.
Fuck, he really needed to take a piss. Moving slowly and carefully, holding his right leg steady with both hands just below his knee, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Just bending his knee sent fresh new agony through his leg up to his hip and he grabbed the pillow and buried his face in it to muffle his scream of pain.
Sweating, groaning under his breath, he lifted his right leg back onto the bed before reaching with a shaking hand for the bottle of Tylenol. He took four, chasing them down with a sip of water. The Tylenol might, if he was lucky, dull the pain enough for him to at least not scream when he bent his knee, but he couldn’t walk on it. He knew that without a doubt.
He needed to get his ass to the hospital and find out how much damage that asshole Daniel had done to him.
It wasn’t done on purpose.
No, maybe not, but he wasn’t exactly feeling charitable this morning. Because of Daniel, the likelihood of him pissing his own damn bed was high.
He grabbed his phone and then hesitated. Who the fuck could he call? If he called his parents, it would take them at least forty minutes to an hour to get here and forgetting his need to take a piss, Connor wasn’t sure he could stand the pain for that long. If he didn’t get to the hospital soon and get some goddamn
pain medication, he’d go insane.
Call Kira.
He took a deep breath and stared at his knee. He was wearing just a pair of boxers and even the thought of trying to get pants on past his swollen, angry knee made him want to vomit. Which meant that if he called Kira, she’d see his knee, see the scars from his surgery. She’d start asking questions and –
Who fucking cares! The alternative is calling your parents and then lying in a pool of pure agony and your own piss while you wait for them to show up. Is that what you want?
Nope. Definitely not. And if he was being truthful, he wanted to call Kira. Wanted the comfort of her soft voice and hands. Even if it meant having to tell her about the accident and the surgery.
His fingers trembling, he hit her number. She answered after only one ring, her voice a bit raspy. “Hey, Connor.”
“Hey, did I wake you?”
“No, I’m an early riser, even on the weekends. How’s your knee?”
“Uh, not great. I can’t, um, actually get out of bed or walk on it. I hate to ask, but do you think you could, uh, pop by and…”
“Text me your address. I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks, Kira.”
“Wait, if you can’t walk… how will I get into your apartment?” she said.
“Shit. I don’t suppose you’re any good at picking locks, huh?”
“Nope. But do you have a building supervisor or manager in the actual apartment building? Maybe you could text them and have them open the door for me?”
“You’re brilliant.” He shifted on the bed, grunting with pain.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll text Arnold and have him meet you downstairs in the lobby. Okay?”
“Text me your address and I’ll be there in about ten,” she said.
* * *
She was there in thirteen minutes. He heard his front door open and he could have wept with relief when Kira said. “Thank you so much, Arnold. It was very nice to meet you.”
The door shut and she called his name. “Connor?”
Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls, Book One) Page 15
