Perfectly Able (15 page)

My heart ached for him, and I knew that we had a connection, one that shouldn’t be ignored.

He had his goals, and I had mine. I was going to save Ridge.

I answered a knock at the door, and London strolled into my apartment. “Is Kelsey here yet?”

“Not yet,” I answered.

“I wonder if Brandy’s coming with her.” London pushed a wave of blond hair behind her shoulder.

“No, Brandy’
s working tonight.” The only reason I knew that was because Kelsey had mentioned it on the phone when I called her and asked her to meet me at my apartment.

“There’s a veggie pizza in the kitchen if you want some,” I told London as I gathered my hair in a ponytail and fastened it with a hairband.

“So what’s your plan?” London called over her shoulder as she went to grab a slice.

“I don’t know yet. I’m hoping Kelsey can offer us some helpful information.”

As if on cue, another knock sounded at the door. I pulled it open, and Kelsey wiggled her fingers at me as she sashayed into the living room. “I’m here, dahlings. Shall we get started?”

“Let’s talk in the kitchen,” London hollered. “I’m starving.”

We all sat at the table with a canned drink and the pizza box lying open in front of us.

“So has Ridge said anything to you about me?” I asked Kelsey, eager to form a plan of action.

“Do you honestly think he’d mention it to me?” Kelsey asked. “Getting information out of Ridge is like sneaking gold out of Fort Knox. It’s not going to happen.”

“Have you tried calling him?” London
asked me.

“I wanted to give him some space. I figured he’d call me when he was ready, but it’s been two weeks, and I haven’t heard from him.”

“I heard him telling Mom over the weekend that he’s been really busy with work. He’s up for a promotion, and he’s been working a lot of overtime on a new project. He’s also training for the triathlon,” Kelsey said.

“Man, Ava, you’ve got it bad,” London announced around a mouthful of pizza.

I rested my chin in my palm, wondering what had been going through his mind since we’d last spoken.

“She’s not even denying it,” London said looking at Kelsey. “She really does have it bad.”

“I’m just worried about him,” I said.

“Why would you be worried?” Kelsey asked, her eyebrows knitted as she stared at me with concerned emerald eyes.

There’s no way I would ever tell anyone the things that Ridge had shared with me. “He’s just been working so hard,” I replied. “He needs to have a little fun.”

“Oh, I see,”
London piped in. “A little fun. That’s where you come in. Am I right?”

“Hey, y’all were the ones that set us up at the cabin. Can I help it if I really like him?”

“You should randomly show up the next time he’s running or cycling,” Kelsey suggested, her chestnut hair hanging just below her shoulders.

“Do you know when and where that would be?” He and I had talked about training together. Kelsey’s suggestion was a logical choice.

“I think he changes it up some, but he usually goes to that two-mile track around Creekview Park. But gah, you got to get up early in the morning if you want to catch him there.”

“She’s a freak, too,” London said, pointing at me. “She never sleeps late.”

“I feel like my whole day is gone if I sleep in,” I reasoned. Turning back to Kelsey, I asked, “Does he go on Saturdays?”

“Usually. I know he goes at five o’clock in the morning during the week. I’m not sure about Saturday. Hold on, though, and I’ll find out.”

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.

“Don’t tell him I want to know,” I whispered, afraid that would scare him off.

“I got this,” she assured me.

“Hey, Ridge.”

“What are you doing Saturday morning?”

“What time are you going cycling?”

“I’m not being nosy. I wanted to drop by your apartment before you left to bring you something. What time will you be there?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”

“Six o’clock! In the morning?”

I studied
Kelsey’s profile. She was a beautiful girl, and I could definitely see the resemblance between Ridge and her. One of the most notable differences was their eye color. Ridge’s eyes were hazel, sometimes appearing amber, while Kelsey’s were definitely green. I wondered if she had any idea how much Ridge worried about her and their mother. Whether she realized it or not, she was lucky to have a brother like Ridge.

Kelsey was vivacious, and I smiled to myself as I thought about Ridge comparing her to a tornado. She was definitely one of those people who would never blend into a crowd. She would be center stag
e, and all eyes would be on her. She was unforgettable like a bumblebee in a swarm of ladybugs.

“Well, I
might make it tomorrow night, instead. Will you be home?”

“Okay, I’ll see you
tomorrow
after
you’ve gone cycling.”

Kelsey hung up and
flung her arms in the air. “Who gets up at six o’clock on Saturday morning because they
want
to?” she demanded to know.

London thumbed in my direction. “The weirdos of the world, that’s who.
That’s why they’re so perfect for each other. Anyone else in our age group wouldn’t get up before noon on a Saturday. They need to be with each other because they’d annoy the hell out of anyone else.”

I ignored London. She definitely had the irritating little sister act down to a tee. “So he’ll be there in the morning at six?” I clarified.

“Yes, and now I have to come up with some reason why I’m dropping off a surprise for him tomorrow night,” Kelsey said thoughtfully.

“Make him cupcakes,” London suggested.

Kelsey laughed as she pulled a slice of pizza out of the box. “Then he’ll know something’s up. I do
not
cook.”

“Exactly,” London said. “That’s why it’s a believable surprise.”

“You might have something there,” Kelsey agreed.

“I’ll be there at six,” I said, “but if this doesn’t work, I won’t set him up like this again. It feels stalkerish.”

London rolled her eyes. “That’s because it
is
stalkerish. Sometimes guys just need a little nudge.”

“You better keep in mind that Ridge is stubborn,” Kelsey added. “
If you want to bring him home with you, you might want to take a pair of sturdy handcuffs and a stun gun.”

***

Due to the new moon, the chilly October morning was shrouded in darkness. I sat alone in the parking lot as I waited on some sign of Ridge.

Knowing that it would take me longer to get my equipment set up, I opened the back door to my car and pulled out my bicycle.
As I switched into my prosthesis that was made specifically for cycling, a truck pulled into the parking lot. I watched as the driver got out and pulled his bicycle from the back.

I mounted my bike and rode slowly toward the track.

The other cyclist followed me, and I slowed down and peered over my shoulder, trying to discern whether it was Ridge. When I couldn’t tell, I continued riding toward the well-lit track.

“Ava?”

I turned to see Ridge, dressed in his cycling gear, just as he approached my left side. He slowed, unclipping his foot from the pedal and coming to a complete stop. I did the same.

“
Hey, Ridge.” I motioned to his vehicle, which offered me the perfect opportunity to make small talk. “Did you trade in your Camaro?”

He looked back
towards the parking lot. “No, sometimes I drive Mason’s truck. It’s easier to haul my bike, and seeing as he won’t be getting out of bed any time soon, I’ll be back home before he needs it.” He turned back around. “I didn’t know you cycled here.”

“It’s my first time, actually.”

“Ah,” he said, his grin softening his facial features. “How’ve you been?”

“Good. You?”

“I’ve been really busy,” he said. “Listen, thanks for getting the closing set up.”

“No problem. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly with the home inspection and the rest of the paperwork, and it won’t be delayed.”

“Yeah, I hope so. I’m pretty psyched that I’ll be able to have the Halloween party at my own house this year. You are still coming, aren’t you?”

I smiled. “
Aye, I’ll be thar, Cap’n!”

“
Shiver me timbers!” he growled. “I be glad to hear it.”

It was a relief that he’d made our encounter so lighthearted. I’d made myself a nervous wreck and had tossed and turned all night.

“How long are you going to ride?” I asked.

“Probably about an hour. You?”

“An hour sounds good.”

He motioned to the track. “Ladies first.”

I pushed off, fastening the sole of my cycling shoes into the pedal. It felt a little odd with Ridge behind me, but I cycled as swiftly as I could, afraid that I would slow him down. One of the advantages of riding on the track this early was that there was no one else in sight, which allowed us to cycle quickly without slowing for pedestrians.

As the hour came to an end, my legs felt wobbly. When I slowed down as we rode towards our cars, my coordination got off-kilter and I didn’t get my good foot unclipped from the pedal fast enough to catch myself.

I crashed to the ground, my arms and knee breaking my fall as I slammed against the asphalt.

“Ava!”

Before I had time to react, Ridge was at my side, his large, warm hands gripping my arms. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice edged with concern.

I closed my eyes, fee
ling the pain of embarrassment flooding through my body. I held my hand up to him, signaling him to stop. “I can get up by myself!” I shouted, more harshly than I’d intended. I appreciated his concern, but I didn’t want him to think that I couldn’t handle this situation on my own. My arms and knee stung fiercely, but I sucked it up and unclipped my feet from the pedals. Disentangling myself from my bike, I slowly stood.

“You’re bleeding,”
he said, pointing to the splotch of blood that peppered the underside of my arm.

“I’ll be fine.”
I didn’t bother to look.

“Do you want me to help
you with your bike?”

“No, I got it.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t mind.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I snapped, and I could feel the threat of tears in the corners of my eyes. “I’m not
an invalid, Ridge.”

“I’m well aware of that,” he sa
id softly, his voice filled with patience. He lifted the bike. “I just want to help you, Ava.”

I took it from him, leaning on it
as I walked the couple of more steps it took me to get to my car. I leaned it against my car, opened the car doors, and sat sideways in the backseat, picking up my everyday prosthesis. He just stood and watched me, and I hesitated. I started switching my legs. If he wanted to watch, then so be it.

“I want us to be friends, Ava.”

“We are.” But I wanted so much more.

He nodded and stared off into the distance. “I really like you, Ava, but you know I have to….”

“Yeah. You have to work through your damn list.” I fought hard to hold back the tears. I had no idea where all my anger was coming from, but I felt like my body was filled with molten lava. I gritted my teeth and swallowed hard, willing myself not to explode. A myriad of emotions were swirling in my head, embarrassment, anger, resentment.

“I’ll be here next Saturday at six if you want to go running together,” he said softly.

When I didn’t respond, he simply said, “Bye, Ava.”

I didn’t look up. I barely even breathed until he had left the parking lot. Then, the tears won the battle, and I sobbed. I cried harder than I could remember ever crying. I cried because I was angry that I wasn’t like everyone else. I cried because if I’d had two normal legs, I wouldn’t have fallen on my face in front of Ridge.
But mostly, I cried because I was falling in love with someone who wasn’t ready for a relationship.

When my tears had finally dried
, I stood, bearing my weight down on my everyday prosthesis until it clicked firmly in place. I loaded my bicycle into the back seat and slid in the driver’s seat. I didn’t immediately leave. I just stared out the windshield, thinking about my life.

Maybe I wasn’t as different from
other people as my mind would sometimes have me believe. Everyone had their insecurities. Ridge was proof of that. Outwardly, he exuded confidence and control. He had a solid plan for achieving the goals that he deemed worthy of his list. But he had confided in me, and I listened carefully as he told me about his own insecurities. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I would have sworn that he didn’t have any.