Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,58
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?”
“Hey,” he shouted. “The bedroom is the last door on the left.”
Ten seconds later, the door opened, and both Kira and Gideon walked into the room. Kira crossed the room and stared horrified at his knee. “Oh, Connor.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said.
“I call bullshit on that,” Gideon said.
“Hey, Gideon,” Connor said.
“I called Gideon and asked him to meet me here because I don’t think I’m strong enough to help support you,” Kira said. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah, that was a good idea.” Shit, she really was fucking brilliant. “Not to be rude, but I really need to use the bathroom.”
“Right, of course.” She stepped back. “Gideon, can you help him?”
“Sure.” Gideon stepped closer to the bed and studied his knee. “Christ, that looks fucking painful. You gonna pass out on me when I get you standing?”
“No,” Connor said.
“You sure?”
“Mostly. But I am going to piss the damn bed in about two minutes.”
“Well, in that case,” Gideon said, “let’s get your ass to the bathroom.”
* * *
“Hey, remember last night when I was crouching over your body and telling you that you needed to go to the hospital? Is this a good time to tell you I told you so?” Jack ducked past the curtain in the emergency room and grinned at Connor.
Connor grimaced. “Please tell me I’m not your patient.”
“You bet your sweet dentist ass, you are,” Jack replied with another grin. He held his hand out to Kira. “We haven’t formally met. Jack Reed.”
“Kira Walker. I’m Connor’s girlfriend.” She probably didn’t need to say that, but she liked saying it. If she hadn’t been so freaked out about Connor’s knee, she might have stopped to wonder why she liked it so much.
“Nice to meet you, Kira.” Jack gave her hand a firm shake before grabbing the chart from the end of Connor’s bed. “We’ll do an X-ray first to make sure there isn’t a fracture or dislocation and then we’ll go from there.”
He eyed Connor’s swollen knee. “Talk to me about your knee history.”
Connor glanced at Kira and for a moment, she was certain he was going to ask her to leave. To her relief, he reached for her hand instead.
“Just before I graduated high school, I was out on a quad with friends. I had an accident and I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus.”
Connor’s voice was flat, but she could see how tense his body was, feel that tension leaking out from his hand into hers.
“What grade were the tears?” Jack’s voice had lost all of its previous good humour.
“Grade three tears on both the MCL and the meniscus.”
“Okay.” Jack bent over the bed and studied Connor’s knee. “Arthroscopic?”
Connor nodded. “Yeah, all in one shot. They repaired the MCL and meniscus and reconstructed the ACL.”
“I’m assuming it was an autograft?” Jack said.
“Yes. The surgeon said it would significantly decrease the risk of re-rupture.” Connor’s hand squeezed down on hers briefly and he swallowed hard. “But I know the risk of re-rupture can increase in your thirties.”
“Usually closer to thirty-five.” Jack was studying his