Page 5 of Finding a Melody

“What? Why him?” Toby seemed appalled at the idea.

“Shotgun.” I touched my nose.

Toby seemed confused for a moment before he broke out laughing. “Fine, take your tiny little car. No way am I holding anyone but a pretty girl in my lap.”

As he said that, he focused on me. My cheeks warmed at the way he gazed at me and I had to look away, unable to take that kind of attention from him. I knew what he was doing, but it was easier to just ignore it.

“What are you doing after school?” Bryan asked.

“Some work. Why? Are you guys doing something?”

“I need to show you how your security system works,” Bryan said.

My eyebrows rose. “It’s done? Already?” Since the break-in, I’d been staying at Seth’s, hiding in his guestroom. I would only allow myself to go home during the day.

“They finished it this afternoon,” Bryan said. “You’ll be safe there now.”

I didn’t realize how much that news meant to me until he told me. It was like a million pounds were lifted off me. My home was protected now. I was protected.

“And while you do that, we’ll all be bored at Seth’s house,” Toby said as he rolled his eyes. “I wanted to talk them into going bowling, but everyone shot me down.”

“Bowling?” I snickered, thinking about yesterday’s game. It must have put him in the mood. “You know, Paxon’s game is in Combich. They have a really cool twenty-four hour bowling alley. Maybe after, we can steal Paxon and go there?”

Toby’s eyes widened and it seemed like even more energy flooded through him. “That’s brilliant. And it’s happening.”

“I don’t like bowling,” Bryan said.

Toby snorted. “And no one cares. We’re bowling Saturday night. Make a whole evening out of it after the match.”

“What if Paxon’s too tired?” Bryan asked.

“Why are you trying to bring logic into my plans?” Toby looked so offended.

I giggled as I left them to bicker.

“Wait, you don’t get to get away from me.” Toby came up behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and tugging me into his side. “So, Seth’s place after Bryan gives you the grand tour?”

“I have something I need to do,” I admitted. “I won’t be back until later.”

“Work keeps you busy a lot,” Bryan said.

“It can,” I said, not bothering to correct him.

“Fine. As soon as you come back. I’ll wait,” Bryan said.

They ended up walking me out to my car before going to Bryan’s. Toby waved wildly at me as I got in my car. I sighed as I drove back to the hospital, dreading stepping back into that place so soon after my appointment yesterday. Frankly, I dreaded the whole experience. Physiotherapy sucked, but I refused to miss a day, needing my back to heal so I could get back to a normal life.

As soon as I got to the appointment, I was forced through a bunch of exercises that had me moving in awkward and uncomfortable ways. And yet still, Niko thought I was doing so well with the way he kept telling me I did a great job.

“All right, we’ll end it here,” he said, holding his hand out to help me sit up from the annoying squeaky table he had me lie on. Seriously, every movement I made caused the table to squeak, as if it were straining to hold my measly weight of a hundred and twenty pounds.

I turned so my feet hung off the table and glared at him. “Why does it feel like you were extra brutal today?”

“I needed to check all your range of motions considering your fall over the weekend. It looks like you’re no longer where you were during our last appointment. You can’t turn at the waist as much as you did before. Are you in pain right now?”

“Not really.”

“Cadence?” He did that thing where the tone in his voice called me out.