he retorted, grinning from ear to ear, and it only made me laugh harder. Hayden moved to stand behind me. Gripping my opposite hip, he inserted the needle with the utmost care and professionalism.
I screamed obnoxiously loud and jumped.
Hayden stepped in front of me, all worried and guilty. Needle poised in the air. "I'm so sorry!"
"I was just kidding. You didn't hurt me." I grinned.
His face dropped, unimpressed. "You know, you're a real jerk. I honestly thought I hurt you."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You didn't hurt me, I promise. I always gasp and jump because I hate needles, but you didn't hurt me."
Hayden stepped behind me and placed a Band-Aid over the injection site. I purposely wheezed in a loud breath of air.
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" I asked.
I turned around as Hayden shook his head. He capped the needle and placed it on the countertop.
"No, it wasn't actually."
"I'm not sure what I would do without you, Hayden." I smiled at him, appreciative of his kindness and consideration. He always had my best interest in mind. "Just make sure you're free the next time I need you."
"Anytime you want me to stick something in you, I'm your guy."
Fifty-One
"How do you feel?" Kova asked early the next morning as I shoved my duffle bag into my locker.
I had too much shit in there and had to squeeze it in. Maybe tomorrow I would clean it out. Probably not.
I glanced over my shoulder. Kova was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest, assessing me, and looking fresh as ever. Damn the man and his good looks.
Turning around, I shrugged casually, as if his presence didn't fluster me, but the truth was, it always did.
"Fine. Why?"
He tipped his chin toward my leg. Even that was sexy. Jesus Christ. I needed to get ahold of myself.
When I realized what he was referring to, my eyebrows shot up and my eyes snapped to his.
"Oh! You mean my Achilles?" I raised up on my toes and lightly bounced. I frowned. I didn't have a lick of pain. It wasn't even tender. In fact, when I woke up this morning, the injury hadn't crossed my mind like it usually did when I applied weight to my leg. I hadn't felt a thing.
"How could that have worked so quickly? I don't have any soreness. It feels??ormal." And it did. I wasn't sure how that was possible, but it was, and I felt great. I hadn't not had discomfort in the past year, and right now I felt like a million bucks.
The smallest smile tipped his mouth. He was proud of himself. Cocky bastard. I shouldn't be surprised. Kova was a perfectionist and strived to be the best at everything he touched.
"Today, after practice, I will do a light massage and then tomorrow we will do another round of blading."
Great. "Will your friend be there?"
"Yes. I will have him with me for today and tomorrow to supervise. Just because you do not have any pain right now does not mean you should push hard and do more."
"I won't."
Kova hesitated, then said, "You look refreshed."
I mused over his words. "I had another dose of vitamin B12. It's been a handful of days, but Hayden helped me do it right this time. It usually kicks in pretty quick."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. His expression dulled. He didn't say anything for a long minute before he gestured behind him. "Come. Let me tape up your ankle."
I followed Kova into the gym where I sat on the floor and lifted my foot into the air.
"I take it you're feeling better?"
"Better?" he asked, his voice piqued.
"Yeah, remember when you were at home sick last week?" I tried not to blush as I thought back to the night we texted. When he continued with his blank stare, I said, "We texted after the competition?? His brows pulled together. "You had to have been deathly ill to be gone for so long. Did you eventually get on medication? What did the doctor say?"
Kova was quiet for a long moment. I studied his somber face, trying to get a beat on what he was thinking. He was void of any expression, his focus solely on the task at hand.
"Vodka cures what medication cannot," he said, avoiding eye contact. He expertly taped up my foot and calf, then helped me stand. I adjusted my leotard, pulling at the elastic edges to stretch and fit better, waiting for instructions. He looked