Page 97 of Opening Strain

Luke’s prediction comes true as no sooner do we sit than I’m called in to get more tests. Soon, the three of us crowd the examining room where I sit on the table to give us some breathing room. Well, if Luke weren’t here, I’d have a bunch of other ideas.

The doctor enters the room and the smirk falls off my face. This is the moment of truth. After introductions, he dives right in. “How’s the groin pull, Mr. Hardy?”

“It’s a lot better. Physical therapy is really helping me heal.”

He nods his head. “Great. Miss Westfield, let’s take a look at his progress.”

Jenna moves around the room and stops next to me. “Sounds good, doctor.”

The doctor makes me do several movements, feels my upper thigh—Imuchprefer it when Jenna does this—and asks a steady stream of questions. While my muscle twinges, it’s not the searing pain from before, which has to be a good sign.

“Tomorrow night’s the kickoff of your tour, right?”

Luke answers for me. “Yes. We haven’t made a public announcement of his injury in the hope Bennett will be able to perform.”

The doctor nods and makes notes. “I need to go and get your test results. Ms. Westfield, would you like to come with me so we can review them together?” She agrees and they leave the room.

As soon as the door closes, Luke dives in. “What the hell is going on? Youarehooking up with Darren’s ex.”

“We’re not hooking up.”

Really.

Not much.

Yet.

Luke gives me the side-eye. “Right. And I haven’t been UC’s babysitter for nearly a decade.”

I busy myself putting my sweats back on. I have more pressing matters to discuss with my manager. “Last night, my high schoolgirlfriend appeared at the restaurant where Jenna and I were eating. She brought the paps with her.”

“Ah, fuck. Seriously? You brought not one problem, but two?”

“First, Jenna is not a problem, full stop. Second, I need you to put the PR team on alert about Lissa Baker.” I give him the rundown of what happened last night as well as our history. “She’s nuts if she thinks I’ve been pining away for her.”

“Crap. Please tell me you don’t have any more skeletons in your closet. I’ve had to deal with this sort of shit from the rest of the guys, but you swore you were clean.”

Images of my mother pop into my mind, but I shunt them away. She’s remained under the radar this long; there’s no need to think she’ll be media fodder now. “No, that’s it.”

Luke taps on his phone, then focuses on me. “Tell me about you and Jenna. Don’t try to say nothing’s going on because I have eyes.”

Luke is UC’s manager. If I have my way and she joins us on tour, he needs to be armed with the facts. I sigh. “I think I’m falling in love with her.”

His hand slaps his forehead. “Seriously, B? Even a grade three groin pull didn’t make you keep it in your pants?”

I growl, “It’s not like that, douche. She’s . . . special.”

“Didn’t we already go through this with Darren?” At the firm set of my jaw, he continues, “Love? You don’t do love.”

“Maybe I was waiting to meet the right woman.”

“How am I going to break the news to the guys? 007?”

“We can tell them the truth,” I suggest. “They’ll have to respect me.”

“What about her? Does Jenna love you back?”

His question stops me short. I think so. At least, I hope she does. “I’m not sure.”

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