I hate it when Addie’s right, but it happens a lot.

I go see a local doctor the next day, and two days after that, I go to my first physical therapy appointment. It’s with this older guy named Mikel. I think he’s Norwegian or something, because he speaks with a thick accent. He teaches me a bunch of exercises, and although it’s hard, I promise myself that I’ll give it a shot.

“This is not cure, okay?” Mikel says to me as I leave. “We strengthen, we build. But you maybe never fully fixed, okay?”

“Okay Mikel,” I say.

“And don’t forget your home work!” He flashes me a big grin and heads back inside.

I never want to go home. My dad’s back, and he hangs around the house for hours at a time, mostly sitting in his study drinking whisky and smoking cigars. He’s on the phone at all hours, and I have no clue who he’s talking to. I don’t ask and he doesn’t ever mention it, which is fine by me. The man lives on takeout Chinese food and pizza, which is absolutely insane, considering his age. He’s starting to look like that’s his diet, unfortunately, but I don’t care. Let the bastard eat himself into his grave.

The next day, I’m up in my room, doing my stretches and exercises when I hear a crash downstairs. I hesitate and check the clock. It’s a little after ten in the morning, and I know my dad’s been up all night, or at least most of it. When I was a kid and he’d stay up way too late, I always knew that I’d better get out of the house. Otherwise, he’d beat the shit out of me.

The beatings stopped when I turned sixteen. I hit my growth spurt, put on some size and weight, and when he punched me in the eye one random Tuesday after school, I punched him right back. It knocked him to the ground, and I was so angry that I wanted to kill him. He hadn’t hit me for a little while, and I almost forgot what he got like.

He looked up at me, his eyes wide with anger and fear, and I left him there. The beatings stopped after that, I think because he realized that I wasn’t an easy target anymore.

The abuse never stopped, though.

I flinch as I hear him come stumbling up the steps. I can hear him walking down the hallway toward my door and I’m praying for him to walk on past, but he doesn’t. He bangs on my bedroom door and grunts something, his words slurred.

“Yeah, what?” I answer.

“Open up.”

I pull the door open a crack. He smiles at me, clearly drunk off his ass. “You’re sweating. Why are you sweating?”

“I’m doing exercised.”

“Exercises?” He grunts at me. “Open the door up, I wanna talk to you.”

I open the door slightly wider. “What?” I ask him, trying to control my anger. I’m much bigger and much stronger than I was when I was sixteen, and if I didn’t need a place to stay right now, I think I’d level him just because I felt like it.

“Why are you doing exercises?” he asks, slurring. He leans against the doorjamb and doesn’t come into the room.

“Physical therapy,” I say. “For my knee.”

He stares at me blankly before barking a laugh. “Therapy? You? You’re done,” he says, shaking his head.

“Excuse me?”

“Done,” he repeats. “Done, fucking done. I saw, y’know. Saw it happen.”

I hesitate. “You watched my games?”

“Every one. Saw you get wrecked. Laughed my ass off.”

I clench my jaw. For a second there, I thought he might turn out to be a decent dad, but nope, there that goes. He’s still a fucking prick, even if he did watch the games.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” I say tightly.

“Looked bad. You ain’t playing again, boy, you know that? Ain’t never fucking playing again.” He cackles at me, unsteady on his feet. “Never shoulda gone to Russia, boy, never shoulda gone.”

I step up to him. “Go to bed, you drunk idiot.”

His nostrils flare like an angry horse and I thin k he might actually be wasted enough to try and hit me. Instead, he just sneers. “Never shoulda,” he says, turning away. “Never gonna again.”

He stumbles off down the hall. I watch him go into his room, slamming the door behind me.

I’m so fucking angry I can barely think. I walk over to my phone, snatch it from my desk, and text Addie. “Meet me in our spot,” I type. “Another episode.”

She’ll know what that means. I haven’t used that code in a long time, but back in the day, when my dad used to try and beat my ass, I’d text her that he’s having another episode and that I needed to meet. She’d come spend time with me, no matter when or where, until I felt like it was safe to go back home.

I don’t feel unsafe here, though, at least not for my sake. I feel like it’s unsafe for my father, and if I don’t leave, I’m going to hurt him very, very badly.

I don’t wait to hear back from her. I just get changed, grab my walking stick, and head out the door. My knee’s a little sore and I’m still angry as all hell, but at least being away from that house and out in the sunshine makes me feel like a normal person again.

I don’t bother posting up at the crossroads and waiting for her. I can’t be sure she’ll even show up, anyway. It’s a Saturday, so I know she’s not working, but still. She could be busy with her daughter or maybe there’s just nobody around to babysit. I can’t rely on Addie anymore to solve my problems, or at least I can’t assume she’ll come listen to them.

It’s a sad thought as I make my way toward the falls. I head through the underbrush and climb down the rocks until I’m out near the edge, watching the water fly into the air.

It’s actually weirdly peaceful, sitting at the edge of a waterfall. There’s a reason we used to come out here all the time. Addie would smile and lean back against the rock, letting the sun hit her in the face, arms stretched out next to her. I used to love watching her lay there for hours at a time while nothing happened, just nature doing its normal thing.

I can almost feel all that again, sitting here alone. It’s not the same, obviously, but it’s still pretty good. I hate being back in Weston and I despise living with my father, but I’m getting better. I’m figuring it out.

“Will?”

Her voice pulls me from my thoughts and my heart leaps in my chest. I stand up and wave to her. “Down here,” I call back.

She smiles and starts to head toward me, climbing down the rocks with ease. I note that it took me maybe five minutes to cover the distance while it barely takes her one.

“I’m surprised you came,” I admit to her as she drops down next to me. We bit sit with our backs against the rock step, legs straight out in front of us.

“I haven’t gotten that text in a while,” she says, shrugging. “I figured it was important.”

“Yeah, well, now I feel a little silly sending it, honestly. I was pretty worked up.”

“What happened?”

I take a breath and let it out. “I went to physical therapy, like you suggested.”

She smiles at me. “That’s awesome.”

“Thanks. I was doing some exercises in my room when my dad came up, drunk as fuck like usual, and said some shit.”

“What did he say?” she asks softly.

I hesitate. “Nothing I didn’t already know.”

She nods. “I get it if you don’t want to say. I’m just surprised that he’s still pulling this shit.”

“He’s an asshole,” I say. “He thinks I’ll never play hockey again and I’m wasting my time, and he told me so. I don’t know why or what his deal is, but it’s like he’s jealous or something.”

‘Maybe he is,” she says.

“Maybe.” I sigh and rub my knee. “He’s just a drunk old man and I’m the closest target right now.”

“Still, I thought he’d be past this.”

“Nobody outgrows being an asshole.”

She laughs a little bit and puts her hand on my leg. “I’m sorry, Will.”

“Yeah. Me too. I shouldn’t have dragged you out here.”

“It’s okay.” She pulls her hand back and I wish she wouldn’t. “I was bored, honestly. Cara’s taking a nap and Julissa’s there watching her, so I didn’t have much to do.”

“Glad I could be of service then.”

She smiles and I feel her shoulder touch mine. I thought she might pull away immediately, but instead the touch lingers.

“Why don’t you move out of your dad’s place?” she asks me.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I could afford it.”

“But instead you’re dealing with that dumb, abusive asshole.”

I nod, looking away at the water rushing down toward the falls. I know the real reason that I haven’t made any moves yet. I can feel the rock under my fingers as I gently scrape at the surface, a nervous little gesture.

“It would feel to permanent,” I say finally after a short silence. “If I move into my own place, I’m afraid I’ll get complacent.”

“I can understand that,” she says. “But do you really think you’ll make any progress living in your dad’s house?”

I sigh. “I know you’re right. It still feels wrong.” I pick up a pebble nearby and throw it into the water. “If I get an apartment, I’ll need a job to help pay for shit, and that’ll take up all my time. I’m afraid I’ll just settle.”

“Look, I’m not trying to pressure you into anything.” She nudges me and I look back toward her. “But since when did Will Eaton settle for anything other than what he wants?”

Our eyes lock and her words strike me down to my core. I stare at her and she’s not looking away, her chin tipped up toward me. I can feel my heart beating faster and I know that she’s right, but not about what she thinks.

Without another word, I reach up and tilt her chin closer to me as I lean in and kiss her. At first, I think she’s surprised. She doesn’t kiss me back for a few seconds, until I feel her arms pull me closer.

I grab her hair with my right hand and kiss her full and deep. It feels so fucking good and I’ve been wanting this for so god damn long. I was with other women in Russia, mostly jaded groupies that fucked practically every pro player in Moscow, but none of them made me want to stick around. The only woman to ever make me feel something more is Addie, and I thought I fucked that up a long time ago.

I don’t know what comes over me. It’s like a rush, like the waterfall that’s ten feet away. I move over, straddling her and pressing her back against the rocks, ignoring the pain in my knee. I kiss her deep and full and I can hear as much as feel a little moan escape her lips as my hands reach down to unbutton her jeans. She doesn’t protest or fight me as I tug them down her body, sliding them over her full ass and hips before kissing her again, one hand between her legs.

She groans as I rub her panties and I’m surprised at how wet she is already. I bet she was soaked as soon as she sat down next to me, probably picturing something just like this. I push her panties aside and find her soft clit and I slowly rub it, making her whole body tremble.

“Will,” she whispers as I kiss her neck. “What are we doing?”

“Just what we should’ve been doing for a long time,” I say in her ear as I press two fingers deep inside. She groans as I pull her hair with my other hand. “Just what you’ve been dreaming about these last two years.”

I slide my fingers in deeper and I get a satisfying groan from her. I’m so hard it almost hurts but this moment is all about her body. I need her to know how important she is to me, and I don’t know how else to show her.

My fingers explore her pussy, fucking her deeper and slower before pumping fast again. She kisses me deep, moans escaping he lips, her hands around my neck. I want to make her come so badly, but I also don’t want this moment to end. We’re suspended above the falls, and it feels so fucking good.

I know we have to topple over though. I pull back from her and slide down between her legs. She shuffles a little, spreading her legs wide as I kiss the inside of her thighs. She groans when my tongue finds her clit, and I know what she likes. I’ve been thinking about it for two years.

I tongue her pussy inside and out, licking up every drop. She tastes just like I remembered, like fucking candy on my tongue. I lick her clit and slide two fingers deep inside of her, fucking her in and out as I eat and lick. She’s groaning, hips rolling, and her voice is starting to carry over the falls. I love the way I can make her body work, the way her moans sound in my ear. I press my fingers deeper and slide them back out, tongue still lapping at her pussy.

She presses my face tighter and I know she’s close. I go faster, moving in rhythm to her moans and her hips. I want to taste it as my tongue keeps lapping and my lips suck her dry.

The orgasm rushes through her, making her whole body stiffen in response. I don’t let up, I keep pushing her over the edge, making her moans come out strangled and insane. I keep that up for half a minute before she finally starts to relax.

I look up at her with a grin on my face, and she’s flushed and breathing hard.

“Where’d that come from?” she asks me.

I shrug a little, sitting back. “I don’t know,” I admit.

She gets her jeans back on, still breathing fast. “That was, uh, unexpected.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Do you ever expect to get eaten out next to a waterfall?”

“No,” she admits. “Just, this was even more unexpected than usual. There’s always the chance with you.”

I laugh a little. “Fair enough. I don’t know what came over me. I just… wanted to.”

“I know.” She stands up and tugs her jeans up over her ass and hips. “Look, we should just stick to friends okay?”

“Sure,” I say, shrugging and pretending like those words don’t hurt a little bit. “What else would we be?”

She stares at me for a second. “Yeah. Right, exactly.” I watch as she hops up the rock step, heading back toward the forest.

“Wait, Addie, hold on.” I stand, walking over to the ledge.

“It’s okay,” she calls back, already climbing up the second one. “I’ll see you later.”

“Addie,” I call after her, but she just waves and disappears into the forest.

“Shit,” I say softly. “I wanted you to help me get out of here.”

I turn back to the waterfall and sigh. I sink back down to the ground and sit there for a while longer, rubbing my aching knee and thinking about Addie’s body, the way she tastes, the way she writhes, and the way she says my name as she comes on my tongue.