“That said, you need to keep the hand and arm immobilized as much as possible so it heals. Follow up with an orthopedist within the week. No lifting or stress on the hand or you risk injuring surrounding blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. And keep the splint dry.”
The splint covered his entire hand, keeping his pinky and ring finger in place. The bruising on the knuckles of the other two fingers was still visible.
He was going to be in pain, something the doctor confirmed when he wrote up a prescription for painkillers. “If those make you sick, ibuprofen or acetaminophen might take the edge off. But for the first twenty-four hours, try to take the prescription as written and use the ice.”
“Thank you,” Kade said, sounding deflated at all the restrictions and issues he’d caused himself.
When the doctor finally left, Kade turned to Lexie. “Can you let Derek and Luke know the results?”
She nodded. “Of course. Is your housekeeper there to help you with meals?” Lexie asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
She frowned, not liking the idea of him going home alone, taking painkillers, and doing too much with his dominant, injured hand. “I’ll come back with you and help you get settled,” she decided out loud, reassuring herself it was the right thing to do.
“On the clock?” he asked.
Surprised by the question, her gaze shot to his only to find him grinning at her, and she realized he was mimicking her similar question of the night before. He’d asked her to stay for dinner, and she’d wanted to know if it was business. He wanted to know the same thing now.
“No,” she admitted, not questioning herself too much. Because she knew she wouldn’t like the direction the truth would take her.
With her sister’s issues, Lexie didn’t have time for a real relationship. She couldn’t afford messy feelings for her boss. And though she feared that was exactly where she was headed, she knew nothing could come of it as long as she had to put Kendall first.
It was, Lexie thought, the story of her life.
* * *
Kade settled in on his couch, reclining the chair and trying to get comfortable despite the raging pain in his hand. Although he hadn’t wanted to take the narcotic the doctor had prescribed and deal with feeling woozy, Lexie had insisted. And with the pain increasing, especially after how the X-ray tech had manipulated his hand, Kade had finally agreed.
Lexie had the driver stop for a hamburger from McDonald’s so he didn’t take the pill on an empty stomach and then watched as he swallowed. She was the ultimate caregiver, something he’d never experienced in any woman before.
Though she was his PA, any way he sliced it, this wasn’t in her job description. Then again, he was light-headed and feeling no pain due to the narcotic. His judgment probably couldn’t be trusted at the moment. He kind of liked the feeling of not worrying about a damned thing.
He picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, settling on a movie he couldn’t name. His head spun, and he saw two of everything on the screen. Nice, he thought, leaning back against the headrest.
“Here are some things I thought you might need,” Lexie said, walking in from the kitchen, carrying a bottle of water and a bag of Twizzlers. “Your favorite.” She smiled and placed the items on the tray between two seats. “Can I open the bag for you?”
He nodded, realizing for the first time how immobile and ineffectual he would be. “This was really an asshole move,” he muttered. “I can’t believe this.” He gestured to the hand he was icing with his good one.
She curled into the chair next to him, tucking her legs primly beneath her. She opened the bag and handed him a piece of the red candy. He took a bite, savoring the burst of cherry flavor.
“So … anything you want to get off your chest?” she asked. “Like why you felt the need to punch the wall?”
His mind wandered, from his past to Julian. “Assholes. I’m frustrated by assholes.”
She waited patiently, which was a good thing, because his brain was like mush, and he had to search for his thoughts. “An old friend is suing us for a stake in the company and for the money we’ll get upon taking Blink public.”
“I read about the lawsuit,” she admitted. “Does he have a case?”
“Fucking lawyers said he’s got enough to stand on that we should settle. And now Julian’s dug up old dirt on me. He found a girl who claims I raped her in college.” The words came out fuzzy to his ears.
“What? No!” Lexie said, immediately coming to his defense, which, addled brain or not, managed to surprise him. Her blue eyes widened in horror, but he instinctively knew it wasn’t at him.
“How do you know?” he asked.
She grabbed his good hand, leaning over the divider between the two seats, and met his gaze. “I just do. I trust my instincts. Always have. And you might be an arrogant ass and an occasional jerk, but you’re not a rapist!”
“Tell it to the judge,” he muttered.