Burning Bridges, Building Love

“Ow.” He groaned as Rayne cleaned the scraps along his side. He’d fallen and his riding jersey had been pushed up letting rocks and gravel rub it open.

“Could be worse.” She smiled at him before kissing him. “Besides,” She pulled away going back to the wounds. “Battle scars are sexy.”

“This isn’t battle scar.” Jake laughed as he lay there on the couch in the trailer. “This is a stupidity wound.” He laughed.

“Maybe so, but I’m so proud of how fast you were going. It was unreal!” She gasped at him excitedly. “So proud!” Jake simply smiled at her. “Besides, no guts no glory, and,” She pointed Jake watched her. “No brains no headache.” Laughing he whined as his side burned. “Trust me it could be worse.”

“I know.” Jake just lay there as she bandaged and cleaned him up. “But I felt what you were talking about.” Jake whispered thoughtfully. He’d felt light, like he could do whatever he wanted, invincible, almost. Free. Then he got cocky and went faster than he could handle, turned too sharply and crashed. “Sometime you don’t need a destination just a want to go somewhere. That’s freedom.” He finished thoughtfully.

“Who’s the fortune cookie now?”

~~~~~~~

Jake sat in the small room with an eye roll, his phone on his lap as he tried to focus on what was being said not that he wanted Rayne to respond back to him so he could text her back and get out of the mind numbingly boring meeting. After having spent a month knowing the freedom of being not told what to do or where to go he understood how Rayne couldn’t take the smallest command having grown up in that freedom and how weird she was, always wired on an adrenaline high or thinking of her next one.

It was an infectious disease. He was dating an infectious disease and he couldn’t have been happier.

His phone began ringing instead of the silent flash of green light to alert him of it going off. Picking it up, he frowned at the number confused by it and silenced the call. Apologizing he smiled at the people around him and let them continue.

Rayne texted him back a minute or two later and he silently texted her back like a high school student trying not to get caught in class. He was trying to figure out what she was up to but she kept telling him to get back to work and teasing him. It was entertaining but he didn’t want to work just yet. His mind had contemplated trying to go into the pro-athlete field like her. Then he’d remember he couldn’t do anything she could on a motorcycle. He’d seen her freestyle tricks and nearly died of a heart attack, and watched her run around a course as fast as she could and watched dust clouds race up from under her back tire.

He couldn’t do any of that crap and the idea of a thirty-plus two, scared him once he’d found out it was a thirty minute race plus two laps. He could barely do a few laps with out feeling the work-out it was giving him in his whole body. Thirty minutes of going as fast as he could around a track? He’d leave that crap for Rayne and he’d stick to acting. It didn’t hurt as bad.

Once the meeting was up he got up and left, having no idea what was said. He was for once grateful for the handouts they gave at every meeting for movies. He could just read through and understand completely. Now, he couldn’t just throw them away like he used to, he actually had to read the thirty to fifty plus pages.

Hanging his head he looked at the packet in his hand. Had the meeting been that long, really? Thirty or fifty pages worth of stuff to know about from one simple meeting.

“Maybe being an athlete’s easier…” he whispered heading to his car.

In traffic his phone began ringing. This time he answered, he knew the number and Rayne’s name flashing on the screen made him smile.

“Yes?” he asked teasingly into the phone.

“Whatcha up ta?” She teased back at him.

“Leaving the meeting. They gave us crap to read up on.” He worked his way around the truth. Rayne giggled knowing he was lying. “Fine! I didn’t pay attention at all, and it’s your fault! I kept thinking about you.”

“Aw, how sappy! Well, while you were busy in romance land I broke my arm!” She cheered. Jake nearly slammed on the breaks.

“Doing what?” he asked stunned. “Didn’t you have a race today?”

“I broke it racing. One girl blind sided me around a turn. I still placed fifth though, so I guess it’s not that bad for having a broken arm…” She trailed off looking down at her bright pink cast. “So much for finishing up the last five races of the season…” She grumbled.

“But now you can come hang out with me.” Jake stated seriously.

“Ooo, good point two-day man.” She giggled in the phone. She’d been calling him that since their first time together. He could go for two days. He was two-day man to her.

“Not like that. You might be able to keep me sane through this filming.” Jake sighed looking at the packet in the passenger seat. “The plot line sucks and the character’s are half baked.”

“Me too.” Rayne hummed gently.

“Wow, what if the government was listening? Now’d they know.” Jake gave a fake gasp at the idea. The idea of Rayne being a stoner, even the small one she was, wasn’t a hard leap to make and Jake didn’t mind oddly enough.

“Right, cause they don’t already know. I mean, for cryin out loud I do motocross and snowboarding for a living, if they have a skull in head they’ll see the meaning behind half pipe.” Jake laughed loudly.

“Did you get hit while you were baked?”

“Nah, after I visited the hospital and got my cast.” Rayne sighed looking at her arm. “Oo! Oo! I got a pink one! I got a pink cast!” She cheered holding it up as if he could see it. Jake laughed at her. “And you can’t sign it.” Jake frowned. “No one gets to, I don’t want a bunch of weird-o’s names and notes on my arm. Bleh.” She teased.

“Shut up and get to L.A.” Jake laughed.

“Fine. Bossy. So bossy.” They both laughed. “I’ll be there in two days. So focus on work!” Jake looked at his phone as she hung up on him.

“Bye to you too.” He snorted.

“Wow.” Jake mused, noticing Rayne bouncing towards him, a pink cast on her arm. “You really did get a pink one.” She simply nodded. “Come on before we get attacked.” He added warily casting glances around LAX.

“Don’t you mean before you get attacked?”

“Same thing.” He teased pushing her playfully. Rayne laughed leaning into him as they left.