Page 72 of Tailwhip

That makes Nash jump a bit, and he swings around. “Holy shit! You’re alive and back. Where have you been, dude? You know my mom and dad were ready to send a search party for your ass!”

I laugh at what Nash said; I guess me leaving without telling anyone had a kind of ripple effect. Mateo and Noah are the next to notice me. Dropping their shovels, they are heading toward me, too. I owe them a giant apology for leaving them while they were so new to the team. “Hey guys, how’s it going?” I ask them.

Neither of them has anger, and just smack me on the shoulder telling me it is about damn time I got back. I visit with the rest of the team and head inside to talk with Chase.

I go through the backdoor, and both Nick and Chase are sitting at the island in the kitchen. “What the fuck?! Are you seriously home and back now?” Nick asks me.

“Yeah, man. I am back. For now, at least.”

Chase turns in his chair. “I got you back in the competitions; there were a couple I couldn’t swing, though. Welcome back.”

I give Chase a small head nod and head to my room. I close my bedroom door, sit on my bed, and look out the window that overlooks the dirt jumps. I got to say, the team has done a good job building them. I splash some water on my face, change, and head out back to help them. We are out for a few hours, all just talking about the competitions coming up and the ones I missed. After a few, Chase yells from the back deck that pizza was delivered. We all load up our plates and for some unknown reason, we all have the same thought to head back out and sit on the ramps and eat.

While we all eat, I let the team know what I have been up to. I tell them I went home to Colorado Springs, and that’s where I have been. I tell them I haven’t had anything to drink since New Year’s Eve, and I feel like myself again. Everyone is quiet after I finish when Nash asks the question that I am sure is on everyone’s mind. “Did you go see Ashlynn?”

I take a giant drink of my water because suddenly, my throat is very dry. “Yeah, I did go to see her. She wasn’t home. She’s in Vancouver with Neha and their friend Cora. She is coming home at the end of this week, but I needed to get back here.”

I let out a long-held breath and tell everyone what happened between Ashlynn and me. I told Heath who I have only met a few times; these guys are my team and closest friends. They need to know the disaster I made of things. After I finish, I get nothing but silence for a long while.

“Ashlynn needed you, man, and you just pushed her away? I hope you have some sort of grand gesture to get her back.” Nash tells me.

“I am working on something, but I don’t know really know where she is at on everything regarding us.”

Mateo looks me dead in the eyes, “She’ll take you back, I know it. Just don’t ever be an asshole to her again.”

I’ve got to say, I am grateful that my team is so protective of Ashlynn.

After eating, we try to finish up some more of the dirt jumps, but it is getting dark, and I am starting to lose energy after my day of driving. I head inside for a shower before I crash. As the scalding water hits my chest in the shower, all I can think about is how showers are no longer enjoyable without my girl by my side. It’s funny how a normal, everyday thing can make you think of someone. I get out of the shower and crash almost as soon as my head hits the pillow. I reach out and pull Ashlynn into my body, smelling her hair and telling her how much I missed her and that I love her. Then, I wake up, and it is just my pillow I am holding on to. I throw the pillow to the floor, get up, throw some clothes on, and head out to my ramps. I have outdoor lighting. It’s 2 AM and I am out riding, trying to again clear my head. I stop after a few tricks and pull my phone out of my pocket to look at one of the last pictures I took of Ashlynn. It was in Seattle; her head is laying on the bed and the sun is shining just enough on her face to show how much green she has in her hazel eyes. Her hair is in a messy bun and her smile is all I need to see to keep pushing forward, and it’s also all I need to make a big decision.

After an hour, I notice a car pull into my driveway and quickly see that Nick is walking down to the ramps with his board. I think to myself, what is he doing here? Then again, Nick only lives a few houses down and has never been a good sleeper, so chances are he saw me out here and came to keep me company. “You want some company?” he asks me.

“Yeah, sure. We haven’t hit the ramps just us in a while.”

We ride until almost 5 AM. After we stop, we sit on the deck, catching up with each other. “So, what are you planning on doing? Are you going back to Colorado once you know she is home?” I grab my phone and look at a different picture, one from when we were in Frisco before everything happened. Both of us are happy and smiling at each other–another candid one Neha took and sent to me.

I finally answer Nick. “I want it to happen naturally, I don’t want to force it if she isn’t ready. I was really an asshole to her, Nick, and I don’t expect for her to forgive me for that and for what I said, but I just want us back.” I show him the picture. “I want this again. She was happy and only gave me that big smile!”

Nick nods his head. “Well, looks like you are back to the Anthony she wants, so that’s a start.”

I look over at him, puzzled that he said the exact words Neha told me on this very ramp 2 months ago. “You didn’t think Neha would tell me what you all talked about? That girl can’t keep shit to herself.”

Nick leaves after our short talk and I go inside to see what we have to eat for breakfast. To my surprise, my fridge is stocked with food. I make some breakfast for everyone, and we all head back out to finish working on the jumps, so we can all start riding them. I have a few new tricks to show them that I want to do in Santa Cruz.

42

Ashlynn

Slug – Slow Pulp

It’s our last full day and night in Vancouver. Cora and I finally got Neha out on the slopes today, though she decided to ski instead of snowboarding with us since she is better at skiing. We keep the pace mellow and don’t go toward the park section. Not only were we able to get Neha out on the slopes, to my surprise neither her nor Cora asked me anything about what happened between Avan and I. I’m not surprised Cora hasn’t asked since it’s her brother–why would she want to know that–but Neha not asking makes me think something is wrong with her. Little do both know, I will be unloading everything on them tonight!

After we finish up on the slopes and head back to the cabin for our last night with Cora, we are all quiet and bummed that this week flew by. Back at the cabin, we all change and jump into the hot tub to help our sore muscles. Neha comes out with a couple of bottles of wine and glasses. Once we all have a glass, we make a cheer for the fun time we had while out here. “So, Cora, when do you think we can see you again?” I ask her.

She just shrugs her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know. I do have some free time coming up. Maybe we can all fly somewhere and meet up for another trip?”

I think for a few about when this could even be possible. I have a busy schedule coming up, but then I think about the last stop in San Francisco. “Why don’t you both come to San Francisco with me, and once I am done with the book signing, we can hang out there for a few days?”

Cora nods her head while taking a drink, and Neha says, “I’ll be out there with Nick for that competition in Santa Cruz.”