Page 41 of Trust Me

“I will. If you don’t hear from me, it’s probably because I’m sleeping.”

He nods, then sets the dishes down on my side table and rushes to the bathroom. Coming out, he carries two towels with him, walking back over to me.

“Here, use these to warm up,” he instructs, placing the warmed-up towels on me, one on my legs, the other on my upper half.

“Oh my God, this is amazing,” I moan, loving how soft and warm the towels are.

“Good,” he says all too quickly, taking the dishes and darting out of my room faster than he did before.

I start to wonder why, but sleep overtakes me once more, erasing it from my mind for the time being.

Chapter 19

Elio

“McCoy, are your skates dull or did you forget how to haul your ass?” I shout, taking out my frustration on him.

To his benefit, McCoy doesn’t talk back, skating harder at the station he’s in.

Why am I frustrated?

That would be because I’m stuck here while my roommate is at home, sick. I want to be there and take care of her, not here. It’s driving me mad thinking about all the what-ifs.

Pulling out my phone, I send her a text, despite having left only an hour ago.

Pocketing my phone, I try to focus on the practice in front of me instead of impatiently waiting for her response. I know she might be sleeping, but I still worry. It’s unnerving how concerned I’ve been since I heard her weak voice over the phone.

It’s as if a switch flipped inside of me, and I haven’t been able to turn it off. Hell, I’ve gone as far as touching her, and it’s been a testament to my control. Because now I know how soft her skin is, how good she feels in my arms.

Oh, and seeing her in her panties? Jesus. Christ.

My thoughts are cut short when Ned skates over to me. “What’s going on, Mazzo? You seem agitated tonight,” he observes, eyes focused on the guys doing their drills.

I release a breath, coming up with a bullshit excuse. “I have a lot of assignments and shit to do, that’s all.”

Ned levels me with a surprised look on his face. “You? Stressed about schoolwork? Since when?”

Shit, I should’ve known that would be a crap excuse. Ned knows how easy school is for me. “Yeah, I forgot what it’s like to be in school. I’m still adjusting to coaching and being a student,” I lie.

“If you ever need a break, let me know, kid.” He claps me on the shoulder, making me chuckle. I’m far from a kid, but that’s how he looks at me, like one of his own.

We have the boys skate a few more drills before calling it quits an hour later. I still haven’t gotten a text from Jasmine, which makes my leg bounce nervously as I wait for Ned to finish up his speech in the locker room.

Once we dismiss them, I grab my bag from my office, then book it to my car. I race home, running a red light or two after checking that no one was coming the other way.

“Mr. Mazzo,” Colin, my doorman, says, tipping his hat toward me.

“Have a good night, Colin,” I say over my shoulder, not stopping in my trek to my apartment. I usually stop to talk to him about his wife and kids, but not now.

Minutes later, I’m barreling through my apartment door. I notice that everything looks the same, meaning she hasn’t moved from her room, which is good, but also not, because it means she still feels like crap.

I head to her room and push her slightly open door wider. I see her curled on her side, her blanket wrapped tightly around her body. She’s breathing peacefully, her curls covering parts of her face.

Even sick, she’s the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.

I ball my fist up at my side, fighting the urge to lean over and brush them out of her face. Just as I’m about to turn on my heel and leave, her sleepy voice fills the room.

“Elio?”

---