Keren’s bike ended up four feet behind her, which was possibly better than her being under or wrapped around the bike. She was on her side, head facing downhill, long legs akimbo. Her helmet had taken a hit, which was the idea, rather than it being her head but she was far too quiet for him to be anywhere near comfortable. Keren not speaking made him nervous.
“Key, you okay?” he yelled, heading straight down to her. The bike was toast. It looked like she’d clipped a random rock and ended up twisting the wheel.
There was no reply.
He crouched down next to her. Her eyes fluttered open. “Shit,” she mumbled. “My bike…”
“Is screwed. But I’m more bothered about you. How many of me are there?”
“Thankfully one,” she said.
She was fine. If she’d wrapped her arms around him and declared her undying love, he’d known they were in trouble.
“Next question, where do you hurt?”
She tried to shake her head, the helmet getting in the way. “I’m going to be bruised, but there aren’t any huge pains. Can you help me sit up?”
He half shifted himself under her to support her weight as she came up. She rested against him and he sat behind her, thankful that she had landed in a fairly dry patch as opposed to the thick mud that there was in places.
Keren’s hands came up and she undid her helmet, leaning forward to pull it off. “Life savers,” she said. “That could’ve ended completely differently.”
He knew. Without second guessing himself, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “But it didn’t. Thank god. I wouldn’t have fancied carrying your corpse down to town. They’d all think I’d finally bumped you off.”
She gave a quiet laugh. “I’m not sure that’s the case now. We were spotted leaving yours on Monday morning. Gran asked me why I was walking like John Wayne and if I had any plans to name a horse Scott.”
He chuckled. “She doesn’t give up, does she?”
“Never. Did you see what happened? Why I fell?”
She was starting to process what had gone on.
“I heard you shout to move. Then I heard you skid. Your front wheel is knackered. I’m guessing you’ve hit something and it’s buckled,” he said. “I’ll be able to tell more from the bike.”
“I think the brakes have gone. That was why I shouted; I wasn’t slowing.” She rested back into him properly. “I don’t feel like walking into town right now.”
“Answer me honestly, so pretend I’m a search and rescue guy and not your arch enemy, how bad is your head?” he said, moving her hair away from her face with one hand. She didn’t flinch or try to stop him, which both surprised and worried him.
“My head’s fine. I think tonight’s activities will be cancelled in favour of a hot bath,” she said, making no effort to move.
His mind covered what those activities could’ve been. “Did you have a date?” No point beating around the bush.
“For fuck’s sake, Scott. I slept with you on Monday morning. That was the first sex I’ve had in more than three years. I don’t think I’ll be moving on just yet,” she let out a long, annoyed sigh. “I was going to the cinema with Rayah, Stevie and Patsy. There’s no way I’ll be comfortable sat down for two and a bit hours.”
“I agree. You’re going to hurt like hell tomorrow. Why have you avoided me?” he said, again working on the premise that there was no point not talking about the elephant in the room.
“I was embarrassed,” she said. “Look, we can have this conversation, but I’m starting to feel really cold. There’s the woodsman’s hut near here, isn’t there? Can we head there? Let me feel a bit steadier before we walk down. Although, if you’ve got stuff to rush back for, leave me there and I’ll be okay in a bit.”
He shifted his legs into a squat, fought with her briefly as she realised what he was doing, and then picked her up. “Don’t fight me,” he said. “I realise that’s breaking the habit of a lifetime, but you will be in shock and walking here isn’t the easiest. I’ll sort your bike out tomorrow.”
“I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
“I’m telling you now, Key, all you’ll be doing tomorrow is aching. You really flew off. I think we should get you to the hospital to get you checked.” He walked a little further down the track and then took a left, through trees that became denser. Something scuttled in the undergrowth, probably a hedgehog or bird being disturbed.
“If I start to feel more pain, I’ll go. I think I’m just going to be a beautiful rainbow of every shade of blue,” she said. “Remember when I broke my arm doing the same thing?”
He nodded, remembering it well. She’d been ten and they’d been seeing who could get down a slope the quickest. Somehow she’d flown over her handlebars and landed awkwardly on her arm, the bone popping through the skin.
Some of the others had flinched and couldn’t look, but the Maynards had grown up on the farm and very little threw any of them. He’d moved her into a comfortable position, done what he could to keep it clean and sent Jake who was the quickest runner, for an adult. She’d been in plaster for a good couple of months, not complaining and still heading out with everyone, watching them ride.
