After the excitement and subsequent embarrassment faded, Chance froze and didn't know what to do.
When he had jumped up, he had agitated his injury.
The pain had previously subsided to just a dull throb and he was able to ignore it most of the day. But now, it was sharp and burning.
He subtly shifted his weight to his good leg, hoping Fait wouldn't say anything. And she didn't, she just raised an eyebrow and gave him a stern look to let him know she was aware.
"Umm..." Chance blushed again as he realized he had to ask this petite woman for help.
Fait didn't offer first either. She was not going to consider his pride as a man at all. He would have to say it directly.
Besides, she'd already seen him in a worse state, right?
If Chance knew what she was thinking, he would adamantly disagree. This felt so much worse because he knew he was completely at fault for this.
There wasn't anyone that he could push so much as an ounce of blame to.
"Fait?"
"Addison."
"I was wrong." He looked down at the floor.
"And?" She looked at him blankly.
"I need help."
"So, you aren't going to just grin and bear it?"
"No." His voice had gotten smaller and softer each time he spoke.
Fait finally took some pity on the poor man and walked over to stand beside him. She took a moment to mentally prepare herself before wrapping her right arm around behind him. It was the most intimate contact she'd had with another person in years, with the exception of Genevieve anyway.
Strangely, she wasn't disgusted or repulsed by it at all. Maybe because she found him to be to simple and helpless.
Because she was much shorter than he was, her arm settled around his waist. She directed him to brace his left elbow on her left shoulder.
Like that, they made their way to the kitchen and she deposited him at the counter.
She flew around the kitchen like she lived there. Having been responsible for setting up this apartment, she knew where everything was.
In no time, he had an ice pack, pain medicine, and a glass of water.
Chance sighed and took the medicine. Then he picked up the ice pack and Fait helped him over to the sofa in the living room.
She grabbed a pillow and helped him elevate his leg before putting the ice pack on it.
"Anything else?"
"No, thank you." Chance leaned back and put his arm over his face and sighed.
He wondered how it always happened that Fait got to witness his most embarrassing moments. At least she hadn't seen him when he had injured himself the day before.
"Addison?"
"Yes?"
She hesitated before asking the question that had been on her mind since she first met him.
"Are you alright?"
He immediately sat up and looked at her in shock. When had this woman been so straight forward with him? She was only direct when it came to business matters.
Fait didn't show any response to his surprised expression. She appeared as cool and collected as ever.
They stared at each other for a few minutes as Chance was trying to gauge the intent behind the question. Was she asking about the injury or something more? He was afraid to ask what she meant because he had a feeling she wouldn't give him a straight answer.
In the end he decided to be just as general with his answer as she was with the unexpected question.
"Yes, I am alright."
As soon as he said those words, he felt lighter. It was as if some huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. A burden he hadn't even known that he had been carrying.
Saying it outright helped him realize that it was true. He really was alright.
Fait nodded, satisfied with his response.
"I need to head home now. I'll see you back at the office." She quickly dismissed herself and headed to her car.
Reaching her car, she pulled the door open and sat down in the driver's seat.
'What the heck!?' She screamed internally. Though she seemed cold and unaffected, her heart was pounding in her chest and she wasn't quite sure why.
'Was it the bodily contact? Was it that he was hurt? Was it the way he had softly answered the question? What was it exactly that made me like this?'
She continued to question herself for another ten minutes and got nowhere. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she started the car.
Suddenly her phone buzzed. It was in her jacket pocket so she went ahead and checked it.
It was a text message from Chance. Thinking she may have forgotten something she opened the message.
[Thank you. For everything. Goodnight.]
Instantly she felt her ears heat up and her heart sped up once again.