Power Ranger Ninja Storm, Heather Ray [best classic romance novels txt] 📗

Hunter reflects on the changes in his brother.

Author's Note:

This part takes place during "Return of Thunder, Part One"

and is told in Blake's voice. I'm running on memory here, so don't expect dialogue to match exactly.

It only takes me about fifteen minutes to reach Storm Chargers, but anxiety keeps me a good fifty yards away from Kelly's shop.

I know she's in there. I can see her van in the parking lot.

I stand safely across the street, cursing my sudden attack of cowardice.

This really is sad. Me, a ninja warrior, procrastinating like this. I want

to go in there. Really, I do. I want to face her. I want to apologize. I want us to start over.

But I'm scared. I'll admit it, to myself at least. I'm scared that she's still angry with me. That she won't forgive me. That I've ruined any chance we could've had...

Blake, stop being such a wimp! Hunter is waiting for you to get back, so you can settle the score with Lothor once and for all!

I finally get the nerve to cross the street, pulling my dirt bike along with me, as movement in the back of the shop draws my attention. I blink in surprise as Tori exits from the employees' door, a dirt bike in tow.

I'm so surprised I almost forget to finish crossing the street. Since when is she into riding? Is she seriously going alone? For a novice, that could be dangerous.

She loads the bike into her van, and pulls out of the parking lot. I stare right at her as she passes by, but she gives no indication that she sees me.

Grinning mischievously, I hop on my bike and follow her.

I've got to hand it to her. She's pretty good!

I follow her through the grassy hills, jumping over a shallow creek. This is definitely a challenging ride. Really, she should've brought Dustin along. Or if she just had

to ride alone, she should've stuck to a dirt course. Riding through a forest is tough even for pros. Obstacles pop up out of nowhere. A branch, a stone, a surprised squirrel; any of those could be deadly.

Eager to get closer, I use a downed tree for a ramp. It's a tricky move, but not something I haven't done before. I'm then catapulted into the air, landing nearly at her side.

She turns her head toward me. And then, she speeds up. It's like she's...running away from me. I watch, stunned, as she tears through the forest recklessly, trying to dodge me by heading into a cluster of trees.

What the hell is she thinking?? Those trees are way too close together to navigate through at these speeds! Didn't she see the Endor chase scene in "Return of the Jedi"

?

Then, the unthinkable happens. I watch, breathless, as the back of her bike rears up and flips over, tossing Tori off like a raging bronco. She tumbles down the hill, throwing up leaves and clouds of dust.

I snap out of it, chasing her down the hill. She finally stops rolling as the ground evens out a bit, and I stop abruptly, setting the kickstand on my dirt bike.

Then she picks herself up, and I'm able to breathe again.

To my surprise, she takes a defensive stance.

I can't describe how crushing that is. I mean, how could she still

think I'm out to get her? I know we didn't exactly part well, but still...

I pull off my helmet, trying my best to keep my face impassive.

She gasps, and to my relief, relaxes. "Blake? What are you-? How did-?" She stops stammering, narrowing her eyes. "You...jerk

! I thought you were one of Lothor's goons!"

She really does look surprised to see me. Surprised

...not disgusted. I honestly thought the blue suit would've been a dead giveaway. And I can count it in my favor that she doesn't still count me as one of 'Lothor's goons.'

Maybe I have a chance here.

I can't resist a smug grin. "Since when do they ride dirt bikes?"

She looks away, and unless my eyes deceive me, color pools on her pale cheeks. She's so cute when she blushes...

"You never know," she retorts, still avoiding eye contact. "Besides, the way you appeared on the hill next me was just screaming

threat."

Now it's my turn to feel sheepish. I probably shouldn't have pulled that trick. But hey, what red-blooded guy can resist showing off when the girl he likes shows an interest in the sport he excels at?

"Sorry about that," I offer, climbing off my bike. "But you're tough to keep up with. Since when do you

ride dirt bikes?"

She watches me warily as I approach, so I stop in my tracks. She's obviously uncomfortable, her blue eyes darting around to get a better look at the surrounding woods as if she's expecting Kelzacks to jump out at her.

Then, she sighs quietly, and starts picking forest debris from her hair. "Since Cam built the Tsunami Cycles," she explains coolly. "Dustin taught me a few months back, and I decided to refresh my memory."

I can't help but notice her gaze is fixed on the long hair swept over her shoulder as she carefully extracts twigs and clumps of dirt. Something tells me she's not telling the whole story, but who am I to call her on it?

"So that's Dustin's bike?" I comment casually.

Then, Tori gasps. "Dustin's bike!" she shrieks, eyes wide. I follow as she hurries up the hill, searching for the glint of sunlight hitting metal to distinguish it from the branches and rocks littering the ground. Soon, she finds the mangled bike, and falls to her knees in front of it.

"Dustin's gonna wring my neck!" she grumps, dragging the bike away from the large boulder it had struck.

"Here, let me help," I insist, gently nudging her aside. I can feel her gaze on me as I set the bike upright, and assess the damage. "It's not so bad," I assure her. "It won't take much to get her running again."

I look up at her, seeing the faint suspicion in her eyes. She still doesn't trust me. She really has no reason to.

But I want her to. I hate it when she levels that look on me.

"I can fix it," I offer. "If you've got some time."

She stares at me for a few moments longer, and then finally gives me a shallow nod.

I start moving toward my own bike, listening to Tori's footfalls just behind me. I lean the damaged bike on the grass carefully, and turn to dig through a small case attached to mine.

"A tool kit?" Tori murmurs.

"Never leave home without one," I joke, spreading out the needed tools. "Hunter and I have become a bit more...mobile after Lothor trashed the Thunder Ninja Academy. Since we move around so much, we need to bring some basic supplies with us."

That eerie silence gathers again. I focus on fixing the bike, though I'm conscious of Tori's every move. She sits down across from me, her gaze hesitant and her bottom lip trapped by her teeth.

I glance up at her, giving her another grin, but I leave it to her to open up a conversation.

Finally, she does. "You know, I didn't think you were coming back."

I pause, looking up again. She averts her gaze, instead watching her fingers twist the long blades of grass.

"Why'd you think that?" I wonder.

"When you left, you didn't say that you'd come back. You just said...'goodbye.'

And then two weeks went by without a word; I figured you'd moved on."

I wince as her words bring me back to our last encounter: that stunningly awkward meeting at the beach. Everything was still so...raw

. The guilt of lying, the outrage at being manipulated, the confusion after realizing how wrong Hunter and I were...I could hardly see straight.

And then I saw Tori with that surfer guy, and...well...nothing

came out right.

I fight back the frown that tightened my face as I remember that mess. Now's my chance to say what I'd intended to say two weeks ago.

If I can get the words passed my lips.

"We left because we had to sort things out," I explain, carefully keeping my eyes on my work. "Hunter and I... we've been barking up the wrong tree for a long

time. We needed to retreat and regroup. Get our heads together." I wipe my hands on my pants' leg. "But we couldn't leave permanently; we have too much unfinished business."

Her gaze hardens. "So that's why you followed me out here? For 'unfinished business'

?"

Okay...when you put it like that it does sound pretty cold.

A heavy sigh escapes me. "I followed you out here because I wanted to talk to you."

She watches me for a long moment. When she finally replies, her voice is soft. Hesitant. "About what?"

Here's my opening. It's now or never...

I look her square in the eye, and swallow to moisten my scratchy throat. "I want to apologize." Funny how lame that sounds, when you think of everything I did wrong since Dustin first introduced us. "I met you under false pretenses, and I spent time with you with an ulterior motive. I'm really sorry, Tori. You didn't deserve being used like that, and honestly...it was the most dishonorable, shameful thing I've ever done."

I take a slow, cleansing breath. There, I said it. The