Page 79 of A Love That Broke Us
I shift, pressing my fingers into the joint, trying to work out a knot that won’t let go. The ibuprofen should’ve kicked in by now. Maybe it’s just not strong enough. Maybe it never really worked in the first place.
Myeyes flick to the kitchen. The cupboard. Second shelf. The bottle’s still there.
Stop.
“Jensen?”
I blink. She’s watching me, waiting for a response. I force a nod and reach for my water, taking a slow sip—anything to buy time.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Sorry. Zoned out.”
She studies me for half a second too long… then keeps talking.
One day. That’s all. One fucking day without it. My knee pulses with a slow, familiar ache. I exhale, rubbing my jaw, forcing my eyes away from the cupboard.
I can do this.
“Babe.” Alley’s standing in front of me.
My brain stalls for a beat, and I force my gaze to hers. “Yeah?”
Her brows knit. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I shake it off. Push it down. “Yeah… sorry. Just a stressful day at work. I guess I brought it home with me. Sorry.”
“I’m sorry, babe. That sucks.” Her eyes flick to my knee, then back to me. “Have you made an appointment yet? You can’t take ibuprofen forever, you know. Even one dose a day isn’t good for you.”
“Yeah, I know. I called today. I’ve got an appointment Friday.”
Jesus.She’s worried about me taking it once a day, and I’m over here counting down the minutes until I can take my fourth dose.
She sits across from me on the coffee table, careful not to bump my leg. Her hand finds my calf, a comforting presence.
“That’s good. I’m glad you’re finally going in.” She leans forward for a kiss, then pulls back with a grin so big it tugs my lips into a smile without even trying. “I have fun news.”
I cock a brow. “Yeah? What is it?”
“Zach and Joey got engaged! I’m so excited and happy for them!”
“That’s awesome! When did that happen, this past weekend?”
“Yeah. I think they’ll get married next summer. You should’ve seen Zach at work. He was glowing. It was so cute. They’ll probably have a big party this weekend or next, just FYI.”
“Well, we’ll make sure we’re there. That should be fun.”
“Yeah. It will be… Okay, I’m gonna go hop in the shower. You good? Need anything?” she asks, giving my leg a gentle rub, her eyes flicking to the ice pack.
“Nah, I’m good, babe.”
“Alright.” She leans in, kissing me softly before standing. As she walks away, she tosses a glance over her shoulder. “You know you can join me… if you want.”
My lips curve slowly.
Turns out, my knee doesn’t hurtthatbad. I’ll limp if I have to.
“Right behind you,” I call, tipping back the last of my water and setting the glass down before rising to follow her. She’s already peeling her clothes off as she disappears down the hall.
Funny how the sight of her bare ass works better than any painkiller.
