Page 25 of Where the River Meets the Skye

“Ha, so you admit it,” Skye’s gaze jerked up to meet Nick’s as he pointed at his friend. “You do like her.” He was beaming as Nick flushed brightly and his eyes widened.

“No, I…I mean, ah, fuck.” He threw a french fry across the table, hitting Skye in the head.

Skye laughed. “Ask her out, man.” He picked the fry up from his own plate where it had landed and plopped it into his mouth.

“I can’t.” Nick frowned, his broad shoulders slumped.

“Why not? At least your crush is an option. Mine is straight and in a relationship. I’m screwed.”

Nick shook his head again. “She’s out of my league, man, I can’t expect her to date someone like me.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Skye said, eyebrows furrowed. He couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting to date Nick. He was the whole package. Gorgeous, sweet, fun, thoughtful.

“Jenna’s special. Smart and classy. I’m not like her. I’m messy, and scatterbrained, and I work at a goddamn hardware store. That’s not her. She needs to be with a banker, or a lawyer or something. Someone who can provide her with everything she needs and wants, and who dresses in suits and ties and can take her to the theater and spoil her. I can’t do that. I live in a one bedroom apartment and I’m still working on paying off my student debt. I got a degree that I don’t use. She doesn’t want to be saddled with that. Being friends with me is one thing, but dating me is something completely different.”

Skye sighed and shook his head now. He knew Nick was wrong, that Jenna had feelings for their friend. He’d noticed for a while now how they flirted with each other, looked at each other when they thought no one noticed. But he didn’t feel like it was his place to say so. Still it bothered him to hear Nick talk down about himself like that. Sure he’d gotten a degree he wasn’t using, but he loved his job and he worked hard. And the only reason he’d gotten a degree in psychology in the first place was because that’s what his parents had wanted him to do. He’d hated it, so when he’d graduated he’d gone a different route. And Skye had been proud of him for doing what he wanted, even if it meant letting his parents be disappointed. He’d worked his way up at the hardware store and was now the manager, and he was happy there. He wasn’t rolling in the money, but he was doing well enough.

“Enough about me,” Nick said, interrupting his thoughts. “You sure you and River aren’t gonna happen? I’ve seen the way he looks at you too, you know?”

Skye just laughed. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink, my friend.”

River

It had been six weeks since the accident, and River was finally back at work. He’d gotten his car back as well, though he wasn’t driving it yet, so Skye had become his chauffeur. It was getting cooler now in Indiana as fall gave way to winter and there was a chill in the air, though no snow covered the ground just yet.

River’s ribs were doing better. He had more range of motion now, and was finally able to sleep in his own bed.

Most of all he was just thankful to be off of the couch and out of the house, back to doing what he loved. His ankle wasn’t completely healed yet, but he could finally put weight on it, so the doctors had moved him from a cast to a boot, so he wasn’t completely immobilized, and he was making slow, steady progress. He was able to do things for himself now, which meant no more asking Skye for help getting in and out of the tub, or drying off, or getting up off of the couch to go to the bathroom, or awkwardly trying to figure out how to dress himself and asking for Skye’s help when he failed.

He was back at church and his weekly Bible study, thanks to Anna driving him back and forth, and, God, it felt good to be mostly him again.

Skye had taken him to additional doctor’s appointments to check on his ribs and ankle and make sure that everything was healing properly over the last several weeks, and so far, so good. Hopefully in a few more weeks he’d be able to get the boot off, too, and then back to the things he really wanted to be doing again, like running, and rock climbing. He never did them with Skye because his roommate hated running and he was afraid of heights.

He smiled thinking of all the things that made him and Skye different, wondering how on earth they had ever become best friends. But he wouldn’t trade it for the world. He loved Skye, more than anything. More than anyone. And just thinking that made his stomach do that weird flip thing again. Man, that was happening more and more lately whenever he thought about Skye. And he was smiling more and more whenever he thought about Skye, too. Even now he felt like he was missing him, which was ridiculous because they’d spent the entire weekend together. They lived together, for Pete’s sake. What is going on? Maybe it’s just because he was so good about taking care of me over the past few weeks.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out. It was Skye.

Hey, angel, I’m here. You ready?

River flushed at the endearment from his friend. Skye had been calling him that for years, and he’d always liked it. It lifted his spirits and made him feel special, but it had never made him react this way before. Be out in a sec, he replied. Just finishing up with a patient. They’re on ice. When they finish I’ll be done for the day.

You doing okay?

Mostly. My ribs and ankle are both a little sore but other than that I’m fine. I could use some ice of my own though.

I’ll take care of you when we get home and you can rest, okay? I want you to heal.

Thanks. See you in a bit, River didn’t even realize he had a huge smile spread across his face until he tucked his phone back in his pocket and his cheeks were a little sore.

However, he did notice the pain that made him hiss when he stood up. And it wasn’t coming from his ankle this time, or his ribs. It was coming from his tailbone. You’ve got to be kidding me. Now my ass is hurting too? Then he remembered back to when Dr. Rosemary had shown him the x-ray at the hospital when he’d had his accident. Crap. Seriously, I can’t get over one thing before something else starts?

Maybe it was just a one time thing. Maybe it was just the way he stood up, or maybe he’d been sitting down for too long. Maybe it was the chair. He knew in all practicality that it wasn’t any of those things, because he had seen the x-ray. He knew his tailbone was dislocated. But why was it waiting until now to cause him problems? Well, if it’s just when I stand up after sitting down on a hard chair for a while, I’ll manage.

But it wasn’t. Over the next couple of weeks the pain only intensified. Hard surfaces were the worst, and the longer he sat the more pain he was in when he stood–like someone was stabbing him in the rear end with a knife. It didn’t last long, but it was uncomfortable to say the least.

Eventually it got to the point where no matter where he sat, no matter how cushioned the seat was, the pain was just as bad when he stood, and he had to keep himself from wincing.

After a month had gone by, it was to the point where it hurt to sit at all.

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