I ripped off her helmet and searched her face and neck. When I got to her arms Haven winced when I moved her right one.
“Holy shit, babe. Can you move your arm?” I asked her. My voice was shaking and filled with concern.
Haven sat up in my arms, her back pressed against my chest. She rested her head back against my chest and closed her eyes.
“Tris, babe, I’m okay. It was a short fall. I’m only five-two.” She said as she chuckled shyly.
“What’s the damage, babe?” Jeremy asked standing over us.
“Broken pride, hipper and a Swellbow for sure,” She replied laughing.
Jeremy held a hand out for her.
Haven reached out and took it. I helped her to stand with my hands on her hips. Cindy came running up with Haven’s bag in her hand as she rummaged inside it.
“Take these,” Cindy said, handing out a couple of round white pills and a bottle of water.
I looked at Cindy confused. Cindy held up a bottle of aspirin to show me what she had given her, clearly reading the concern on my face. I relaxed immediately. For a moment I wasn’t sure what I thought she had been given.
“Your girl is always prepared,” Cindy said knowingly.
“That’s because she has taken enough spills in her time to know what she needs,” Jeremy said.
Everyone laughed at the comment leaving me slightly confused.
Jeremy wrapped his arm around Haven, taking her out of my arms. I was too stunned by everything to realize what had happened until it was too late.
“Relax, Tristin,” Cindy said from beside me.
I scrubbed my hands across my face and shook my head.
“We have been coming out here since we were ten. Haven took her first spill off the top of that lip the first day we came out here. Since then she has taken more falls than any of us can count. She’s resilient. She learned a long time ago how to bail, what her limits were and to always come prepared.” She said looking at me sternly as she lectured me.
“I know you’re new and you don’t know all of this. I’m sure it’s scary to watch someone you care about eat concrete. But you have to trust her, you have to give her space to grow and make mistakes or try new things or you will lose her.” Cindy continued.
I could only look down at her in amazement. On the surface, Cindy looked like a professional pro hoe. One of those girls that got all dolled up to land a skater to bang and hopefully ride until the wheels fell off.
I was quickly realized that she was anything but. Cindy was wise beyond her years, intelligent and caring. I immediately felt bad for thinking so poorly of her and judging her based on her looks.
“Right now her pride is hurt from falling and I’m sure her body aches. But she will be alright. Try not to make a big deal of it. Treat her like you would if any of the guys fell. Or rather, how you would want her to treat you if you fell.” She said.
Cindy’s words were like a punch in the solar plexus. I knew immediately how I would feel if the shoe was on the other foot. I felt horrible. I gave Cindy a brief hug.
“Thanks, I needed that,” I told her sincerely.
“Let’s go see your girl. I’m sure she is ready to go so she can ice that elbow.” She said sweetly.
Cindy was right. By the time we made it over to the group Jeremy had Haven’s arm wrapped in an ace bandage and she was ready to head home.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous that Haven allowed Jeremy to take care of her and not me. I knew she was close to him and that she felt more comfortable with him caring for her. I decided right then that I was going to change that.
“Catch you tomorrow?” Jeremy asked Haven.
“Yeah, this time, the Dillon’s, got it?” She told him.
Jeremy’s head bobbed slowly. I could see a flash of pain cross his eyes. It was only there for a moment before it was gone and his eyes were again shining with the humor I soon realized that was all Jeremy.
I swapped out Haven’s boards, storing her Fletcher in her bag, leaving her Darkstar out for her to ride back.
I knew her body was in pain. I had taken many falls in my time and no matter how small they were they hurt like hell when you had to keep moving. We had a good ride back to the rope that would take us out of here and still an even longer ride before we made it to the house.
I was tempted to ask her if I could carry her but Cindy’s words echoed in my head and I knew that would be the wrong move. I would never let anyone carry me out unless I absolutely needed it.
“How bad does it hurt?” I asked her. She winced in pain as she pumped.
“Like a bitch, I didn’t quite get my hand out fast enough to catch me so I hit pretty hard on the elbow and hip.” She confessed.
“You don’t have to worry about me, ya know.” She said with a slight edge to her weak voice.
Her voice was weak and it ate at my heart.
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” I told her confidently.
I wanted her to know that I knew she was a big girl and that she didn’t need me, but I wanted her to. I hoped that my words were coming across right. I was in uncharted waters.
She didn’t say anything for a long while. We skated side by side in silence. I had her bag slung across my back. I had no idea how she skated with this thing. It weighed a ton, and that was after she removed at least a dozen water bottles and granola bars.
Before we had left she had dumped a bunch of water and snacks out for everyone that was there so they wouldn’t have to skate hungry. She was so thoughtful. It only endeared her to me more.
“My last fall here I broke my collar bone, my arm and fractured my wrist. I fell from the top. I had to skate out of here too. It was a bitch and a half.” She said, her voice breaking the silence.
I stopped and looked at her for a full minute as she continued to skate. I couldn’t believe it. I know I would have been curled up in a fetal position bawling my eyes out. Trust me, I know from experience.
“What happened?” I asked once I finally shook off my shock and caught up with her.
She gave a small laugh.
“I was goofing off on the lip. Changed my mind about what I wanted to do. I was going to do a running drop in, changed my mind last minute, but it was too late. My tail caught and it went tumbling down.” She said flatly, as though it were no big deal.
“Holy hell,” I said in astonishment.
She shrugged her uninjured shoulder.
“Happens,” She was right. It happens.
“I’ve broken twenty-three bones,” I admitted.
This admission earned me a bright smile. Cindy was right. I needed to treat her like one of the guys, but also as my girl. Hopefully, I could find the right balance.
“What about you?” I asked.
“Thirty-eight,” She said and laughed.
“That’s how I became a professional bailer. I got tired of breaking everything.” She said.
Her voice was laced with humor. I had to laugh. I had never heard of anyone proclaim their self as a professional bailer before.
Chapter Ten
Haven
I was absolutely mortified that Tristin had watched me bite the dust. It was such a fucking stupid move. I had over compensated on the drop and couldn’t stick the landing if my life depended on it. I wanted to melt into the ground when he came running up to me.
My whole body was on fire from the impact, my right hip, knee, and elbow to be particular. I had to acknowledge the fact that when he rushed over to me and cradled me in his arms as he was inspecting me, it felt good.
I had never had anyone show me so much care and concern when I got hurt before. Sure my friends were always concerned, but it was friend code, if someone falls, you do not overreact or make a big deal of the fall.
Tristin had gone way overboard when it came to over reacting. I thought he was going to have a heart attack right then and there. He was so sweet and tender with me as he inspected me for any breaks.
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The aspirin Cindy gave me had thankfully kicked in and were keeping the pain to a dull roar. We had a long ways to go before we made it to the house. I just hoped I would make it without crying or falling apart.
I had fallen many times but that doesn’t stop it from hurting. Add in the fact that I had to skate myself home from the reservoir and climb the rope. Yeah, my body had been put through the ringer. I was already exhausted from skating now I was beaten and exhausted.
My body screamed for a hot bath and my bed. I kept telling myself that it was just a little farther over and over. Soon I would be soaking in a hot bath full of bubbles and I would relax.
I was surprised to hear that Tristin had had so many broken bones. He was an amazing skater. I know that everyone falls sometimes. It just seemed hard to believe with him. He skated like he was born doing it.
Perhaps he was. I knew nothing about his history. That was something that intrigued me. I knew practically nothing about the man, yet I blindly got on a board with him, twice, down a steep wall that could have killed us at any moment.
Speaking of being killed, climbing the wall nearly killed me. I felt like I was going to lose my grip and go crashing into Tristin at any moment.
“You’re doing great, babe.” He called up to me encouragingly.
I loved it when he called me babe. It was common for me and my friends to use the term when talking to one another, but when Tristin said it, it felt like so much more. Maybe it was just my mind secretly hoping he meant it as more than a casual inflection. For all, I know it could hold the same weight as the term dude, chick or brah.
“Almost there, baby.” He called up to me when we were almost to the top.
Baby was another one that made me melt. There was softness in his voice when he said it. It rolled off his tongue like honey and had me buzzing like a bee.
That was another thing I needed to do. I needed to figure out why my body and mind were acting so damn crazy. Every time he was around me I wanted to attach myself to him and cover his lips with mine. There were other thoughts and feelings too but I couldn’t even begin to digest them.
I nearly collapsed when we reached the top. Tristin’s arms quickly came around me, stabilizing me. I could feel his tight muscles ripple beneath his shirt and he wrapped me tightly in his arms.
“I got you, baby. Don’t worry.” He purred against my ear.
His deep voice caressed against my flesh and had me melting like butter. I could listen to him talk all day long, preferably with his arms around me.
I had never been a needy person before. I couldn’t figure out why I was becoming one now. All I could think about was how much I needed him. I needed him to hold me, to kiss me, to whisper soothing words in my ear. I sank in against him. His arms were the only thing holding me up.
It wasn’t the pain from the fall or my swollen appendages, it was his deep soothing voice and the way my body reacted to his that had me in such a state.
“Can you make it or do you need me to carry you?” He said softly against my ear.
My body went from pile of goo to red alert. I needed to suck it up and get home.
“I’m good. Let’s go.”
Just like that, we were skating back to the house. I refused to be weak. What was normally a fifteen-minute skate took almost thirty minutes. My body was sore and stiff, the aspirin felt like they were already starting to wear off.
When we reached my house Tristin helped my inside. Before I could protest he had me in my room, my bag tossed against the wall, my shoes off and a bottle of water and two more aspirin in my hand.
“Do you need me to get you anything else?” He asked.
I just shook my head even though the words ‘hold me’ were on the tip of my tongue.
“I’m good, thank you,” I replied weakly.
Tristin leaned over me giving me a chaste kiss.
“I’m going to go check in. I’ll be back shortly.” He promised.
“Don’t tell Grace, okay,” I begged.
Tristin seemed to think on this. Slowly he nodded his head. I relaxed into the pile of pillows on my bed.
“Thanks,”
“I’ll be back to check on you shortly, baby.” He promised.
Once Tristin was gone I climbed out of bed. I needed a long hot bath. Once I made it into the bathroom I knew that a bath was out of the question. Once I got it I would probably never be able to get out. I felt like I had been hit by a semi-truck. I settled for a hot shower.
The water felt amazing against my sore stiff muscles. I stayed under the water until the hot water heater ran out and the water turned from a therapeutic relaxation to Chinese water torture.
I wrapped my hair in a towel and threw on a pair tiny pink baggy sleep shorts and an oversized gray hoodie. I unwrapped my hair and ran a brush through it. I knew I didn’t have the energy to do anything with it so I ran some lightweight texturizer through it and called it a day. I knew that once my hair dried it would curl up into soft waves that cascaded down my back.
One of my favorite features was my hair. Even though I almost always wore it pulled back into a ponytail, braided, or covered with a hat, it didn’t mean I didn’t care. I just opted for practical.
When I stepped back into my room I was surprised to see Tristin standing there by my bed. He looked like he had just taken a shower his self. His hair was still wet and he was wearing a pair of gray track pants and a white wife beater.
For a moment we just stood there staring at one another. I watched as he nervously chewed on his lip ring. His eyes drinking me in. The corded muscles in his arm flexed sending a thrill through my core.
“Hey,” I said in a breathy whisper.
“Hey,” His voice was soft and wrapped around me.
Like a fish on a line, I was being reeled in.
“How do you feel?” He asked. I felt my spine tingle.
“Better,” I replied honestly.
“You should get some rest,” He suggested with a tilt of his head toward the bed.
Once I was close enough Tristin pulled me into his arms. I melted into him.
“Let’s lay down. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” He suggested his warm breath crawled along my skin sending shivers down my spine.
I let him lead me to the bed. I had to lie on my left side because my right side was still in too much pain. Tristin got in the bed behind me. The tiny twin mattress pushed us close together.
Tristin wrapped his arm around my waist and gently pulled me back flush against him. Our bodies were pressed seamlessly together. I could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck. The sensation had me wanting to writhe against him like a cat in heat.
The only thing keeping me sane was the fact that I had never been in bed with a boy before. I had never had a boyfriend or even kissed anyone before. That is, until Tristin. I wasn’t so sure he was my boyfriend but he was the first boy I had ever kissed and the first one I had shared a bed with.
In all the years Sam and I had been best friends, we had never shared a bed, at least not cuddled up like Tristin and I were. That knowledge was what kept me lying still against him, that small fear that comes from experiencing something new.
Tristin’s hand on my waist slowly dropped lower and lower, until it was splayed across my stomach. He slid his hand under my hoodie. I started to protest.
“Shh… relax.” He whispered against my neck.
I closed my eyes and held still. Tristin’s hand lay under my hoodie splayed across my stomach, the tip of his pinkie and ring finger dipped into the elastic waistline of my shorts. I waited, holding my breath to see what he would do next. Tristin’s hand didn’t move. It just lay there, holding me against him. One by one my muscles began to relax.
Chapter Eleven
Haven
I woke up to stiff sore muscles and a warm body draped over me. It was late in the evening and the sun had already started to set. Hues of oranges and pinks basked the room in a soft glow of light. Tristin
pulled me in closer to him in his sleep.
My heart began to beat wildly in my chest when I felt something long, thick and hard pressed against my ass. Tristin groaned half asleep as he began to stir.
I felt his lips against my shoulder and melted against him. He pulled me in even tighter against him, either unaware of uncaring that he was rock hard against me. His lips trailed kisses across the tops of my shoulders and along my neck. I moaned in response.
I couldn’t help it. What he was doing felt so damn good. Before I realized what I was doing, I thrust my ass back against him. Tristin’s hand across my stomach held me there against him. Slowly his hand began to sink further into my pants.
My heart rate accelerated. I had never done anything like this before. I immediately began to panic.
“Tristin…I…” I said in half moan half shock.
I was torn between the delicious sensation his hand created along my tender sensitive flesh and fear of the unknown being in uncharted territory.
Sensing my trepidation, Tristin stopped. He didn’t remove his hand, but he didn’t lower it any further into my pants. I could feel the tips of his fingers just at the crest of my pubic bone, just inside my panties. Tristin’s lips continued to cover my shoulders with wet kisses. As he worked up the smooth delicate column of my neck. I felt his teeth scrape against my skin.
I moaned in pure pleasure. Tristin continued to kiss and bite along the sensitive curve of my neck. I felt my most private of places begin to heat and tingle. My hips rocked back into Tristin of their own accord. The movement sent his hand inching further into my panties.
Tristin’s mouth locked on to the curve of my neck in the most tantalizing way. He gently sucked and nipped at me. My hips continued to rock back against him, each movement sending his hand further and further into my panties.
I moaned out in pleasure as his fingers brushed against my sensitive private parts. It felt entirely too good for me to be embarrassed.
Tristin moaned against my neck as his fingers parted my folds. My breath caught in my throat as his finger brushed against my swollen nub.
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