“It’s . . .” he started to say. I watched the words hesitate on their way out. “It hurts sometimes. It’s not a big deal.”

“Can I ask what happened?”

He closed his eyes and didn’t say anything as the seconds passed.

I remembered his first massage and how he kept his pants on the entire time, the way I thought I saw him limping, but couldn’t be sure. “You don’t have to tell me. I could . . . maybe . . . I could help, you know?” I offered.

I was sorry for asking in the first place, but he leaned down and grabbed the bottom of his jeans and started to roll up the fabric.

It was such an intense moment, the air so still between us.

And then the silence was broken by the ringing of a cell phone. Kael’s cell phone. I jumped from the suddenness of it. Kael let go of his pants and stood up, pulling the phone from his pocket. His face changed as he stared at the screen and silenced the ringer. My heart was racing, beating inside of me.

“Everything okay?” I said.

His handsome face was distorted into a scowl as he looked at the number. He ignored the call. I thought a text popped up, but I couldn’t be sure. “Yeah,” he said.

I didn’t believe him.

He shoved the phone into his pocket and looked at me. My eyes went immediately to his right leg and he stepped back. Then he scanned the room like he was looking for something he couldn’t see.

“I . . . I, um. I have to go,” he stammered.

He moved so quickly, like a soldier, and he opened my door before I could stop him. His name was stuck in my throat as he turned around to look at me, as if to say something. Our eyes locked for half a second before he seemed to change his mind and turned away from me. I didn’t know what to think about what had just happened. We had been so close. I had opened up to him and he was opening up to me . . . and then he was gone.

I was so overwhelmed with everything that I didn’t even understand why I burst into tears the moment he disappeared from view.

“Happy birthday,” I managed to say, after he was long gone.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

I woke up with a headache like I’d never had before. My mouth was like the inside of a hamster’s cage and my hands felt too big for my body. Even my hair hurt. I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow so that I wouldn’t have to open my eyes. I rummaged through the bedding to find my phone and I felt the cool glass screen against my fingertips. When had I climbed into bed and under the familiar purple bedspread? Slowly, I turned over. Even more slowly, I opened my eyes.