“Don’t bring up tomorrow, please.” I’m pleading with my eyes.
Reid’s face turns from playful to perturbed as he asks, “Are you worried about riding?”
My face speaks for me.
His leg is nearly brushing mine as he inches closer and pulls my head against his shoulder. “Addie, you have more talent in your pinky toe than those girls have in their whole bodies. You’ll crush.”
“I feel more like I’ll crash.”
“You can’t think like that. You have to envision the landing, or you’ll never hit it.”
“I’m just worried about the rain. It was scary watching you today.”
Reid shifts to face me and pulls me in for a hug. It feels better than it should.
When we separate, he’s staring down at my chest. I’m about to scold him when the rough pad of his thumb skates gently against my bruised ribs.
I suck in a breath.
Usually, I love hot water, but I feel a bit like I’m boiling now. Swallowing hard, I yank my body as far away from him as I can. My swollen ribs grind against my skin and I wince.
He’s right back beside me and I can’t escape him this time. Reid studies the blue marks as I try to assure him, “I’m fine, I swear.”
“I feel like this should be healed by now. I didn’t realize it still hurt.”
“Yeah I know. It’s annoying as hell that I’m the safe one and somehow I still get more injured than you.”
His worry has transformed back to his cool confidence yet again. He motions to himself as he grins. “You know me, the legendary Hasty Hastings.”
I pull myself away again and move to turn on the bubbles. I’m not exactly sure what I think bubbles are going to do, but it feels like maybe their presence will diffuse the tension. I’m brave and show some of my true feelings. “I don’t care about Hasty. I care about Reid.”
Reid motions down to his chest. “Look, I’m in one piece.”
I desperately want to reach out and touch him, to prove to myself he really is okay. I brush it off instead. “Yeah, this time you are.”
“I’ll always do my best to come home safe.”
“We won’t even have a home til like Thanksgiving,” I sigh.
“Well, we always have a home, we’re just temporarily forcing ourselves to be without it.”
I can’t help but snort a little. “Oh Reid, you make it sound so romantic.”
“You know me, a hopeless romantic.” He drums his fingers lightly against the hot tub.
Oh how I wish that were true. The Reid I know is a player in every sense of the word.
3
The rain held out for the whole race until I was about to approach the jumps. It got to me, just like it always does. I crashed once. It was minor, but still—I should be better than that.
I’m an idiot.
I scrambled off the bike once I realized I was going to fall, scraping up my calf in the process. I know how to fall properly—at least I should—and that is not how you do it. Falling the wrong way can mean the difference between life and death.
Everyone is cheering at my perfectly respectable score as I join the crowd, but I’m seething inside. Once again, I took the safe path, and I hate myself for it…always so safe and careful. Safe and careful doesn’t get you an invite to Red Bull Rampage, the final and biggest event of the freeride season.
Damien is holding Josie up on his shoulders, and they’re clapping with bright smiles on their faces. Reid tackles me into a hug, practically taking me down to the ground. Delaney offers me a knowing smile. She cornered me last night, asking how I was going to survive months and months on the road with him.
