Page 45 of Triple Pucked
Cody cocks his head, and his hair falls over his eyes. “I’m your awesome physio and I have these cool skills like knowing when you’re lying to me. Are you in pain? Did I push you too hard today?”
I place the cake carefully back onto my plate, licking my fingers. “You didn’t push me hard enough.”
“We have a plan and we’re sticking to it. Mike and the other consultants would kick my ass if I messed up your recovery by going too fast.”
“Why am I still…?” I break off, frustrated.
“Still getting symptoms…? It’s different for every person.” Cody shuffles closer. “You’re making good progress, but it’s more complicated in your case. You had more injuries, before the one that happened on the ice. We’ll just take it day by day. And what other physio rewards with cake?”
He means because I was already broken long ago.
He’s right.
I may have saved my brother from the Room, but the boy that I’d been died in the darkness next door.
Phoenix was born from the ashes.
But I was never the same.
Cody is watching me with understanding eyes. I hate what it means that he can understand.
My jaw clenches.
Cody stuffs the rest of the cake into his mouth; it puffs out his cheeks, until he looks like a squirrel.
Impressive technique.
I watch him blankly, as he works his way through his massive mouthful with a blissed out expression, finally swallowing.
Then he pats his flat stomach. “Tribute accepted. Hey, do you want to take some of this back for my sis and your bro?”
“And Jude.”
“I hope that Mike isn’t home late again tonight. He’ll fucking melt when I serve this for dessert.”
I stand up, grabbing a cloth.
I start to clean the flour off the counter. “Mike doesn’t melt.”
Ridiculous.
It would be like me melting.
Cody leans back against the counter.
His smile becomes wicked. “Oh, you’d be surprised. Just between us, when we’re alone the stern doctor can be soft and tender. In fact, one serving of this…” He points at the blackberry cake. “…and our roles can even be reversed, if you know what I mean.”
He waggles his eyebrows.
I stare at Cody. Then peer suspiciously at the cake.
Is it that powerful?
Perhaps, I can offer some to Robyn and then offer for her to peg me.
I’ve been wondering what that would feel like, since I overheard Shay and her discussing it last month, while they lay tangled together in bed.
Cody laughs. “Are you plotting making my sis melt?”
