Wait for Me / Trust in Me by Samantha Chase

had the first surgery and the doctors were optimistic and my coaches and agents were optimistic. It didn’t take long for them to realize that I wasn’t healing properly. So they called in some specialists.
    â€œMore tests were run and more doctors looked at me and saw a secondary injury, and so they did a second surgery. Everyone was cautiously optimistic at this point. I was still promised the sun, the moon, and the stars by everyone around me. I was promised that I’d be back to full strength by the following season and all of my endorsement deals were still in play.” Lucas took a steadying breath and adjusted the ice pack on his knee.
    â€œAfter the second surgery and another round of physical therapy, they let me go to a couple of practices to see how my endurance was, and my knee gave out before I even hit the field. A trip back to the hospital showed that I would probably need at least another two surgeries, but even with that, I’d never play football again.”
    â€œOh, Lucas, I’m so sorry.”
    And that was what he had wanted to avoid: her pity. Now that he had started, however, he had to finish. “I had a team of doctors encouraging me, but my agents and coaches had pretty much moved on and all of the endorsement deals closed. I realized I had no reason to have the surgeries. They weren’t going to give me what I wanted most: my career back. Why should I subject myself to more pain and therapy and recovery for nothing?”
    â€œBut it wouldn’t have been for nothing; you wouldn’t have this pain! You wouldn’t have to worry about watching what you do.” Emma stopped and thought for a moment. “Oh, gosh, Lucas. Is that why you removed yourself from everything and everyone? So that no one would know that you weren’t fully recovered?”
    His eyes bore into hers. “I didn’t want anyone’s pity, just like I don’t want yours.”
    â€œIt’s not pity that I’m feeling, Lucas, it’s…”
    â€œWhat? What is it, Emma? Are you telling me that right now you’re not sitting there thinking poor Lucas ? That you don’t wish things could be different for me?”
    Emma’s gaze hardened. “Actually, no. I’m thinking what an egotistical jackass you are. You had the opportunity to live the kind of life that most people dream of, and because you couldn’t keep having that one, you threw another one away. Some people don’t have the means to recover from a catastrophic accident and have no choice but to go through their lives with their impairments. You chose to keep yours and hide away. So no, Lucas, I don’t pity you; I think you’re a coward.”
    Lucas made to try and stand up and then thought better of it. “That’s right,” she mocked, “you can’t get up. You have an injury of your own making. Sit there and wallow in the sheltered world you created.” Turning from him, she stalked to the doorway where her bags were. “I’m going to get dressed,” she stated. “I may not be able to leave here, but I don’t have to sit here with you and your bad temper.”
    â€œYou wanted to know all the gory details, Emma,” he reminded her.
    â€œYou’re right; I did. I guess I just didn’t expect such a disappointing tale. My mistake. From now on I’ll keep my curiosity to myself.” Lifting her bags, she headed toward the bedroom and shut the door behind her.
    * * *
    Lucas’s first instinct was to go after Emma and defend himself, tell her how wrong she was, but what was the point? She was right. Lucas created a world where he was by himself in a misery of his own choosing. No, he hadn’t chosen to get injured, but he had chosen to stay that way.
    He sighed heavily. In less than twenty-four hours Emma had learned his deepest secret, the one he hadn’t shared with anyone. Now what was he supposed to do? His