I frowned. I guess we were finished with the conversation.
I hid the slight limp as I walked to bars covered in chalk and my hair a mess at the top of my head. For once, I was looking forward to a blading session. It'd been a while, and they always made me feel brand new…once the aftermath wore off.
I reached the uneven bars and Danilo gestured at me with two fingers. I walked over to him and he reached out for my arm. My hand gently rested on his bicep as his large fingers began kneading my aching muscles. I sighed in relief, my eyes closing.
"Feel better?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, a little breathless. It did.
"I could tell you were in pain."
I looked at him and wondered how he’d figured it out when I knew I’d hidden it well. "It feels numb."
His fingers made their way down the inside of my arm, his eyes inspecting my reaction each place his fingers pressed into me. When he reached the crease of my elbow, I tightened up.
"I will not hurt you," he said. His lack of contractions made me think of Kova.
My lips formed a thin line. I swallowed. Danilo laced his fingers with mine, giving them a good squeeze, then he held my wrist with his other hand and rotated it in slow circles. His hand was warm, and what he was doing felt incredible. He got the blood flowing again. It took away some of the tingling in my arm. Almost like it could breathe again.
"Thank you," I said when he removed his hand and let go. Danilo nodded. "It feels so much better."
"All right," Madeline said, tearing my attention from Danilo. I looked into her eyes, searching for something that indicated she knew what really happened with Kova. Anything. But there was nothing there. The tension in my neck loosened marginally. "We want flat hips, a big cast, and a stuck handstand." She was all business. "Beautiful lines would be a plus. Then we'll move on to the release. Think you can do it?"
A full and a half turn release? No, I couldn’t do it right now.
"Yes, just spot me."
I had no idea how the hell I made it through my first day back at practice. All I wanted was to take a hot bath and crash. But I still had a blading session and physical therapy on my arm.
I sat in the cold locker room stuffing my clothes and leftover lunch into my duffle bag while Madeline spoke to Danilo and Dr. Ethan Hart in the hall. I had a few more minutes to spare before I was supposed to meet them in the therapy room. Madeline planned to go over my schedule, down to when we needed to board the plane.
"He was arrested for assault."
I stopped moving. Though Madeline’s voice was low, I could still hear her. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the gym had cleared out and their voices easily carried down the hall.
"Tak," Danilo said. It sounded like the word was in the back of his throat.
"Just doesn't seem like Kova to fight someone in a bar," Ethan said. He wasn't convinced. "He doesn't go to bars," he said, sounding even more stumped.
Ethan had a point. Kova wasn't a barhopping kind of guy. I don't think he ever went out to dinner, or really did anything for himself. He either was at World Cup, or at home…or with me. My stomach tightened as I held my breath. His life was devoted to gymnastics and those close to him knew that.
I stood up and tiptoed to the door.
"I'm just letting you know what he told me," Madeline said. "He fought in self-defense, but since no one saw the victim hit him first, he was the only one arrested. Things are up in the air as more charges are possibly pending; that’s why he hasn't been released from jail yet. Until then, he asked if we could all come together to help. I think we all can agree Kova isn't the kind of person to ask for help, so when he does, it must be serious."
I clenched my eyes shut.
Kova was still in jail.
Twelve
Pick up… Pick up… Pick up.
The first thing I did when I got into my truck was call Avery. I needed to talk to her.
He’s still in jail.
I clenched my eyes shut at the red light feeling so guilty. How was Kova still in jail? Something wasn't adding up. He should've been released by now.
Remaining indifferent while I’d been in the therapy room had been a challenge. I’d wanted to ask questions, but felt that would’ve been too suspicious in itself. So, I’d kept my mouth shut while Madeline, Danilo, and Dr. Hart had engaged in small talk.
I lifted my foot off the brake and pressed down on the gas to merge into the next lane. My arm felt a little better. I had more flexibility in my fingers, and they didn't tingle when I flexed them anymore. Ethan had finished up my session with a full-body, deep-tissue massage, and it was exactly what I didn't know I needed. My body was in worse shape than I’d realized. He’d kneaded every knot and had made sure I wasn't as tense before I left.
While I was there, my mind had run wild with thoughts of Kova and how he was doing.
"Besties ‘R’ Us," Avery answered.
"Ave." I parked the truck and sat back.
"Shit. What happened?"
I repeated what I'd heard at the gym.
"Why is Kova still in jail? Shouldn't he have been out by now?"
I feared the worst. With how distraught my dad was over the whole situation, I wouldn't put anything past him. I had a gut feeling if Dad could get away with murder, he'd attempt it.
"I don't know why he's still in when the charge was so small, honestly."
I pulled the keys from the ignition and grabbed my duffle bag.
"I wish there was a way to look this info up," I said as I climbed down from the truck.
I glanced to my left; the sun was dipping behind the rippling water. The salty sweet scent of the ocean calmed me. Memories of when Kova and I lounged on the beach watching the sunset blew into me. I wished I could go and sit there now, replay the moment when he’d said he was already missing me even though I was in his arms.
"You can," Avery said.
"What?"
"You can look it up. There's a specific website you can use to see when he was charged and if he's out."
My brows shot up. "Really? How'd you know that?"
"Because I don't live under a rock, that's how."
The corners of my lips twitched. "Can you do the search for me?" I asked. "I'm just walking into my condo and I need to take my medicine."
"Already on it, powering up my laptop now. How've you been feeling? How was practice today?"
There was a brown box waiting in front of my door. I picked it up and realized it was the phone Avery had ordered. Hope bloomed inside of me. As soon as I was off the phone with her, I'd charge it and call Kova to see for myself if he was out. I stepped inside and shut the door.
"Well, I felt like my arm was hanging by a thread and going to fall off today. The period cramps suck. They're the worst ever, and I had to use tampons today when I’m not supposed to. I plan to soak in the bathtub tonight. Figured it might help. Overall, I'm just peachy."
"Try to use tampons only if you have to. You don't want to risk anything. I don't know what could actually happen, but since you have such shitty luck, I'd say proceed with caution."