Page 42 of Letting it Ride

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My adrenaline is pumping as we maneuver the ATVs through the island, slowing down to see things: the trees are different here from what we have in Pennsylvania, and if I squint, I can see the ocean through the greenery at some spots. A group of flamingoes looks at us as we pass.

We hit a wide-open expanse and I speed up, pushing the pace. I’m having the time of my life, even going a little slower at Addie’s comfort level.

We reach a hill, and it takes her a minute, but then she realizes she needs to give it a little more juice to make progress. She gets it going and turns back to smile at me. I smile back, but the expression dies on my lips as the ATV Addie’s driving jerks when the tire hitssomething on the path. The vehicle goes skittering sideways, turning.

My heart nearly stops completely as Addie tumbles off, rolling once, and the ATV lands on its side only inches from her body. The sickening sound of crunching metal hitting the ground sparks a memory, and my heart plummets to my feet.

I can’t hold back the curse that escapes from my lips as I hit the brakes. “Addie?”

I shift my ATV into park and climb off to sprint over to her. She’s not moving. My heart races in my chest, and my breath catches in my throat as fear floods through me at the sight of her small, still body.

The guide behind me pulls his vehicle to a stop next to us. The rest of the group is so far ahead they can’t even see us anymore.

“Addie. Are you okay?” I crouch down next to her, one hand on her shoulder. I need her to be okay.

She blinks her eyes and sits up, shaky. Relief washes through me. “I-I think so. I think I hit something, and…” She puts a hand to the shoulder that impacted the ground, and when she pulls it away, there’s blood on her palm.

“You must have landed on something. Let me see.” I tug her bloodied shirt out of the way to see a gaping wound on her upper arm that makes me wince. Shit. “Addie, that looks really bad.” I glance at the guide. “Is there a hospital around here?”

He nods, shielding the sun from his eyes with his hand. I take her backpack from her and sling it over my shoulders as I settle her in front of me on my ATV, making sure her helmet is still secure.

“I’ve got you,” I say, wrapping one arm tight around her waist as I grip the handle with the other. Addie’s hand lands on mine, soft and trusting, and I hold her tighter, pulling her back against my chest. “I’ve got you,” I say again.

We follow the guide down the path, much more slowly than before. I’m doing my best to avoid rocks and sticks, trying to keep the ride as smooth as possible so I don’t hurt her more.

The absolute terror of seeing her fall still hasn’t completely gone away. It wasn’t the reaction you have to a friend or a little sister or anyone you don’t have strong feelings for. I push the thoughts to the back of my mind, unable to process them for now. I’m barely ready to deal with the fact that I’m attracted to Addie. Feelings likethisare something else entirely.

I’m grateful she was at least wearing that helmet. There was a small dent in it that I can’t get out of my mind. I can only imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t been wearing one.

The hospital is only about ten minutes away on the ATVs, even going at this slower speed. It’s a small building, but modern, and Addie gets called back after only a few minutes in the waiting room.

Her injury is still oozing small rivers of blood down her arm as she stands, and I sit back in my chair. I want to follow her—need to, almost. Not just to distract myself from the memories that conjure up from the smell of disinfectant—my head throbs with a phantom pain—but to make sure she’s okay. To take care of her.

Addie takes a few steps after the nurse, then turns back to me. “Will you come with me?” she asks softly.

Thank God. I practically jump out of my chair. “Of course,” I say. I don’t want to let her out of my sight. I catch up to them and follow the nurse, my hand on Addie’s lower back to keep her close.

We walk through a swinging door, and we may be in another country, but the fluorescent lighting and sterile feel is a universal hospital thing, not to mention that sharp smell. It’s been over a decade since I last visited an emergency room, and the scent makes me feel like it was yesterday that I was getting stitches of my own.

We’re led to a small room, where the nurse directsAddie to sit on the bed while she checks her heart rate and looks at the cut.

The woman purses her dark lips. “This looks like it may need stitches. The doctor will be in shortly, and they can let you know for sure, okay? You can hold this on it while you wait if you’d like.” She hands Addie a small cloth. Her accented English is the only thing that reminds me we’re not in the US right now.

I sit down on the doctor’s stool while I wait with Addie, rolling it to sit by her.

“I’m sorry,” she says, biting her lip.

My brows furrow. “For what?”

She shrugs, then winces as that makes her injured arm move. “Messing up our day. Having to spend our day in port at the hospital. This isn’t exactly what I meant when I said we should check out the local culture.”

I chuckle and climb off the stool to sit beside her on the hospital bed. “Well, this is one way to get a firsthand view of what it’s like to live here, I guess.” I nudge her good arm and tilt my head. “It’s not a problem though, Addie. I’m having fun just hanging out with you. We got a lot in today already. I’m just sorry you got hurt.”

She flushes slightly. “I’m a pretty terrible driver. Maybe I shouldhave warned you.”

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