Chapter 14 Jules
JULES
“I can’t believe I’m doing this. Do you see me? I’m actually doing it!”
Even more impressive was the fact I was managing to continue it when the excitement was bubbling up inside me the way it was.
With excellent instruction from Beau, I was now officially riding a skateboard. And it didn’t take me long to get the hang of it.
“I see you,” Beau said. It didn’t matter that I was so caught up in what I was doing; I could hear the pride in his voice. “You’re doing amazing.”
Still rolling along, I asked, “How do I turn?”
“Use your back foot to steer yourself.”
Just like I’d done from the moment Beau had started teaching me, I listened to and followed his instructions.
And the next thing I knew, I was steering myself around.
Beau was keeping right up with me, arms out, ready to catch me.
And though it was tempting to fall on purpose just so I could land in his arms, I was far too thrilled with the fact I’d accomplished this.
I rode around a bit longer on the board before I hopped off, stopped the board from rolling away, and launched myself at Beau. Without thinking about it, my emotions took over, and I just wanted to celebrate.
“Thank you so much for teaching me. That was so much fun.”
His arms came around me, holding me tight, and he spoke softly in my ear. “You’re welcome, Jules.” The tone of his voice led me to believe I’d find a smile on his face.
And that’s when it hit me that I’d just thrown myself at him. I quickly loosened my hold on Beau and stepped back, immediately feeling that loss. “Sorry about that.”
He seemed disappointed. “It’s okay. You were excited, and you have every reason to be. I’m so proud of you.”
I pushed past the awkwardness I felt and smiled at him. “I still can’t believe I picked it up that quickly.”
“Well, you did say that you’ve ridden a snowboard before, so I’m sure that helps a bit. But I also think you have a natural talent for it, because most people don’t pick it up that quickly. I didn’t.”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I struggled a lot in the beginning. But I was so determined, and the hard work eventually paid off.”
I beamed at him. “Do you mind if I try again?”
Shaking his head, he answered, “Not at all. That’s why we’re here. You can do it for as long as you like. I’ve got nowhere else to be.”
Warmth moved through me that had nothing to do with the sun that was shining down on us.
It didn’t matter that I’d been going out regularly over the last couple of weeks just to have some fun and entertain myself.
This was easily the most fun I’d had since the night Beau took me out for a ride on his motorcycle.
I positioned my foot on the skateboard precisely where Beau had indicated when we’d first arrived, and he’d started my lesson. Then, I used my opposite foot to push myself forward and work up some momentum. I brought that foot on top of the board, and I was doing it again.
It was nothing like what I knew Beau could do, but I felt such a sense of accomplishment. And I was surprised at how much it lifted my mood. Then again, it might have been more than just the success on the skateboard that was making me feel that way.
Unsurprisingly, ever since Beau had shown up at The Mixing Bowl with the proof of his failed baking attempts, I’d been struggling not to want to be around him all the time again.
Every time we’d been together before things went south, Beau and I always had such a great time with one another.
And since he was doing the thing Layla had told me mattered most—he was making the effort to stay in contact with me—I decided not to write him off completely.
It was proving to be the best decision, because I was having the greatest day ever with him. Even when I lost control for a moment and allowed instincts to drive me into his arms, I couldn’t deny how great it felt to be back in his hold, to feel his embrace. I’d missed that.
I continued skating around, Beau right beside me with a big smile on his face, as these random thoughts shuffled through my mind.
Maybe that was just more proof of how great of a job Beau had done in teaching me.
Instead of being focused on precisely what I was doing, I was capable of thinking about something completely unrelated, like skating had become second nature to me.
Perhaps that meant I really had picked up a new skill.
Everything was going great, far better than I expected, and then it happened.
The board came to a very abrupt halt, and I went flying.
My arms went out in front of me, and my feet scrambled to catch up with the momentum of my body, but it didn’t matter.
I was going down to the ground whether I wanted to or not.
Or so I thought.
At the very last second, when I was just inches away from connecting with the ground, Beau’s strong arms wrapped around me, and I was suddenly staring up at the sky. My back collided with his chest, and we landed with a thud, Beau beneath me.
Beau had just taken the impact of the fall with his body to stop me from getting hurt. Only, I was the one wearing the pads, and he had nothing on.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
He was worried about me?
“Yeah. Of course, I’m fine. You caught me.”
Beau gave me a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
I tried to ignore how much I liked having him hold me, how badly I wanted to stay where I was. But Beau didn’t want what I wanted, so I had no choice but to get up. I shifted my body and scooted off him, settling myself on the ground beside him. “I’m wearing pads and a helmet, you know?”
He remained on his back. “I do. But that doesn’t mean I want you to have to rely on them.”
Beau was so sweet. It was a shame he wasn’t interested in being a boyfriend, because he had so many great qualities.
“Are you okay?” I asked as he sat up and draped his arms over his bent knees.
“I’m good. I’ve taken far worse falls than that.”
I cocked a brow. “Oh yeah? Tell me, did you fall when you were just riding around on your board, or did it happen when you were doing some fancy trick?”
A chuckle escaped. “In all fairness to you, I think a tiny rock got wedged against your wheels, and that’s why the board just stopped.”
“Maybe I should take a break for a little bit. I’d love it if you’d show me some of those crazy things you can do. You know, just to give me something to work toward one day.”
Lips twitching, he stood and held out a hand to me. I placed my hand in his, wanting to cry at the warmth, and Beau helped me to my feet. “Let’s get you somewhere safe to watch from, and I’ll show you whatever you’d like to see.”
So, that’s what we did. For the next thirty minutes or so, Beau showed off his skills on a skateboard.
Even though I’d seen him the day of the demo, it was different watching him now.
There was no crowd, we had the skatepark to ourselves, and Beau used a good chunk of the park instead of focusing his efforts in just one area like the rest of the team had at the demo.
Beau eventually coaxed me onto the board he’d brought for me, and we spent some time riding around again. I was fortunate enough not to experience another embarrassing fall, too.
When we’d both had enough and I started removing all the pads Beau had brought for me, I said, “Do you think it’d be possible for me to learn how to do any of those tricks you do someday? They seem terrifying and difficult.”
“Some are easier than others, of course. But if you practice them the way I did in the beginning, I think it’ll help with the fear aspect of it.”
“How did you do it?”
He grinned. “On a trampoline with a bare skate deck.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, I don’t have either one of those, and I suspect that a trampoline isn’t going to fit inside my apartment.”
“I have one.”
Blinking, my jaw fell open. “You do?”
Beau jerked his chin down. “Yeah. Do you want to go try it out?”
“Now?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure. Why not? I told you that I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
I chewed my bottom lip and considered his offer.
In theory, it seemed perfectly fine. I’d just be going to his place to jump on a trampoline and do something fun.
Plus, I had the rest of the day off from work.
But there was no way I could forget what happened the last time I was at his place, the only time I’d ever been there.
I’d spent far too much time weighing my options, so Beau felt compelled to help me decide. “We’re just going to be on the trampoline, Jules. That’s it. When was the last time you even jumped on one?”
“Oh, gosh. I don’t know. I was probably a teenager.”
“So, come on. I promise it’ll be fun.”
I didn’t doubt that would be the case. I let out a long breath and said, “Okay. I’ll go jump on your trampoline.”
Even though Beau had been happy and smiling all day, it wasn’t until I agreed to go back to his place that his entire expression changed. He lit up from the inside out. It was the happiest I think I’d ever seen him.
Since Beau and I had arrived at the park separately from one another, I followed him back to his place.
And when we pulled to a stop at the top of his driveway, I noticed what I’d missed the night I’d come here with him on his motorcycle. Sitting there, behind his house, was a trampoline.
“You weren’t joking.”
He laughed. “Did you think I would scheme just to get you to come back to my place, and I figured tempting you with the promise of a jumping session on a trampoline that didn’t exist was the way I’d go about it?”
It was a silly thought. “Right. That’s ridiculous.”
Beau led me over and helped me on, and the next thing I knew, I was observing him using the bare skateboard deck while he did a couple of tricks.
“I think you should start with the ollie. It’s the easiest trick there is.”
I stood up and tipped my chin high. “Perfect. How do I do it?”