Page 221 of Twisted Trails
God, I love this.
The bike moves beneath me like it knows what I want before I do. We’re not fighting each other anymore, we’re synced. Every shift, corner, and second are fluid. I trust it now. I trustmenow.
The pain that used to own me doesn’t have a say today. It’s quiet.
For once, it’s justme.
And I’mfast.
The crowd is everywhere, lining the course, screaming my name. I hear it—Alaina! Eleven! Crews!—but it foldsinto the pulse in my veins and becomes part of the air rushing past.
I carve every turn, crush every root, and then I rush toward the jump.
Thatjump.
The one that almost killed me.
The one that crushed bone, trust, and time.
Today I’m the one crushing it.
I send it clean and fucking fly.
My braid snaps behind me, wind-tossed and wild, and joy bubbles up so fast I can’t hold it back. I let out the girliest, most ridiculous squeal of pure, unfiltered delight, because I’m here. I’mstillhere, and I get to feelthis.
This speed, this freedom, this love for the ride, for the people waiting at the finish, formyself.
I’m so damn glad I didn’t kill myself.
So glad I was strong enough to hold on, brave enough to reach for the hands that kept reaching back. Willing enough to give myself the grace to fall, break, and rage, and still choose to get back up.
No one really wants to go. Most just don’t know how tostay.
But I stayed, and I know, no matter what happens when my tires hit dirt again, I’ll be okay, because now, even when my breath catches, even when it breaks,I trust myself to keep breathing.
I land clean, wheels down, and my bike holds.Ihold.
Then I’m tearing through the final section. Legs burning, arms locked, everything screaming forward until I blast through the finish line. The sound of the crowd is so loud it’s almost a wall of noise I have to ride through.
I glance over my shoulder, and the board flashes green.
Green.
I don’t even see the time, don’t know who came second orthird, because before I can process any of it, I’m lifted, pulled from my bike and into the air before I’m sat on strong shoulders.
Luc is on one side, Mason is on the other, both gripping my legs, both screaming their heads off. I clutch at their hair to steady myself, laughing breathlessly, body still shaking from the ride. Finn is right there, too, reaching up to take my hand and squeeze it hard.
“Holy shit, you did it, baby girl!” he shouts, eyes watery, but face cracked wide open in the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on him.
Otis barrels in with a whoop, tossing his helmet in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
I grin down at him, then pull off my helmet and scan the sea of noise, movement, and sweat-streaked color, searching for our black, pink, and blue.
And there it is.
All our people. All in our colors.
Dane, standing behind the barrier, Piper tucked into his side, her little baby bump cradled under his palm. His eyes are shining, and a little teary, and my eyes burn in answer.
