Page 83 of Body Check

Except for when she crawled into my hospital bed. But I asked her to do it.

And I’d ask her again, every time.

Derek eyes me, pursing his lips.

“She was great. Perfectly supportive without being smothering.”

“I noticed you don’t go to her for PT. Only Zac and Graham.”

I wince. “So?”

“So, if there were any issues…”

“There aren’t any,” I tell him firmly.

“But if there were, you could tell me,” he says.

I scrub a hand over my face, preparing to bend the truth. “I have a thing for her. It’s inappropriate, so nothing will come of it. But it means I can’t work with her.”

His eyebrows go up. “Seriously?”

“It’s better for all of us if I keep my distance.”

“I thought you couldn’t stand her.”

“Kind of the opposite.”

He chokes out a laugh. “As long as there’s no funny business…”

I shake my head. “I’d never make her feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I just can’t go to her for PT.”

Not without destroying our relationship. She means too much to me for that.

“Understood,” Derek nods.

He dismisses me, and I hobble along to Dr. Hudson’s office. I hop up onto the exam table, and wait for his update.

Oh, fuck. I told Derek last week I was seeing someone. And now he knows I have feelings for Amelia. What if he puts the pieces together? Doc did. Gonzo did. Who the hell else will figure it out before she’s ready to announce it?

My heart starts to race, and I feel vaguely nauseous. There’s a faint ringing in my ears. Did I just ruin this? Will she forgive me?

The door opens, but I’m too deep into my panic to recognize it. My throat constricts and I swallow, trying to clear the lump.

“McKittrick?” Doc’s voice sounds far away. “Jason!”

My head jerks up, but it’s hard to concentrate on him. Everything is blurry. I blink a few times, but it’s not my contact lenses.

Doc snaps his fingers in front of my face, drawing my attention. “Breathe, son,” he says firmly.

I draw in a ragged breath, exhaling through my nose.

“And again,” he instructs.

As I do, everything starts to come back into focus.

“Do you want to talk about what just happened?” he asks.

I shake my head. “What was that?”