Getting Wound Up: A Sapphire Falls/ Love Between the Bases Novel-- PART THREE by Erin Nicholas Read Free Book Online Page A

wanted to. She wondered if all romantic relationships were like that—heart-melting with a dash of irritating.
    A moment later, she heard the front door open and close and she propped her hands on her hips and focused on her brother. “What happened at therapy?”
    “Nothing.”
    “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”
    “I mean, nothing. Nothing unusual. It was therapy.”
    “So why is Mom in the kitchen baking and cooking for the rest of the day?” Caitlyn asked,.
    Bryan sighed. “Because it was therapy. Nothing unusual.”
    Caitlyn moved to sit next to him on the couch, her expression gentling. “What does that mean , Bryan?”
    “She wouldn’t leave. I told her she should wait out in the waiting area but she wanted to be in the gym with me.”
    “Oh.” Caitlyn hadn’t even gone into the gym with him. She always stayed out in the waiting area with her iPhone and Kindle app.
    “Yeah.”
    She was quiet for a moment. “Was it that bad?”
    Bryan tipped his head back on the couch. “It was just…usual. But obviously they don’t let me get away with doing things the easy way.”
    “So she watched you exercise and walk and transfer and stuff?” Caitlyn asked, starting to piece the picture together in her mind.
    “Exactly. Therapy isn’t about doing the easy stuff; they make me do the hard stuff. Over and over again.”
    Caitlyn watched his face. His eyes were shut and his jaw tense. She reached out and touched his arm. “Did you talk about it?”
    He nodded. “She asked if it was always like that and I said yes. She asked if it was getting easier and I said yes. She asked if it was going to get back to normal and I said no.”
    Caitlyn squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry.”
    He rolled his head and opened his eyes. “Don’t be. It was time.”
    “But the other day you said you didn’t want to take her hope away.”
    He didn’t say anything for a long moment, then he said, “I can’t sacrifice your hope for hers, Cait. This is real, this is my life and Mom needs to accept it. This isn’t your life and you don’t have to accept it.”
    She frowned and pulled her hand back. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, you’re staying because you think I need you. I don’t. I need you to be happy.”
    “You need someone, Bryan. And who else is it going to be?”
    He frowned and sat up. “It’s going to be me .”
    “Right. Except for the stuff that you can’t do.”
    “Dammit, Caitlyn!” he exclaimed. “Stop. Stop making this seem like some big tragedy.”
    “How is this not some big tragedy?” she asked him, feeling the tears burning her eyes. “It’s changed all of our lives—mine, Mom’s, yours for sure. You can’t do all the things you used to love—biking and hiking, racing, diving, dancing.”
    Bryan nodded. “It’s changed our lives. But it didn’t stop our lives. And it could have. I could have broken my neck on that mountain and died. I could have hit my head and died. I could have—”
    “Okay,” she interrupted. She knew that. She’d imagined all of those horrible things after that first phone call from Ty following the accident.
    “But I didn’t.” He sat forward on the couch, propping his elbows on his thighs. “I’m still here, Cait,” he said. “My body has changed and the adventures are changing. But I’m still here.”
    Caitlyn looked at her brother. Really looked at him. Not at his legs, not at the crutch that was lying on the floor by the couch, not at the wheelchair. But at him .
    He was the same guy. His eyes still held that same humor and mischief they always had. He still had that spark that said he’d never met a test he didn’t want to take.
    But he’d never done it for the trophies or medals. He’d let Ty take the spotlight. He’d been fine being second place, or not even on the podium at all. Where his best friend thrived on being the best, Bryan did it all…just to do it. Just because he loved it. He loved biking and diving and racing.
    “I’m