Fighting Shadows (On the Ropes #2)(23)

“I don’t care who they are. We’re leaving.” I started scooting toward the passenger’s door, but the idea of actually pulling myself up and into the van from the ground was daunting.

“Just hang on,” Ash called, seeming to read my mind—or, more likely, my fear-filled expression.

After opening the sliding back door, she dragged my wheelchair out and pushed it in front of me. A rush of relief filtered through me. I’d never been so happy to see that damn thing in my life.

“You need help?” she asked.

“No, I don’t need any f*cking help,” I snapped for absolutely no reason other than that my pride had suffered a serious hit.

“Oh hell no,” Donna voiced behind us, causing Ash to roll her eyes.

“Can you two give us a minute? I promise I’m fine. You can watch me from over there.” She pointed to where they had been previously situated against the wall.

“Ash,” the man started.

“Please, Max,” she whined.

His face softened. “All right.” He tugged on the woman’s arm and began leading her back to the wall.

Ash turned her attention to me. “Just let me help you.”

“I’ve got it,” I said roughly as I hoisted myself up to the floorboard of van and then transferred myself back into my chair. It wasn’t easy, but I had an audience, so I did my best not to look like a bumbling idiot.

“Get in the car,” I ordered, rolling myself around to the driver’s side.

“What? I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, you are,” I called out, dropping my chin to my chest as soon as I was blocked by the van. My hands shook as I pinched the bridge of my nose. I tried to get my pulse under control as the adrenaline left my body. God, I was such a f*cking mess, and of course, Ash picked that exact moment to round the bumper.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, walking over and stopping in front of me.

“Can you stop f*cking asking me that?”

She arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side with sudden attitude. “Can you start answering the question?”

I let out a resigned sigh. I desperately needed the entire f*cking day to be over. I couldn’t take much more, and I needed to reset my mind and body in the solitude of my apartment.

“Look, please just let me take you home. I can’t leave you here. I’m sure you think those two are your friends, but there is no possible way I can leave you in a dark alley with two homeless people. It’s dangerous.”

She smiled widely. “I’ll be fine.”

“Maybe. But I can’t in good conscience leave you here.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but I put my hand up to silence her.

“Please don’t argue with me, Ash. This has been one hell of a day, and I can’t take it anymore. I’ll be really honest here: If I don’t get home soon, I’m going to lose my f*cking mind.”

Her smile widened.

Fantastic.

“Can we go tell Max and Donna goodbye?”

I blew out a breath. Thank God! At least she was rational.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“No. Come with me. I’m pretty sure they don’t trust you any more than you do them. They’re my best friends. I don’t want them to worry.” Her smile stretched even wider.

What the actual f*ck is she smiling about?

“How the hell did you end up being friends with two middle-aged bums?” I asked incredulously. “You need to be more careful before you end up dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Judging people and casting stereotypes.” She reached her foot out and pointedly tapped one of my wheels.

“I’m not judging them,” I defended, but even I knew that it was in vain.

“Yeah, you are. They’re good people, Wheels.”

My mouth dropped open at her actual use of the nickname.

“Difficult circumstances. But still good people.”

“Wow,” I responded, unimpressed. Or maybe I was crazy impressed at her flagrant insensitivity. Or maybe I was just annoyed at myself for not being able to join her as she burst out laughing at my reaction.

Instead, I lectured. “That may be true, but how well do you really know them? Ash, you can’t go through life trusting everyone.”

“Well, maybe you can’t. But I can. I know there are bad people in the world. To some, I’m probably one of them.” She reached into her pocket and pulled my wallet out, tossing it onto my lap. “We all deserve friends though.” She shrugged.

“Stop stealing my f*cking wallet.”

But instead of returning my attitude, her face gentled and her eyes lit. “Thanks for trying to rescue me back there.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Lot of help I would have been.”

“You never know. Maybe just the trying helped the most.” She looked down at her foot, which was drawing circles in the dirt.

I was annoyed.

Embarrassed.

Frustrated.

Exhausted.

But that was erased when she lifted her head up with a shy smile I didn’t recognize at all. I’d known Ash Mabie for exactly two hours, but I was stunned into silence by the vulnerability on her creamy-white face. It shouldn’t have been there. Mainly because it ruined every other smile she would ever be able to produce. That smile belonged there permanently.