Page 16 of My (Not So) Perfect Plan

She frowns. “Are you sure you should moving around that much?”

“I have the crutches and the surgery will be next week. I know I have to rest the leg and ice it and exercise it, but I figure it will be good to get out every once in a while. You know, so I’m not demoralized.”

She rolls her eyes at him. “Is that a risk?”

He looks at her and then his eyes shift to me for a moment before going back to his mom. He blinks a few times, a faint gleam in his eyes before he masters himself again. Has he been keeping it from his mom?

“Yeah, I think it might be,” he says softly.

FOUR

CLAIRE

Rachel drops me off after school on Tuesday. I was able to bike to the PT clinic from the school and then home before, but Evan’s house is too far to bike. I feel like a jerk depending on her for a ride so I’ll be relieved to have my license. I even consider buying a beater using part of the ten thousand dollars I’ve saved from my summer jobs.

The address Evan texted me is in a subdivision I’ve never been in before. The drive up to the gate is long and curvy with a fully paved jogging trail twining around manicured trees, small ponds, and shrubbery made to look tastefully wild. When we are finally buzzed through, we aren’t surprised to see huge homes set back in three inch deep vanity lawns that beg to be walked on. Big trees shade the road way as we navigate our way through the subdivision, oohing and aahing at all the gorgeous homes.

“OMG. Are you really doing this?” Rachel asks. She waits at the gate to their property.

I sigh, clenching my fingers together to stave off nerves. “I really am.”

“What are you more nervous about? Driving or the fact that EVAN CARMICHAEL will be sitting next to you?”

“I know!!’

“I can’t believe he’s letting you drive his truck. That’s hot!”

“If driving was a euphemism for um, sketchy stuff, that would make actually sense. And what are you saying, Miss I-found-the-man –of-my-dreams?”

“True,” Rachel says.

“Anyway, I’m nervous about both.”

“Here’s my advice,” she says as the gates open and she noses the car forward, “Take advantage of the moment and enjoy it. Stop putting up roadblocks.”

I’m about to answer that she’s being ridiculous but my voice dies away as the house comes into view. It’s this sprawling brown brick monstrosity that has a separate four car garage, a lot of French accents, and a metal roof. Tennis courts and basketball courts are visible in the back along with a pool. It’s crazy.

I lick my lips, anxiety building in my chest. “Wish me luck.”

I hop out and wave goodbye. Watching her drive away makes me want to run after and ask her to just take me home, but I firm up my shoulders, grasp his backpack with his assignments and school issued ipad and lift my hand to the buzzer.

The door opens before I can ring it and Evan is standing there, leaning on one leg and his crutches.

“Bored?” I ask him. I skooch around him and prop up our book bags right inside the door. “Does that mean you’re ready to go driving now?”

He looks at me – shorter now because he’s hunched over on his crutches. “I’m ready if you are.”

Tension zips through me but I shake it off and nod my head. I help steady him as he works his way down the stairs tothe driveway. At the bottom he fishes in the pocket of his athletic shorts and hands me his car keys. They have a braided leather toggle on them along with a vintage style metal football coin.

We head over to his truck and I open the door for him.

“This truck is awfully high. Don’t you want to take your mom’s Lexus instead, since it’s closer to the ground?” I ask him.

He just stares at me.

“Or not. We can take the truck,” I say. But I have no idea how he is going to manage getting in without injuring himself. He hands me his crutches, holding onto the truck to keep his balance. The muscles in his back bunch together under his Henley as he lifts himself up using the hand holds alone. My mouth waters and I have to tell my hands not to run themselves over all the beautiful ripples I see there.

He turns back with a smug look of triumph, catching me checking him out, before he sits down in the seat. My face flames up, while his prideful look turns into a full on grin.

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