flush to his side. He was half running and I was stumbling and tripping into him as he yanked me towards his bike, the pain in my head making it all but impossible to put one foot in front of the other.
I felt myself lifted up into the air and then somehow I was on the back of the bike. My legs automatically gripped the leather seat to stop myself from sliding off, but then Alex was in front of me, his back a wall against my face. He kicked up the stand and fired it up. As I felt the thrum of the engine underneath us, Alex reached back with his arm and grabbed my hand, pulling it around him and pressing it hard against his waist.
‘Hold on,’ he said.
10
It wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind when I expressed a desire to get a ride on Alex’s bike. I was too terrified to take anything in, least of all his proximity. I closed my eyes and let the roar of the bike overtake the sound of the siren, which quickly faded into the distance. The wind was whipping my hair round my face but I couldn’t unlock my hands from around Alex’s body to push it back. The pain in my head receded with the decibel level, until it was just a faint vibration against my skull.
After what seemed like only a few minutes I felt the bike slow. It turned a few corners and then came to a gentle, rolling stop. I prised my eyes open. We were in front of Jack’s house already. I felt Alex’s warm hand on top of mine and realised that I had him in a vice-like grip. My fingers were clasped so tightly together it took the gentle pressure of his thumb to unhook them. He slowly shifted around so he could see me.
‘Are you OK?’
‘I think so.’
He climbed off the bike. I wasn’t sure how to get down, so tightly was I glued to the seat. Alex lifted me off as though I was an infant, which I now realised was exactly how he saw me. Rachel’s words still smarted in my ears.
‘What just happened?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure. It was an alarm. But I have no idea what triggered it.’
‘So why the great escape?’
‘Because when an alarm sounds, it’s usually a good idea to run.’
I frowned at him, then remembered Jack. ‘Where’s Jack? Will he be all right?’
‘He’ll be fine.’
But he was already pulling out his phone. He hit the speed dial and then was speaking to the other person, Jack I presumed, as his first words were, ‘Yes, she’s with me. She’s fine. Yes . . . On the bike . . . Yeah. Definitely the last time.’
He looked up suddenly and scanned the street. I followed his gaze to the black SUV sitting on the kerb with its windows up. ‘Yes, they’re here. I’ll let them know. Call me when you have something. I’ll stay till you’re back.’
He hung up. ‘Stay here,’ he said.
So he really was babysitting me – Rachel had been right. And now he was ordering me around like a child. My nostrils flared but Alex didn’t notice, he was already striding towards the car. Maybe I was just a burden to them. Both he and Jack had made it clear that they didn’t really want me here. But I didn’t need this level of looking after. It made me want to scream.
The window of the car whirred down and I saw Alex bend his blond head to speak to the driver.
I looked around me and thought about it for one second. Then I stood up and walked to the front door, pulling out my key. I unlocked the door and went inside. As I tapped in the security code on the alarm, Alex ran up the steps and into the house.
‘I told you to wait for me.’
‘I know.’
‘So next time wait for me.’ His eyes were granite-hard.
I glared at him. ‘I’m not a child, Alex. You can’t tell me what to do.’
He ignored me, pushing past into the kitchen. He shoved the door, letting it fly into the wall, and then crossed quickly to the back door, checking it. I rolled my eyes at the dramatics and walked up the stairs towards the shower. I was hot, angry and tired – but most of all I was heartbroken. A shower wasn’t going to fix that.
The
I felt myself lifted up into the air and then somehow I was on the back of the bike. My legs automatically gripped the leather seat to stop myself from sliding off, but then Alex was in front of me, his back a wall against my face. He kicked up the stand and fired it up. As I felt the thrum of the engine underneath us, Alex reached back with his arm and grabbed my hand, pulling it around him and pressing it hard against his waist.
‘Hold on,’ he said.
10
It wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind when I expressed a desire to get a ride on Alex’s bike. I was too terrified to take anything in, least of all his proximity. I closed my eyes and let the roar of the bike overtake the sound of the siren, which quickly faded into the distance. The wind was whipping my hair round my face but I couldn’t unlock my hands from around Alex’s body to push it back. The pain in my head receded with the decibel level, until it was just a faint vibration against my skull.
After what seemed like only a few minutes I felt the bike slow. It turned a few corners and then came to a gentle, rolling stop. I prised my eyes open. We were in front of Jack’s house already. I felt Alex’s warm hand on top of mine and realised that I had him in a vice-like grip. My fingers were clasped so tightly together it took the gentle pressure of his thumb to unhook them. He slowly shifted around so he could see me.
‘Are you OK?’
‘I think so.’
He climbed off the bike. I wasn’t sure how to get down, so tightly was I glued to the seat. Alex lifted me off as though I was an infant, which I now realised was exactly how he saw me. Rachel’s words still smarted in my ears.
‘What just happened?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure. It was an alarm. But I have no idea what triggered it.’
‘So why the great escape?’
‘Because when an alarm sounds, it’s usually a good idea to run.’
I frowned at him, then remembered Jack. ‘Where’s Jack? Will he be all right?’
‘He’ll be fine.’
But he was already pulling out his phone. He hit the speed dial and then was speaking to the other person, Jack I presumed, as his first words were, ‘Yes, she’s with me. She’s fine. Yes . . . On the bike . . . Yeah. Definitely the last time.’
He looked up suddenly and scanned the street. I followed his gaze to the black SUV sitting on the kerb with its windows up. ‘Yes, they’re here. I’ll let them know. Call me when you have something. I’ll stay till you’re back.’
He hung up. ‘Stay here,’ he said.
So he really was babysitting me – Rachel had been right. And now he was ordering me around like a child. My nostrils flared but Alex didn’t notice, he was already striding towards the car. Maybe I was just a burden to them. Both he and Jack had made it clear that they didn’t really want me here. But I didn’t need this level of looking after. It made me want to scream.
The window of the car whirred down and I saw Alex bend his blond head to speak to the driver.
I looked around me and thought about it for one second. Then I stood up and walked to the front door, pulling out my key. I unlocked the door and went inside. As I tapped in the security code on the alarm, Alex ran up the steps and into the house.
‘I told you to wait for me.’
‘I know.’
‘So next time wait for me.’ His eyes were granite-hard.
I glared at him. ‘I’m not a child, Alex. You can’t tell me what to do.’
He ignored me, pushing past into the kitchen. He shoved the door, letting it fly into the wall, and then crossed quickly to the back door, checking it. I rolled my eyes at the dramatics and walked up the stairs towards the shower. I was hot, angry and tired – but most of all I was heartbroken. A shower wasn’t going to fix that.
The
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