Holding my foot, she rotated and turned it gently around. I held my breath, nervous about her diagnosis. “Your ankle is a little swollen. How does this feel?”
“Fine. It doesn’t hurt too much.” She pinched the spot above my heel. “Well, it doesn’t seem like you tore your Achilles tendon, I’d be able to feel it.” Then she squeezed my calf muscle. “And you have good reflex. When does the pain start to set in? Any specific time?” She patted me to sit up.
“Sometimes in the beginning when I start practice, but after a little while, the pain goes away. I’ll feel it come back once I’m home. Or sometimes when I’m running it will hurt.”
“And your gymnastics training,” she said, writing in the file, “is this a new schedule you started, maybe where your body wasn’t used to this type of pressure?”
“I started earlier this year…I went from twenty-five hours a week to nearly fifty hours a week of training. What do you think caused it?”
She looked up. “Hmmm…I’m going to bring in the ultrasound tech to make sure the tendon isn’t ruptured. Medically speaking, I’d say your injury is due to overuse, doing things too fast and too soon. However, it could be from landing wrong, the impact, or not warming up enough first. It’s a common injury among athletes.”
“Is it treatable where I won’t have to take time off?”
“Let’s see what the scan shows first.” Dr. DeLang smiled, and left the room.
Looking at Madeline, I said, “What do you think it is? I can’t take time off, I just can’t,” I pleaded.
She rubbed my back. “Don’t get upset. We don’t even know what she’ll say.”
The ultrasound was performed, and another twenty agonizing minutes went by before the doctor finally returned with the results.
“All right,” she said, shutting the door behind her. “Good news. You didn’t rupture your Achilles.” She smiled. “The bad news is that you have a pretty bad strain. There are a few options we have that can heal your injury.”
I prayed to God she wouldn’t suggest time off.
“Lots of good stretching before and after practice, icing your muscles every few hours, maybe an ice bath to reduce inflammation. Since you have to be on your feet a lot, taping it could help aid protection. Massage therapy is another one that helps. I’ll get you in touch with a sports medicine therapist. You’ll need to see her before you go back to training so you don’t damage your injury any further. Until then, I can prescribe some medicine for inflammation.”
Quickly, she scribbled something on a square piece of paper and handed it to me. “If you need anything or have any questions, just call and we’ll get you in.”
“Thank you,” Madeline said.
“Do you think I’ll be able to see the sports doctor soon?” I asked Dr. DeLang.
“I’m not sure what her schedule is, you’ll have to call and find out.” Flattening my lips, I nodded and thanked her.
Once we were in Madeline’s car, I expelled a loud sigh and called my mom.
“Mom, it’s me. I just left the doctor’s.”
“And how did it go?” she asked.
“I strained my Achilles tendon and need therapy. The doctor gave me a number for a therapist. Can I give you the number and you set it up for me?”
“No need. I’ll find a doctor for you.”
I paused, my forehead cinching together in puzzlement as to why my mom would find her own doctor. “Mom, I can’t go back to training until I see the physical therapist. When do you think you’ll call and make an appointment?”
“I’m pretty booked up today and—”
My heart dropped, my head flopped back. She’d make time when she could for me and not any sooner. Tears sprung to my eyes. “Mom, this is
really
important,” I stressed.
“Not everything is about you, Adrianna. The world doesn’t stop when you want it to. I said I will call, and I will when I get the chance.”
Biting my tongue, I thanked her and hung up. Madeline drove toward World Cup. I stayed quiet while annoyance festered inside of me.
Madeline looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. “It’ll all work out. Let’s see what Coach Kova has to say.”
“Thank you, Madeline, for coming with me.”
She patted my leg. “Of course.”
Pulling into World Cup, Madeline parked her car and we stepped inside. “Go sit in Kova’s office and we’ll be there soon.”
Nodding, I made my way to the back, running into Holly.
“How’d it go,” Holly asked as she shut her locker and faced me.
“Not good at all. I strained my Achilles tendon.”
Her eyes widened. “Does that mean you’re out?”
“No, luckily no. I have to do therapy though and just be careful not to tear it, I guess. That would put me out for sure.”
Her mouth pulled up. “Be careful, with gymnastics that goes together like oil and water.”
“Right? I gotta go to Kova’s office and wait for him and Madeline. I’ll see you later.”
Brushing past me, Reagan flew in nudging my shoulder. “Going to the beach?” she asked, opening her locker. Her eyes scanned my attire with a scowl.
I looked down at my hunter-green, Victoria’s Secret sundress and Tory Burch sandals. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction, I rolled my eyes, ignored her, and walked away. After my doctor’s appointment, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Reagan.
Stepping into Kova’s office, I sat down and waited, thinking back on the conversation I had with my mom. Funny how in the span of a few minutes she could make me feel completely inconsequential. I’d asked her for help and she gave it to me. Asking her twice was a whole different story. Calling my dad would be a better alternative, and I decided I’d do it after I left here. I just hoped for once I took priority over whatever project he might have going on.
Within minutes, both coaches were in the office, Kova sat behind his desk. Madeline gave him a detailed update as I stared off, upset over the news. Devastation hit me. Angry tears formed in the back of my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening after how hard I worked. Any injury, big or small, would hold back any athlete.
“Well, it could be worse,” Kova said, gaining my attention after Madeline left, shutting the door behind her. His eyes stayed on my face as he spoke. “Good thing is you will not be out and it is treatable.”
“You’re not making me stay out until I see the other doctor?” Hope bloomed inside my chest.
“You cannot afford to be out, Adrianna. So you can do extra conditioning and light workouts for now. We will go from there. We may have to scale back some skills though.” I knew it was a reach around comment, but I didn’t care so long as he’d let me practice. “Since you are here, I should tell you that I signed you up for the Parkettes Invitational meet. We need to get you qualified as an elite, but first, you will compete as a level ten with your new elite skills and see how you do and go from there. This meet has some of the best level ten’s and elites in the country competing, so this should be a good test for you.”
The smile that spread across my face was ear to ear. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, I wanted to qualify as an elite, but I’d take it since this was a step in the right direction. “When is it?”
“A little less than three months from now—January. Which means we have a lot of work to do. Have you spoken to your parents yet about the injury?”
I groaned. There went my happy mood. Slouching back, I looked away and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “My mom, and she said she’ll get in touch with a doctor when she has time.” My voice softened. “I’d give anything for her to put me first, to show she really cares. She said she was busy, days could go by before she calls anyone. I was going to call my dad when I left here because who knows how busy—”
Kova picked up the phone and dialed away. “I will talk to him.”
My eyes snapped back to Kova. We sat in silence, staring at each other with the phone pressed to his ear. I noticed he had a good day’s worth of growth on his jaw and his hair was disheveled. Dark circles were prominent under his eyes, and before I could think better of it, I said, “You look exhausted.”
His eyes weakened. Kova opened his mouth to speak, but I heard my dad’s voice.
“Frank, it is Kova…Yes, she is okay.” He told my dad about the doctor visit and treatment. “Adrianna said she spoke to your wife and she would call and make the appointment when she had time. Frank, time is not on our side, and I cannot stress enough how important it is that your daughter be seen soon. ”
Kova stared at me, listening to my dad. “That is good, you will call me back and let me know? She cannot be out of the gym too long.” He nodded. “Yes, she is right here.” Kova held the phone out to me. I stood, reaching for it, but his desk was too wide, so I stepped around and stood next to Kova. Taking the phone from his hand, I leaned against the edge of the desk comfortably and lifted the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Dad.”
“My sweet pea, it’s good to hear your voice.”
I smiled. “Yours too.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I feel fine, the pain isn’t so bad, and it’s not a bad strain at all. I can push through it but no one will listen to me. I know what I’m doing,” I said flippantly and he chuckled. “I talked to Mom… Do you think you can take care of everything for me please? I know she says she will, but this really can’t wait. Coach said that he signed me up for my first elite meet, so I want to be ready for it.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little face. I’ve already got it under control. Kova will hear from me by the end of the day.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I paused. “I miss you.”
“Miss you too, sweetie. I need to get back to work, but I’ll talk to you soon. Put him back on.”
I said my goodbye, and handed Kova the phone. I picked at my already chipped pale pink nail polish and stayed while he continued talking to my dad. I knew just as much as Kova did I couldn’t afford to take time off. After all the long, rigorous hours I put in to get ahead only to take ten steps back? Not going to happen.
There weren’t enough hours in the day, but come hell or high water, I planned to be at practice bright and early tomorrow morning.
Kova hung the phone up and angled his chair toward me, leaning back with his legs stretched open. He looked fucking sexy sitting back so casually with his head tilted to the side. His clandestine eyes were on my body. I wanted to know what he was thinking of for his lips to form a slow sexy twist and his eyes to sparkle when they met mine again. The air changed in the room. When we were alone, the intensity of his gaze always undid me, and I knew if I looked at him any longer I’d agree to anything he said.
The cell phone on his desk vibrated. Kova glanced at it only to reach over and silence it.
Staring straight at him, I said quietly, “You have to let me keep practicing.”
“I do not have to let you do anything.”
Kova was goading me. His phone vibrated again and this time I looked at it. I didn’t get a chance to read the name on it before a grimace knotted his face and he sent it to voicemail.
“You and I both know I need to practice as much as possible. Especially if I want to reach my dream of the Olympics one day. I’ll scale back on my floor routine if I have to, only practice on beam and bars to take the pressure off my ankle. I’m willing to do anything, just don’t force me to take time off.”
“Maybe it is not meant to be for you.”
I saw red. “What does that even mean? Not meant to be for me? Why do you have to be a jerk all the time?”
He raised a brow. “I am going to let that one slide. Your body was not prepared for the kind of change you underwent and you became injured. Maybe going back to basics is a better idea.”
Mumbling under my breath, I cursed him out in my head.
Kova tensed, leaning forward. “What did you say?”
“Nothing. I was talking to myself.”
His office phone rang and I jumped not expecting it. When he leaned over his desk to look at the caller ID, his brows were pinched together and his shoulder brushed my thigh. I followed his gaze as he sent the caller to voicemail. It had to be important for whoever was calling and I almost suggested he pick it up.
Sitting back, he said, “Did you purposely wear that dress to taunt me?”
My head snapped in his direction, annoyed he’d think such a thing. His eyes were trained on my chest so I followed his heavy stare. My breasts were pressed together unknowingly by the pressure of my folded arms, giving me ample cleavage in my v neck dress. And by ample, I meant normal sized B cups on a good day. I hadn’t given much thought when I slipped it on, but I guess subconsciously I wanted to attract his gaze.
Not surprisingly, the smug look Kova donned suited him. It wasn’t often he smiled at gym, or even the few times I’d been alone with him. He was always so serious, so brooding, so…hot.
And let’s not forget major asshole, either.
His eyes flickered deviously as he rocked in his chair with his hands clasped casually in his lap. His smile grew larger, and my heart began to melt. I realized in this moment I liked seeing Kova smile, liked seeing his cheek indent with a dimple and wished he did it more. He was carefree, and it dawned on me he was possibly flirting with me.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t even thinking of you this morning when I got dressed.”