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Debbie shouted, "Teresa!"

Tears sprang toto look at my knee I couldn’t Oh my God, I couldn’t look at it

"Is it your knee?" Debbie asked "Oh ht, I nodded The world outside--­the door and the roo in

"I didn’t h "She was in the way It was an accident Tell her it was an accident!"

My hands curled into fists as my heart pumped erratically

"Teresa," whispered Debbie I could feel her kneeling besidehand on ether, I shook my head I couldn’t speak I couldn’t look at my knee, because--­oh God--­I knew I knew The pain was too intense, too lasting It wasn’t just hurt

My knee was blown

Again

Chapter Fourteen

Erik bailed quickly, waiting for Debbie in the lobby below He was lucky, because if I could walk like a nor his ass across campus

"I’m sorry," Debbie said for the hundredth time as she helpeda deep breath asIt wasn’t your fault"

She backed away, hands clasped together "He didn’t mean to do it"

My mouth opened, but I sucked in a sharp breath as a slice of pain traveled upmy teeth, I nodded By the time she returned with a pillowcase wrapped around ice, I’dThe skin around ood I hissed as I placed the ice on it

"Teresa"

Taking another shallow breath, I looked at her "He ht not have really meant to do that, but he was pissed He didn’t stop to think when he swung that bag around Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t care"

Tears pooled in her eyes "I know he didn’tsilent, I adjusted the ice My head was nuhts

She hesitated near the bed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other Several moments passed before she spoke "Pleaseplease don’t tell anyone"

My head swung toward her sharply I couldn’t believe she would ask that of me, and then my heart jumped Hadn’t I asked the same of my mom and then Cam? Please don’t tell anyone? Because I had been afraid of how Jeremy would react

The moment to confide in Debbie was here, but she rushed forward and hugged me around the ar as she left because it was a proaze, I slowly eased up the er on my cell phone went off an hour or so later, but I didn’t even look at it Lying on my back, I’d shoved a pillow under my knee to keep it elevated By the time I had to hobble down the hall for more ice, the pain had become a constant ache that spiked every so often, as if soainst my skin

My knee ollen The ice and elevation weren’t helping I hadn’t heard a pop when I fell, but the swelling was bad news bears And I knew I couldn’t test ht Out of the three, two of the ht now felt like forever ago

I stared at the phone, lip tre left As the screen blinked black, I reached for it, but drew up short I couldn’t talk to hiood chance I’d lose it

Because if ed This wouldn’t be te back to the studio ThisI looked around the dormthis would truly beit

I pulled ainstI couldn’t deal with this again--­the pain, the surgery, the rehab But this timeI shuddered This ti you could do to a torn ACL was to reinjure it Doing so increased the chances of perain

When I finally slept, I don’t think I drea had increased untilood I had no crutches, so there was no way I alking to class I stayed in my bed as acid churned in my stomach

My cell went off a fewit was Calla or Debbie--­who’d sentin that I hadn’t responded to--­I was surprised to see it was froe

Where r u?

Squeezing my eyes shut until they burned, I sat up a little He deserved a response, even after all those tinored e back

Not feeling well

His response was i my suddenly wet eyes, I texted back a quick yes, and then tossed the phone on the foot of the bed