He so did that on purpose! Fine, he won this round.
I vowed the next one would be mine, as we exited the garage with a roar.
I didn’t like the bike. It was noisy and dangerous. But as we streaked down the road, and the wind whipped cool and damp on my skin, I felt…
Freedom.
I closed my eyes and for a moment, just a moment, allowed myself to enjoy the thrill of it.
My heart climbed into my throat when he zigzagged through curves and punched around street corners. I remembered what he’d told me and leaned to the left or right when he did, my arms tightening around him even more.
“Where are we going?” I yelled.
“Flying.”
“What?”
“You’ll see,” he said simply.
We stopped talking after that. I lost track of time and slowly forgot about my worries and the threats of life hanging over my head. I watched the sun as it dipped low in the azure sky and birds glided in the wind above.
As we neared an old, rusted railroad bridge, Caleb stopped the bike at an empty lot. A sign that said ROAD CLOSED/ROUTE BARRÉE in big, bold letters was bolted to one of the beams. Vines clung and twisted around the beams, so thickly the steel barely peeked through.
There were groups of people in various states of undress everywhere—girls in their underwear or bikinis, some wrapped in blankets or scarves and guys mostly in their shorts or boxers. The weather had warmed up considerably tonight, but it was still a little chilly, and the water must be cold, but everyone seemed to be having fun. They were shouting cheers and howling with laughter. I smelled the sweet-pungent scent of smoke and burned meat and noticed a crowd gathered around a barbecue and a big bonfire on the uneven hill sloping below the bridge. Makeshift tables were set up here and there.
Suddenly, I realized I was plastered to Caleb’s back, my chin resting on his shoulder. I quickly moved back. His body tensed as if he knew why I needed distance from him.
And then I saw two guys shouting at each other on the bridge. When the bigger of the two pushed the smaller one, his arms flailed like helicopter blades before the bigger guy shoved him against the railing. The smaller guy lost his balance and fell over it.
Good God!
“No!” I screamed in horror.
My heart fell to my stomach as I heard a splash. I jumped from the bike, ran, and gripped the railing, gathering the courage to look down. A head broke the surface of the dark water, followed by a whoop of victory.
I blinked, realizing that this was a party where pushing people off a bridge was considered normal, and that the bridge wasn’t as high above the lake as I’d thought. The guy was already climbing out of the water, up the hill, and back to the bridge where he would probably jump off again. I could feel the heat climbing up my cheeks as I heard laughter around me. I’d never seen people do this kind of thing before. What had I gotten myself into? I turned around slowly, embarrassed.
Why hadn’t Caleb told me? What a jerk!
He swaggered toward me, mischief lighting his eyes. “I’m sorry, Red. I should’ve told you.”
He didn’t look sorry at all. I wanted to slap the smile off his face. I glared at him instead.
“What?” He chuckled.
His dress shirt was already unbuttoned, and he shrugged it off, dropping it carelessly to the pavement. I’d seen him shirtless before, but that didn’t matter. I couldn’t help but look and appreciate.
His body was a work of art. Long and lean and tan. His arm muscles flexed as he reached for his belt buckle, and then…I turned my eyes away.
“First time a girl’s turned away when I’m removing my pants.”
I blushed harder. “Really? I didn’t know there was anything interesting down there to see.”
When he didn’t respond, I looked up. His smile was naughty as he said, “Take a good look then.”
Oh, he was maddening! Provoking, definitely. Annoying, absolutely. That was all. There was no way I found him interesting. Not at all.
But I couldn’t keep my eyes away as I watched him jump on the railing with a smooth motion, his balance impeccable as he turned around and faced me, wearing his boxers. A daredevil grin appeared on his lips, and his eyes gleamed with cockiness as they watched me. Eyes still on me, he spread his arms wide and let himself fall. I heard him yell before he hit the water.