Chapter 23: Physical Limits (Ava in Leo’s Body)

Chapter 23: Physical Limits (Ava in Leo’s Body)

I’m pacing in Leo’s apartment, his boots scuffing the worn floor, his guitar slung across my back as I check his phone for the tenth time. Noah’s texts are piling up: Where you at, man? Rehearsal’s in 30. Blackwave’s here. My fingers, his fingers, hover over the screen, but I can’t reply yet. Leo texted me an hour ago, panicked: Collapsed at practice. Shoulder gave out. Jade’s freaking. I’m okay, but… help. His heart, my heart, in his body, skips, not just from his arrhythmia but from the dread twisting my gut. I grab his keys, sling his bag over his shoulder, and bolt out the door, rehearsal be damned.

The campus gym is a ten-minute sprint, and I’m panting in Leo’s lanky frame by the time I burst through the doors. The volleyball court is empty, but I hear voices from the locker room. I push through, ignoring the weird looks from a few straggling players, and find Leo in my body, slumped on a bench, my face pale, my bad shoulder cradled in my other arm. Jade’s kneeling in front of him, her voice sharp but worried.
“Ava, you have to see Dr. Kim,” Jade’s saying, my voice, Leo’s voice, barely audible over her. “You collapsed mid-drill! This isn’t just stress. You’re hurt, and you’re scaring me.”
Leo looks up, my eyes wide and glassy, and spots me. “Leo?” he says, my voice cracking, and Jade turns, her jaw dropping at the sight of me, Leo’s body, sweaty and disheveled.
“Martinez?” Jade stands, hands on hips. “What the hell are you doing here? Ava needs a doctor, not her wannabe rockstar boyfriend.”
I flinch, his heart pounding, but step closer, towering over her in Leo’s frame. “I’m not her boyfriend,” I say, his voice firm. “But I’m taking her to the ER. Now.”
Leo nods, my face grateful, and tries to stand, but his legs, my legs, wobble. I catch him, my arm, his arm, around my waist, steadying him. “Easy,” I say, his voice low. “I’ve got you.”
Jade’s eyes narrow, flicking between us. “This is weird. Ava, you didn’t even text him, did you? How’d he know you collapsed?”
“I… texted him earlier,” Leo lies, my voice weak. “He’s just… helping.”
Jade doesn’t buy it, but I don’t give her time to argue. “Come on,” I say, guiding Leo toward the door, his weight leaning into me. “We’re going.”
“Call me later, Ava,” Jade calls after us, her voice tight. “You’re not dodging this.”
I nod, his head jerking, and hustle Leo out to his car, settling him in the passenger seat. His face, my face, is pale, my shoulder limp, and I feel a pang of guilt for pushing him so hard in training. “You okay?” I ask, buckling his seatbelt.
He nods, my eyes half-closed. “Yeah. Just… shoulder gave out during a dive. Felt like a knife. I’m sorry, Ava.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say, starting the engine. “We’re fixing this. Hang on.”
The ER waiting room smells like antiseptic and stale coffee, the fluorescent lights harsh on Leo’s eyes, my eyes, in his body. Leo’s slumped in a chair, in my body, an ice pack on my shoulder, my face drawn as we wait for a doctor. His phone, my phone, buzzes nonstop in his pocket, and I pull it out, wincing at the flood of texts from Noah and Riley.
Noah: Where are you, Leo? Blackwave’s pissed you bailed.
Riley: Dude, you can’t just ditch rehearsal. What’s going on?
I groan, rubbing his temples. “The band’s gonna kill me,” I mutter, his voice low. “Blackwave was there, and I just… left.”
Leo looks up, my eyes worried. “You ditched for me?” he asks, my voice soft. “Ava, you didn’t have to, ”
“Yes, I did,” I cut in, his voice sharp. “You collapsed, Leo. Your heart’s bad enough, and now my shoulder’s wrecking you. I’m not letting you fall apart.” I pause, softening. “We’re in this together, remember?”
He nods, my hand squeezing his, my, arm. “Thanks. I just… I feel useless in your body. I’m screwing up your trial.”
I shake my head, his hair falling in my eyes. “You’re not. You’re trying. That’s enough.”
A nurse calls “Ava Lin,” and I help Leo stand, his arm, my arm, around my shoulder as we follow her to an exam room. The doctor, a tired woman with a clipboard, checks my shoulder, frowning at the swelling. “Severe strain,” she says, scribbling notes. “Possible rotator cuff tear. You need an MRI and physical therapy. No volleyball until we know more.”
Leo’s face, my face, pales, and I feel his heart, my heart, skip in his chest. “No volleyball?” he asks, my voice shaking. “But the scholarship trial’s in six days.”
The doctor’s eyes soften. “I’m sorry. You risk permanent damage if you play now. Rest, ice, and we’ll schedule the MRI.”
I clench his jaw, stepping forward. “She’ll rest,” I say, his voice firm. “I’ll make sure of it. What else does she need?”
The doctor hands me a prescription for anti-inflammatories and a sling, then leaves us. Leo sinks onto the exam table, my eyes wet. “Ava, I’m so sorry,” he says, my voice breaking. “Your trial… I ruined it.”
I kneel in front of him, his hand on my shoulder, his shoulder. “You didn’t ruin anything. We’ll figure it out. Together, okay?”
He nods, my face crumpling, and I pull him into a hug, his lanky arms around my smaller frame. It’s weird, comforting myself in his body, but it feels right, like we’re holding each other up.
Back at Leo’s apartment, I settle him on the couch, my body in a sling, my face still pale. His phone’s buzzing again, and I check it, wincing. Noah’s texts are angrier now: Leo, you ghosted us with Blackwave there. This is BS. Call me. Riley’s no better: You’re flaking at the worst time, man. What’s more important than the band?
I toss the phone onto the coffee table, rubbing his face. “They’re pissed,” I say, his voice low. “They think I’m bailing on the band.”
Leo looks up, my eyes guilty. “Tell them it’s my fault. Say… I don’t know, say Ava needed you.”
I shake my head, standing. “No way. I’m not throwing you under the bus.” I grab his phone, texting Noah: Had an emergency. I’m fine, just needed to handle something. We’ll kill it tomorrow. I hit send, but it feels like a lie. Blackwave’s not going to wait forever.
The door buzzes, and I freeze, his heart racing. “Who’s that?” Leo asks, my voice sharp.
I check the peephole, Noah and Riley, looking furious. I open the door, forcing Leo’s grin. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Noah pushes past me, arms crossed. “What’s up? You ditched rehearsal, Leo! Blackwave was there, and you just… vanished. They’re our shot, man, and you’re acting like you don’t care.”
Riley steps in, her drumsticks tucked in her pocket. “Yeah, and everyone’s still yapping about Echo. You know something, don’t you? Spill it, Leo.”
I clench his fists, his heart pounding. “I don’t know anything about Echo,” I say, his voice steady but sharp. “And I didn’t ditch for fun. I had to help a friend. Ava’s hurt, okay? She collapsed at practice. I took her to the ER.”
Noah’s eyes narrow. “Ava? Since when are you her personal ambulance? You’ve been weird for weeks, and now you’re blowing off Blackwave for her?”
I step forward, his body towering over Noah. “Yeah, for her,” I snap, his voice fierce. “She’s my friend, and she needed me. You want to talk flaking? How about you guys giving me crap instead of asking if I’m okay? I’m here, I’m trying, and I’ll be at rehearsal tomorrow. So back off.”
Riley blinks, stepping back. “Whoa, Leo. Chill. We’re just… worried about the band.”
“I’m worried about the band too,” I say, his voice softening. “But I’m not flaking. I’ll bring the Echo vibe tomorrow, I promise. Just… trust me.”
Noah hesitates, then nods, his anger fading. “Fine. But you better show up tomorrow, Martinez. Blackwave’s not messing around.”
They leave, and I slump onto the couch next to Leo, his heart still racing. He’s staring at me, my eyes wide, stunned. “You fought for me,” he says, my voice soft. “You didn’t have to do that.”
I shrug, his shoulders heavy. “Yeah, I did. You’d do the same for me.”
He nods, my hand squeezing his, my, arm. “I would. Thanks, Ava.”
I smile, his smile shaky. “We’re in this together, right?”
“Together,” he says, my voice steady now. We sit in silence, the weight of the ER visit, the band’s anger, and our pact heavy between us. But as I look at him, my own face looking back, I know we’re fighting for each other, no matter what comes next.