Page 76 of Get Me to the Starting Line

And not only this hip brace, but knee braces for ACL tears, similar to the one Paige had to wear for months. I think I could apply my idea across the board. This could be huge in the sports injury world, improving recovery by providing athletes proper rest and support while still allowing them to function at a higher level than the current braces do.

We’re eating a breakfast of eggs and toast when an idea pops into my head. I get up from the table abruptly, both boys following my movements, and make a quick call to work. Explaining to my boss that I’m out of office today doing field research, I ask if she can cover my class this morning.

“What’s wrong?” Julien asks when I join them at the table. I’m glad my small kitchen has a bench seat so Julien is able to sit as comfortably as possible.

“I’m coming to your appointment with Mateo today,” I tell him around a mouthful of cold eggs. Julien has a physiotherapy appointment almost every day with Mateo.

He raises a brow, leaning forward as much as he can to pick up the toast Levi threw on the table and toss it back to him. I sigh. Levi chucks it back onto the table and Julien absentmindedly returns it again.

Except he doesn’t realize he’s essentially taught my son that throwing food can be a game. I intercept the next pass of the now soggy, broken bread before Levi can get his grubby, dimpled hands on it again.

“I have an idea I want to run past him, see what he thinks.”

“An idea about what?”

“Your brace.” My eyes flick down to where the brace should be strapped on, but he’s not wearing it. Again.

This is the only other argument I can’t win with him. And what sparked my idea in the first place. He won’t wear the brace because it pinches and moves his hip in a painful, unnatural way.

But he’s over a foot taller than me and most likely a hundred pounds heavier. It’s not like I can force him down and strap the thing on myself. I definitely haven’t been daydreaming of doing just that.

He interrupts my torturous musings.

“Are you going running this morning?”

And this is an argument he isn’t winning. I haven’t been running since the game. I can’t bring myself to go alone.

“No.”

“Leah—” he starts.

“I’ll get back into it when things are a little more settled.”

“You don’t want to lose your progress,” he insists.

The thing is, I know he’s right. It’s been almost three weeks already and I know that’s too long. But I haven’t run without Julien since I started, and I don’t know if I can do it alone.

But I don’t want to ask—

“Paige would love to go with you,” he says quietly, knowing where my thoughts have gone.

I’m already shaking my head, and he sighs, muttering that word for stubborn in French again. The more I think about it as I go through my morning routine, the more it makes sense to ask. I’m not ready to do it by myself and Julien will be down for months.

Will she feel obligated to say yes? Is it too much to ask of her? Thinking of how Julien automatically started running with me without me having to ask, I almost wish Paige would show up and do the same. Almost being the key word there.

But she’s been careful talking about running the past month or so. It’s a touchy topic between us. And I can’t expect her to read my mind.

I hate it when Julien is right. And he’s going to get that smug expression on his face, the one that makes me want to punch him and kiss him in equal measure.

There has been no kissing, no talk of kissing, no mention of the kissing that took place in this very apartment. Everything has been overly PG, even in my room at night since Levi is there. I have a lot of pent-up energy, which has nowhere satisfying to go. And running isn’t exactly the way I’d want to release it anyway.

Julien hasn’t brought it up and neither have I. He’s injured, so it’s not like he could ... you know. And I haven’t brought up that I know his contract with the Whales is expiring and there’s talk of him moving back to Montreal. I can’t. I won’t make his decision more difficult.

We can’t be anything to each other.

Unless he decides to stay.

Going for a run could be a good way to clear my head of all my swirling thoughts. I lock myself in my room and call my sister.

---