* CURRENTLY EDITING.*
Luke Madden is a NHL superstar. But when an injury sidelines him, he's required to undergo physical therapy. With a stable family and girlfriend, Luke has all the resources he needs. Or so he thinks. As it turns out, there are...
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Luke
Mortification fills every pore. It seeps out into the cafeteria, casting a dark shadow over the brightness. Every plant looks like a sick brown as opposed to being bright green. The sunlight is grey. The white floor and walls are scuffed.
Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?
I take an aggressive bite of my pizza, staring at the wall. My back is to the rest of the cafeteria. I don't care if I come across as a grouch. I'm fucking pissed. At myself. At Rosa. At my current relationship. At my injury.
Everything feels fucked up.
And the cherry on top is when someone covers my eyes from behind and whispers, "Guess who?"
"Liv," I sigh, recognizing her cotton-candy-like perfume. It always gives me a headache. "Hey."
She hugs me from behind, and I lean into her embrace with limited effort. Just like her perfume, her tone of voice is too sweet. Maybe I'm being melodramatic, but it fucking irks me.
However, somewhere under this gloomy cloud looming above me, I'm happy to see her. I've missed my girlfriend and the sex that comes along with it. Yeah, she hasn't been visiting frequently, but at least she's here now.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
She sits down beside me and starting playing with her fake nails. They're a bright red with streaks of yellow, along with white numbers. My number is on her right thumb.
Well, at least she got her nails done.
"I'm here to see you," she smiles. She reaches out and squeezes my forearm.
I shrug her off. "It's not a good time. I'm tired and hungry. You know how I get. It's not an excuse to treat people shitty, but at least I'm making you aware. Besides, visiting hours aren't until later in the day. We need to respect the outline of the program."
Liv scoffs. "You're Luke Madden. They should learn how to respect you." Her hand returns to my forearm.
A crease forms between my eyebrows. "I'm serious, Liv." I shrug her off again. "Plus, you know I don't like using my name as an advantage. Nothing makes me more important than anyone else in this building."
She scoffs again. "No need to be humble, Luke. You earned this reputation. Use it for once."
I grit my teeth, then shovel the last of my pizza into my mouth. It's so full, I almost choke. After swallowing, I wipe my face and collect the garbage. "Let's go to my room. We need to talk."
Liv's blue eyes widen as she stands. Her clunky bracelets collide, making this god-awful noise. "Luke. What's going on?"
"Just come with me."
I swear she almost stomps her foot. "Luke."
"For fuck's sake, Liv." My voice is hushed. "Just come with me. We need to have a discussion."
