24

As I ride, countless of memories with Rook flood through my mind. One after the other like a video reel.

The warm summer evenings in the pool, just me and him. The way he used to throw me into it, almost drowning me. But to be honest, now I think about it, I believe he only did it because he wanted to see if my tits would flop free from my bikini.

Those times I would get tired of studying, so I would sneak into his bedroom late at night, curl up on his lap as he was sitting in his gaming chair, my head tucked beneath his chin and read a book while he gamed on his computer until the early hours of the morning.

That one spring he whisked me away when I had an argument with my dad about not being able to ride a motorbike when I wanted to, but he refused to teach me because I was a girl. Rook made it his mission to teach me, because girls can ride bikes too. He spent hours with me making sure I'd never forget how to ride one.

After what feels like forever, I pull off at the side of a dark, empty road, the bike skidding slightly on the slick pavement as it comes to a stop. The night is bare, the only sound the relentless drum of rain against the world around me. Water streams down my face and hair, mingling with tears I can’t hold back, soaking through my thin clothes and leaving me shivering on the bike.

My legs shake as I reach into my jacket, fumbling to pull out my phone, my fingers are stiff from the cold. The screen lights up, casting a pale glow over my face as I stare down at it, my chest rising and falling with shallow, panicked breaths.

His name is right there. Rook.

My thumb hovers over the screen, but I can’t press it. Not yet. Everything smashes down on me—what I’ve done, what I’ve left behind. Blaise will tell my dad. He’ll show him the recording. It’s already too late. Just fucking do it, Ebony. Do what's right for you for once, I tell myself. I take a sharp breath, forcing my thumb to move, pressing the call button.

The phone rings.

Each tone slices through the night like a cruel reminder of everything I’ve lost. It rings again, then again, and still, no answer.

My heart races, a frantic beat against my ribcage. The rain feels heavier now, colder, as my hopes sink deeper with every passing second. I press the phone harder against my ear, praying, please, Rook, pick up, please.

But nothing.

When the call finally cuts off, my heart shatters and I pull the phone away, staring at the screen as it fades back to the call log. My hands tremble so badly I almost drop it. Tears blur my vision as I open our message thread.

[Please, Rook. I need you.]

The words are barely readable through watery eyesight, but I hit send anyway, feeling like it’s the only bit of control I have left. I send the five-word message before squeezing my phone in my hand.

For a moment, I sit there in the rain, clutching the phone to my chest, as sobs tear through me. I glance back the way I came, the dread pressing tighter now. Blaise, my dad—they’ll come after me. But none of it matters if Rook doesn’t.

But time seems to extend, and I break down completely. He's given up on me. I pushed him too far. I've lost him forever. I lower my head onto the handlebars, trying to catch my breath as my weeps come out uneven, until I suddenly hear something in the distance.

I carefully lift my head looking ahead to see a light in the distance heading this way and my heart skips a beat, fearful that it could be my dad or Blaise.

They come quickly, the bikes engine ripping through the silent night and I prepare myself to speed off. When the bike starts to slow down where I am, the front light burning my eyes, but I squint, trying to see who it is. The rain pelts down hard as they stop, dismantling the bike.

When they step in front of the blinding beam, stopping, and clearing my vision, I see it’s him.

Rook.

My heart dodges a beat, and I jump off the bike instantly, running toward him. As soon as he’s close, I jump up, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He catches me and I instantly sob into his shoulder, breaking down.

“I’m so fucking sorry. I should never have let you go the first time,” I weep, barely able to get air into my lungs quick enough, my emotions getting the better of me.

His hand finds the back of my neck in a possessive hold as he presses his face into the side of mine, responding in my ear.

“Is that you saying you’re ready to be with me now, bunny?”

I lift my head, my fingers weaving through the back of his dark, wet hair and I look into his green eyes.

“Yes,” I say quietly.

His forehead rests against mine as he looks down, taking a moment before his gaze lifts to mine, searching.

“You know what this means, don’t you?”

I nod slightly, “I do, and I don’t give a fuck if you don’t give a fuck.” I answer confidently, my breath hot against his lips.

His hand tightens on the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss that ignites every nerve in my body. The freezing cold rain cascades around us, but I’m too lost in the heat of his lips to care. As we kiss wildly, his hands trail up the back of my cold, drenched thighs, gripping my ass firmly before he starts to move, carrying me with him.

He lowers me onto his bike and his hand slides to the side of my neck. He leans in, capturing my lips again and again, each kiss leaving me breathless.

When he pulls back, his thumb pushing my bottom lip downward, and his green eyes locks onto mine, an unspoken understanding passing between us. We stare at each other, the intensity in his gaze mirroring my own.

This is it.

We’re together now, and while the battles ahead may be far from over, I know we’ll fight to the death to hold on to what we have from now on.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Rook says, before he swings onto the bike in front of me, his movements swift and sure.

My arms wrap tightly around his waist as I press into his warmth, finally feeling a moment of peace in the storm. The engine growls beneath us, and with a surge of power, he takes off into the night, the rain blurring the world as we speed away—together.