Saving This (The McCallans #5) by Hadley Quinn Page B

and…
    Yeah. He was pretty useless.
    Anna hopped down and slid his board the rest of the way off. He had enough sense to grab it from her and set it against the garage door while she pulled the wetsuit out for him.
    “You good?” she asked, tossing it his way.
    He nodded as he barely caught it, and before he could conjure up what he should say to her, she was already backing out of the driveway.

Chapter Ten
     
    This was a new feel for me, something I wasn’t quite prepared for. I’d been taught how to be strong, mentally and physically, and I’d been shaped into a leader over the past few years. I’d gained the respect of my fellow Marines and felt comfortable they would follow through with any order I gave them because they trusted I would be right there with them.
    And now here I was, completely incapable of doing any of the things I’d been doing since the day I’d enlisted. I could barely walk let alone run, jump, or turn. Physical therapy kicked my ass and I’d only been doing it for two weeks since my last surgery. My hip and pelvis had miraculously been put back together, but trying to walk again had been a bitch. I was quiet and followed the therapists’ orders, but under my breath and in my mind I was surly and insubordinate.
    I’d reached an all time low. I could conquer the pain for the most part, but it was my attitude that was taking a hit. And I couldn’t sleep at night. I was exhausted, and sometimes that made it so my body didn’t comply with what I wanted it to do and the suffering was harder to manage.
    I was eventually talked into taking something for the pain. So far, I felt pill popping was for the weak and I’d refused it over and over once they unhooked me from fluids and I started moving around more. I thought I was strong enough to get through it on my own. But I was convinced taking something at night would not only lessen the pain, but also help me sleep. Looking back, I know my hesitance was a sign. My father had had trouble with painkillers and I didn’t want to go down the same road. But I thought I could handle it, thought I knew when to stop.
    I was wrong.
     
    Max read for another ten minutes, learning how Tate had become addicted to pain killers until the day he told himself he needed to quit. He felt there was something missing in his life, but until he could figure it out, he needed to rely on his own internal compass to get himself back on track.
    The parts about Tate’s high school days completely blew Max’s mind. The guy had no reservations when it came to being honest about his personality, and reading how he described himself as “selfish and arrogant” were surprising. Max had never gotten that vibe in the time he’d known him. Tate claimed he’d been a smart ass, having no regard for others’ feelings, and that he often made jokes about his opponents on the sports field because he believed he was superior to them all.
    But it was the next part of Tate’s journals that hit Max the most, and it wasn’t because he was surprised… It was because he could relate.
     
    My dad had been hard on me most of my life, but I knew that was the military guy in him and I could respect that. He had been raised that way so it was engrained in him to be firm and expect compliance. I wanted him to be proud of me, but I didn’t necessarily want to follow his same path. I didn’t think a military career was for me, but when my friend got arrested for involuntary manslaughter and I didn’t get the sports scholarships I was hoping for, life seemed to kick my ass in a different direction.
    I had a lot to think about, like who I wanted to be and where exactly I was needed in the world. Even though I’d been trying to carve my own path, I realized my father had a lot to do with who I already was anyway. For as long as I could remember, I’d been trying to avoid myself, who I really was. I decided I needed to apply my confidence and physical strength toward a greater good and