Page 95 of Make Me Bleed

It’s theusthat helps settle my nerves slightly. For a moment.

But I need Peris. And I need him now.

“I’m only waiting ten minutes.”

Elise chuckles.

“Seems reasonable to me.”

CHAPTER 24

PERIS

My fuckingankle is on fire.

I’m not sure if it’s broken or what I did to it, but I sure as shit can’t walk on it, and all I feel are flames licking their way up my leg with every beat of my heart.

“It’s most likely broken, Peris. And you know what that means…” the team medic says as he wraps up the rest of his stuff after laying an ice pack on my ankle.

“Yeah, I know.” It means I’m out for the rest of the season. Probably fucking up my chance of making it to the NBA. Not that I was ever gonna make it that far anyway. This was the best it was gonna get for me—and I’m okay with that. But it still fucking sucks to know that it’s gone. Even just a little.

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna have my mom come get me and take me. I wanna stay until after the game though, see how we do.”

“Are you sure? You know we?—”

“Yeah, I know.”

“All right. Just call me if you need anything.” And then, John is walking out and leaving me alone with a bottle of water and some ice on my ankle, and I feel cold and alone, but that’s fine. I pull out my phone, and I’m about to text Abel and Ma to letthem know I’m okay because they’re worried sick when I hear footsteps sounding down the hall.

I don’t bother glancing up as I type. “John, I told you, I’m fine?—”

“Peris…” My name is breathed reverently, and Ichoke.

My head jerks up at the sound of my name coming from my father’s lips.

“Luke,” I croak, looking him in the eyes for the first time in well over a decade. Bile works its way up my throat and settles at the base as he steps into the small room, and my heart is thundering.

I thought… I thought maybe I was seeing shit earlier. That it wasn’t really him because he looks different.Of course,he does. It’s been nearly fifteen years but fuck. He looks almost the same, only now his dark hair is mostly gray, and his face has aged considerably. But it’s stillhim.

The face that has haunted me for so long.

Looking back at me with a fucking smile.

He takes a step closer, and I get a whiff of spearmint and nearly throw up right then and there.

“I’ve missed you,” he says, and I can’tbreathe.

“What do you want?” I choke out, holding my breath so I can’t smell him. Flashes beat through my mind.The polyester tent, the rustle of the wind and leaves. Alone with him for a week. So much painpainpain.

“I wanted to see you.” He takes another step toward me, and when I try to move, that’s when I realize I’m fuckingstuck.My ankle is trapped by ice and throbbing, and I know I can’t walk on it because the fucking bone is probably snapped in two.

Goddamnit, this isn’t happening right now…

“You need to leave,” I croak, hating how weak I sound.

“No, I don’t.”