Page 68 of My Best Bet

“Yeah.” She responded too quickly, smoothing her hair behind her ears.

My hand trailed down her body again, but she was slightly pulling away from my touch. Alarm bells went off in my brain. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She turned her attention back to the TV, trying to dismiss it.

“Mer, what was that? Are you hurt?”

She just shrugged against me.

“Meredith,” I said more forcefully.

Realizing I wasn’t letting this go, she reluctantly looked back at me. “It’s nothing.”

She was lying.

Without hesitating, I tugged down her leggings to reveal deeply bruised skin covering her hip and ass cheek. it felt like my whole body was doused in cold water.

She tried to pull away from me, but I wouldn’t let her.

“Mer, what the actual fuck?” I couldn’t tear my eyes away. My whole body went shaky. “That’s not okay, you have to go in and get that looked at, baby.”

“No, I don't.”

My eyes bulged. “You’re injured.”

“Well, I don’t have time for an injury,” she said quietly.

“It looks like you broke your fucking hip,” I argued.

“I didn’t.” She rolled her eyes, acting like I was just being overprotective. “It’s just a bone bruise.”

“How do you know?”

She shrugged. “Because.”

“Because?” My eyes bulged. “That’s it? Have your coaches seen that? Do they know how bad that is? You shouldn’t be skating right now. What if you fall on it?”

“Oh my God, Colt.” She laughed and looked at me like I was losing my mind. Iwas. “Calm down.”

“I can’t, Mer. You’re injured.”

Her eyes softened and she smoothed a hand down my chest. “Yes, my coaches know. I’m fine.”

“You’re not in pain?” I asked dubiously. She was full of shit. Her skin was fucking purple.

“Andy gave me some painkillers.”

A cold terror ran down my spine. I stayed silent for a second to reign in my emotions, but it didn’t work. “Andy?” I burst out. “You’re shitting me, Mer. Do you even know if they’re safe? You should go to a doctor. Arealdoctor. I’ll call one right fucking now.” I moved to get up.

“Stop, Colt.” She grabbed my arm. “You’re overreacting. They’re fine. His coach, Vlad, gives them to everyone. Why are you acting so weird? I don’t criticize how you train. You’ve covered up injuries too, remember when you took that slapshot to your ankle last year? It was, like, twice the size of your other one and you kept skating, so I don’t want to hear it from you.”

We stared at each other, neither of us wanting to back down.

After a minute, I broke and rubbed my forehead.

She had a point. But my pain and her pain were totally different in my mind, which I knew was a double standard, but I couldn’t fucking stomach her hurting.

“You’ve gotta be in pain,” I said.

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