Shattered (Shattered #1) by Heather D'Agostino Read Free Book Online

track. That was the Leah I remember,
the one that flew like the wind.
    When she came to a stop, she picked up her t-shirt, clip board, what
looked like a whistle off the ground, and began heading in my direction.
Knowing that I was spying, and she’d kill me if she knew I was here, I turned,
and jogged back to where I had come from. I wanted to get back into my office
as fast as I could. How would I ever explain why I was out here if she caught
me?
    ooooooooo

 
    Leah
    As I made my way back toward the gym, my ankle was on fire. It was
pulsing in pain at this point, and I was just hoping no one would be in the
trainer’s room right now. I knew what they had in there, and I knew how to use
it. I had broken this same ankle my sophomore year, and had used the ice baths
many times that season. I had some of my best times that year running on a
broken ankle of all things.
    Shaking my head as I stopped by my office, tossed my whistle and clip
board on my desk, I turned, and made my way down to the trainer’s room before I
released the sob that I was holding in. It hurt like a bitch, and I didn’t
really want a lecture right now from anyone. No one would understand why I did
it. Why I would push myself that hard. Coach Stallings was the only one who
ever got the fact that I would run injured. For an athlete, competing with an
injury is nothing as long as you’re not doing permanent damage.
    After letting the door close behind me, I went over to where the freezer
was and started scooping ice into the tub. After filling it halfway, I turned
the water on and let it begin to fill. Memories of the last time I’d been in
here tried to surface, but I pushed them down. Nick had occupied enough of my
time the last two days.
    Once the tub was filled enough that I could submerge my foot completely,
I stripped off the stretch pants I was wearing. As I stood there in only a
sports bra and bike shorts, I hobbled up to the tub and placed my foot in the
slurry of ice water. A yelp escaped me as the cold clashed with the heat of my sore
muscles. It had been a while since I’d had to do this. A chair was pushed up
against the wall near me, and I reached for it so I could sit. No telling how
long I would need to be in here. I had planned to go home right after practice.
Avery and I were going to hang out and talk about my first day. Too bad my
stubborn pride had other plans.
    As the ice bath began to numb the pain, I closed my eyes and let my chin
rest on my chest. I was just about to nod off when the creaking of the door
jolted me awake. I glanced up wide-eyed. It was Nick, standing there in all his
glory. A pair of mesh shorts hung on his hips and a black tank top stretched
across his chest. I swallowed as I scanned his form. He looked good enough to
eat. Heat pooled in my belly and I felt my nipples tighten behind the fabric of
my sports bra.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you’d
left.”
    “What are you doing here?” I stammered.
    “I was coming in to get some tape for my wrists. I was working out in
the weight room,” he shrugged as he turned and began rummaging through a
drawer. “I’ll leave you alone.”
    “You don’t have to go,” the words were out before I could stop them.
    Nick turned and squeezed his eyes shut like he was fighting an internal
battle, “Yeah…I think I do.”
    I pulled my foot from the ice bath and hobbled over to the table on the
other side of the room. I knew I needed to give my foot a rub down and then
wrap it before I headed home. I knew the routine, I’d done more times than I
cared to admit.
    “Can you hand me that?” I pointed to an Ace bandage that was on the
counter near where Nick was standing.
    He nodded, grabbed it, and turned in my direction. When he reached the
table where I was sitting, he placed the wrap in my hand and quickly jerked
back like I’d burned him. I averted my eyes from him as I began to massage my
ankle. The jagged scar that ran