“Idiot,” she muttered, assessing for injuries. Her knees and the palms of her hands were scraped raw from her tumble, but it could have been worse. Ahana stood, and her right ankle zinged with pain. Great. Just what she needed a sprained ankle roughly two and a half miles from home.
The sound of the motorbike grew louder again, and she stared at the trail, unable to believe the guy had the nerve to come back after the reckless stunt he’d pulled. Sure enough, he was riding down the trail, once again headed straight for her.
For a split second, she had the distinct impression that Vikram was purposely trying to run her down. Ahana scrambled out of the way, grasping the trunk of a tree for support as the motorbike whizzed by, so close that Ahana could feel the heat from the engine blasting against her legs.
Ahana clung to the tree for several long moments, afraid the motorcyclist was going to come back for a third time. Ahana sent up a silent prayer, thanking God for her safety, before she finally let go of the tree and hobbled back onto the trail. Ahana limped as pain reverberated up her leg with every step. Finding a thick tree branch, she improvised, using it as a walking stick.
The slowly walked out with footsteps on the trail made her tense. Ahana forced herself to relax; there was no reason the driver of the motorbike would decide to come back on foot. It wasn’t unusual to pass other joggers on the trail.
Sure enough, a runner came into view. A tall man, wearing a sweaty orange T-shirt and navy blue shorts, with ear buds tucked into his ears blocking out the noise. Personally, Ahana didn’t get why anyone would want to listen to music while running when the peace and quiet was so much more soothing. But to each his own.
As the jogger approached, Ahana grimaced when she recognized Vikram Sharma. Ahana shouldn’t have been surprised; she’d passed him on the running trails before, and they’d exchanged brief greetings before heading their separate ways.
When he caught sight of her, Vikram frowned and immediately slowed down, tugging the ear buds from his ears. “Ahana, are you all right? What happened?”
Ahana willed her heart rate not to jump as he stepped closer, concern darkening his warm, brown eyes. She cleared her throat and strove for a light tone. “Did a hotshot on a motorbike fly past you?” she asked wryly. “Because he ran me off the trail—twice.”
“Yeah, I saw him.” Vikram dropped down to a crouch to examine the scrapes on her knees before he gently prodded her ankle. Ahana sucked in a swift breath, and he glanced up at her. “This looks like a bad sprain.”
“Thanks for the diagnosis, doc,” Ahana said lightly. “I realize I’m just a nurse, but I kinda figured that out all by myself.”
Vikram didn’t take offense but sent her a lopsided smile. “You should probably get an MRI to rule out ligament damage.”
Ahana shrugged. “Yeah, but I can’t do that until the swelling goes down, anyway, right?”
“Right. You’ll get a better picture if you wait a few days,” Vikram agreed, rising to his feet. “Come on, lean on me, and I’ll help you get home.”
“What?” His offer was so unexpected she nearly lost her balance. The last thing Ahana needed was to cozy up to Vikram for two and a half long miles. “There’s no need for you to cut your run short because of me. I have my trusty walking stick. I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not leaving you here like this. Leaning on me is way better than using a stick, and my place isn’t that far, just a mile and a quarter from here.”
A mile and a quarter still seemed like a long way, but it was better than going all the way to her apartment. Ahana reluctantly nodded. “All right. But I’m hot and sweaty,” Vikram warned as he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist.
“Me, too,” Vikram said easily, shortening his stride to match hers.
Their progress was still awkward, and Ahana was far too aware of being so close to Vikram. “I wish I knew who that motorbike driver was,” Ahana muttered in an attempt to distract herself from his nearness. “I’d report him to the police.”
“I’m pretty sure that was Tammy Sha,” Vikram said. “I’ve taken care of him a few times in the ER.”
“Aisha’s son?” The knowledge almost made her feel sorry for him. “Do you think his father hits him, too?”
Vikram was silent for several moments. “Actually, I think the kid is probably too much like his father,” Vikram said finally. “The last time Tammy was in the ER was because he was under arrest for driving under the influence. He bragged that his dad would bail him out, no problem. I got the impression his dad lets him do whatever he wants. Maybe even encourages him.”
Ahana sighed and shook her head. “Poor Aisha. I’m getting the feeling it’s two against one in that household.”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.” They walked along in silence for a few minutes. Then Vikram’s arm tightened around her waist, drawing her to a halt. “There, see between the trees? That’s my place. Think you can make it that far?”
“Yes, I can make it,” Ahana assured him, even though in truth, her right ankle still throbbed like crazy. Not to mention, being this close to him was wreaking havoc on her hard-won control.
Ahana knew she couldn’t afford to let her guard down with Vikram. No matter how much she wanted to.
