Chapter 10 Quade
“That’s a wrap, fellas.” I ran the brush across the edge of the ramp. I was applying the last coat of sealant to Noa’s wheelchair ramp. One more stroke, and it was done.
“Perfect.” I stood back, hands on my hips, taking in the work, still a little stunned by what my hands could do.
“Clean lines. Smooth incline. No gaps. No splinters.” I spoke out loud, proud of myself.
She could roll up this thing with her eyes closed.
It was a vast difference from what was here before. I couldn’t wait for her to see it.
A sharp screech of the tires snapped my attention toward the curb.
I looked up, shaking my head at Teagan in the driver’s seat.
The short time I was here, I’d learned that Teagan parked like she owned the damn block.
My eyes immediately traveled to Noa riding shotgun, looking like every bit of a passenger princess.
I didn’t think, just dropped the brush in the bucket and started walking toward them just as Teagan threw her door open.
“I’ll get her chair,” I announced, already at the trunk.
“Damn, okay. Good morning to you, too.” Teagan stepped out of the sedan with a smirk, squinting at me like I’d stolen her thunder.
I waved her off, popped the trunk, unfolded the wheelchair with ease, and wheeled it right to Noa’s door.
She looked up at me, surprised, a cute little smirk on her face.
“I was gonna get it,” Teagan said, half-laughing, half-sighing.
“I know,” I replied. “But there’s a man on duty, so let me do my job.”
“You always this extra?” Noa asked, arching a brow, a soft smile on her face.
“I got good manners,” I said, stepping back to give her room. “And you ain’t just anybody.”
She didn’t respond to that, just shifted on the seat, bracing her arms. I watched as she grabbed the transfer board from beside her, slid it into position beneath her hip, then inched herself out with an ease that said this wasn’t her first time.
She winced a little, but I saw it. I wanted to lift her out of the car and carry her inside, but I knew she’d probably swat my ass away.
“You good?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she confirmed breathlessly. “Just stiff. I’m good.
” She made the slide into her chair clean, her arms trembling just slightly by the time she landed in the seat.
She adjusted, squared her shoulders, then looked up at me with a small nod.
“Are you going to move?” she asked, shaking me out of the trance she had me in. “I need to get by.”
“Aw… yeah. My bad.” I rubbed my hand across my face and took a few steps back so she could roll around me.
“Thank you for getting the chair.” Her voice was low, that blend of grace and guardedness I was learning was her default. She was used to doing it all herself; I could tell. She probably even prided herself on it, but it didn’t shake her softness.
“You’re welcome,” I said gently. “You need a push?”
“No, I got it.”
I followed her lead as she turned toward the new ramp. The sun must have been on my side because the moment she wheeled around, the wood lit up like a spotlight.
“Wait… Is it done?” She slowed and then glanced back at me.
“Finished this morning.”
“Damn. That was quick.”
I shrugged. “We have a time frame. I’m not going over.”
She rolled close, studying it like it was more than just a ramp. “It’s really nice, Quade. Makes the house look—”
“More alive,” I finished her sentence.
“Yes, that.” She nodded, still staring. “I love it. Thank you, Quade.”
“Hey, Quade ain’t the only one who did this.” That was Rico’s extra ass.
“You want credit or lunch, bro? ’Cause you ain’t getting both.” I turned to shoot him a look, making Noa laugh.
“Thank you, Rico. Thank you, James,” Noa sang, just as Teagan’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She pulled it out and read the screen. A loud groan fell from her lips.
“Shit. I forgot I have a stats test in twenty minutes.” She spun toward Noa. “You good to make it in the house?”
“Sis, go. I got it.” Noa waved her off. “I’ve made it in the house a dozen times before.”
“Don’t trip. I’ll make sure she gets in safely,” I offered, and Teagan glanced at me. I could tell she wasn’t used to having support as far as Noa was concerned.
“You sure?” she asked.
“She’s safe with me.”
“Mhm. Alright then.” Teagan smirked like she knew something I didn’t. “I’ll be back after my exam.”
“Good luck,” Noa called as her sister jogged to the car, calling out something about Bob the Builder, before she took off down the street. My attention immediately returned to Noa, who was already wheeling toward the house.
“You sure you don’t want a push?” I power walked behind Noa as she adjusted her grip on her wheels.
“I got it.”
“I know you do, just offering. Ready to try this baby out?”
She nodded, then hit the ramp slowly and steadily.
“Just don’t touch the railings. The paint’s still drying,” I said as I followed behind her.
I was close enough to catch her if something happened, but I wasn’t hovering.
She made it up like it was nothing. When we reached the door, she pulled out her keys, unlocked the deadbolt, and nudged the door open with her arm.
She pushed inside, and I followed, letting it close behind us.
I stood there for a second, just watching the way she moved through her space. There was something peaceful and inspiring about it.
“Do you need anything before I head out?” I finally stopped staring long enough to ask.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m good. Just… thank you again.”
“Alright.” I should have turned to leave, but my feet wouldn’t move. Instead, I stood there, my eyes darting around the entryway. “We’re going to be starting in your art studio next week,” I blurted, finally figuring out what to say just to start a conversation with her.
Her brows lifted. “Already?”
“Yep. Ramp’s done. It’s time we start on the house. I mapped everything out. We’ve already cleared most of the space.” Noa had seen the prep, signed off on every step. Still, I guess watching things get crossed off the list hit different.
“Okay, do you need anything from me?”
“Yeah, just need to check if you’ll need to use it in the meantime. I can set up a temp space so you’re not blocked from painting.”
She hesitated. “I wasn’t planning on it, but… if I enter this gallery show, I’ll need somewhere.”
That caught my ear. “Gallery show?” I tilted my head. “You have a showing?”
She bit her lip and shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Dr. Easton and Teagan think I should. It’s nothing huge, just a local charity thing. I don’t know if I’m going to do it.”
I frowned. “Why wouldn’t you do it?”
“I don’t know… It’s been a while.” Her gaze drifted toward the wall. “I haven’t really… shown anything since before my diagnosis.”
“You know you’re dope, right? Your other gallery shows were amazing.”
She looked at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, I forgot you Googled me.”
“I skimmed your site. Read a couple of articles. Watched an interview.”
“Stalker.” She huffed out a soft laugh.
“Supporter,” I corrected. “There’s a difference.
” Silence stretched between us for a second.
“Look, I don’t know everything about your journey or your diagnosis, but I know what it’s like to lose your footing.
To have to rebuild. And I also know that just because your life takes an unexpected turn, it doesn’t mean you stop moving.
You adjust. It’s okay to find a new rhythm. ”
“You a motivational speaker now?”
“Only when it matters,” I said. She glanced at her art space and then back at me. I could tell she was deep in thought, probably wondering who the fuck I was to push her back into her art when I’d walked away from mine.
“You make it sound a whole lot less scary.” She exhaled a deep breath that seemed like she’d been holding in for a long time.
“Don’t trip off the fear. The best things you’ll ever do, you’ll do scared.”
Her eyes searched mine, and something in them sparked. “Well,… I guess I’m gonna need a space to paint.” She smirked, making me smile.
“Bet,” I said, my voice low. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you set up. Tomorrow, we’ll make sure you have everything you need to still paint while we work.”
Her gaze caught mine again, and neither of us could suddenly look away.
“Yo! Quade!” Rico’s voice shook us from the moment as his loud ass strutted through the doorway. “You tryna camp here all day?”
“I hate to be the timekeeper, but if we don’t leave now, we ain’t gonna finish that drywall over at the Daniels today.” James popped in behind Rico. I reluctantly dragged my eyes away from Noa and down to my watch, mad that their annoying asses were right. We had to go.
“Duty calls.” I glanced at Noa as I headed for the door. “Text me if you need anything.” Then I slipped out before I ended up camping out here just to be in her presence.
“So what’s up with you and Noa?” Rico leaned back in the passenger seat, a stupid ass smirk loud on his face. “You hittin’ that?”
I cut him a look between lane switches, jaw flexing. We’d barely made it off Noa’s street, and he was already starting in. By the way he looked when he busted through Noa’s front door, I was surprised it had taken him this long to start his shenanigans.
“What you talkin’ about?”
“C’mon, Q. You think we’re blind?” Rico chuckled. “Like we can’t see the way you be eye fuckin’ that girl.”
“Damn near floated behind her up that ramp,” James added from the back seat. “Looked like your feet ain’t even touch the ground.”
I shook my head, trying to play it cool. I didn’t discuss my business too much, and both Rico and James knew that. “Noa’s cool people. I was just doing my job. Y’all can chill,” I offered, hoping that would dead the conversation, but it only fueled it.
“Shit…” Rico dragged the word out. “You don’t act like that at any other house. You don’t be sniffin’ up under Ms. Beverly like that,” he said, referring to one of our other disabled clients.
“Ms. Beverly is eighty-four and has dementia,” I pointed out.
“Exactly,” James muttered.
“Y’all wild,” I said, chuckling.
“Nah, you wild,” Rico said, grinning widely. “Look, Noa bad as fuck, I’ll give you that. But she is a client, bro. And she… you know… disabled. Ain’t she paralyzed or some shit?”
I side-eyed him for two reasons. Rico’s ho ass flirted with every beautiful woman in a two-foot radius, so I knew he was calling me out, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand what Noa being disabled had to do with her beauty.
“Noa’s not paralyzed. She got lupus.”
“Same difference,” he mumbled. “She still in a chair.”
“Yo’ point?”
James leaned forward. “Point is… that’s different, Q. That ain’t regular shit.”
“Man, look. If Q wanna get his Meals on Wheels on, that’s his business.”
I gripped the steering wheel tighter. The old Quade would have slammed his face into the dashboard for that disrespectful ass comment. He was lucky I had healed and considered his ass a friend.
“Same way you hit those no-brain ass girls,” I said, voice calm. “Carefully. And with consent.”
James let out a loud, “Damn!”
Rico threw his hands up, laughing. “Okay, okay! Shit. My bad.”
“Nah,” I said, making sure he heard the seriousness in my voice. “What you not gon’ do is talk about her like she some punchline.”
They got quiet.
“That woman has been through more than we know, and she still got her chin high. Still soft. Still sweet. Still fine as hell.”
Rico leaned back against the window. He ain’t have much to say now.
“A wheelchair doesn’t make her less of a woman,” I added. “Don’t disrespect her like that.”
“Oh shit, you feeling shawty for real?” I could feel Rico staring at the side of my face, but I didn’t look.
I was feeling Noa—a little too much. I’d told myself before that I wasn’t in a position to want anybody, especially not her.
I had too much baggage, but being around Noa made it really hard to remember all the reasons I wasn’t supposed to want her.
“Real shit, I admire that woman,” I admitted for the first time out loud.
“She strong. She funny. She got this sharp tongue, but it doesn’t come out unless it needs to.
She makes me forget half the bullshit I got goin’ on.
That chair?” I shook my head. “That don’t take nothin’ from her.
If anything, it makes me respect her more. ”
“You preaching, bro!” James called out.
“Boy writing his vows already.” Rico laughed.
“Y’all stupid.” I waved them off. “Y’all done?”
“Yeah, man. But real talk… You sure you wanna take that on?” Rico straightened up.
“Ain’t taking nothin’ on right now, just admiring her. That’s all.”
“Mmhmm, you just admiring her, huh? Bet.” James nodded his head.
“Yeah. Alright,” Rico said, and they both laughed like they already knew where this thing with Noa and me was headed.
Hell, maybe they did. I didn’t argue. I just kept my hands on the wheel, eyes straight ahead.
As much as I wanted to, I had no intention of acting on my feelings for Noa.
I was just admiring her, but that admiration? It was getting real hard to contain.