I wouldn’t hurt Ryatt to protect Cruz. But Cruz had been hurt enough. His insecurities were his worst enemy. “Maybe I shouldn’t go to Chrome. I’m not ready to see him, and he’s not going to be ready to see me with Ryatt.”
“You’re coming with us. I just didn’t want you to feel like you were set up because it’s not that. You need to do what’s right for you. Just know, I’ve got Cruz. I won’t let him do anything stupid. Not at Chrome, and not if you choose to move on with Ryatt. You should be with the person who makes you happy.”
Dozer had perfectly encapsulated my problem. For different reasons, I connected with both of them.
I followed him back into the house. Ryatt questioned with his eyes. I smiled and stepped closer. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
I slipped my hand into his, tugged him just out of the kitchen, and into the hall.
“Cruz is going to be at Chrome,” I whispered.
Ryatt combed his fingers through his tousled hair. Soft curls fell onto his forehead. “Do you still want to go?”
“I don’t know.”
He leaned against the wall and tugged me closer. “If you’re not ready to see him, then let’s just go for a ride.”
I bowed my head and traced the faded logo on his T-shirt. “He knows about us. I was going to talk to him tomorrow. I don’t know what to do.”
He pressed our palms together, then linked our fingers. “It’s only been a week.”
Only a week since I’d hurt to my core, and only a week for us, and yet Ryatt had become so much. “I don’t know how I’m going to feel.”
“And you won’t until you see him.” He let go of my hand and brushed his knuckles across my cheek. “Don’t worry about my feelings, McKelle. I’d rather you decide now if he’s who you want. I can handle rejection. Not saying it won’t suck. I’ll need more than track therapy. I know he wants you back, and I know you still care about him.”
I was always going to care about Cruz. But what if I never stopped loving him? No matter what happened with Cruz, I wanted Ryatt in my life. “I decided I wanted more with you on the night you kissed me.”
“Oh, yeah?” He smiled. “So, what is it? Bike ride, home, or Chrome? Because I’m wherever you are.”
I stiffened my spine. I could do hard things. I could face Cruz and not fall. “Chrome.” The girls would be there for me, at least Levi could be my reinforcement. Ryatt would have Romeo. I wasn’t sure about Blade and Dozer, but it wasn’t like they’d let Cruz beat up Romeo’s future prospect. “Just be patient with me. I know it’s still going to hurt to see him.”
We rejoined the others in the kitchen.
“We good?” Romeo asked.
“Yeah. Let’s go dancing.” Ryatt grabbed my riding jacket from the back of the kitchen chair.
Once we were outside, the Harleys rumbled like a train in the night. I climbed on behind Ryatt and wrapped my arms around his waist.
Blade and Dozer rode out first with Hana and Pippa perched on the back of their motorcycles. Levi smiled at me as she climbed on behind Romeo. His palm went to her thigh, and she slid her hands into his cut, and under his T-shirt.
Ryatt started the engine. I gripped him tighter. As soon as we were out of the neighborhood and on the main street, Romeo rode alongside us. He revved his engine, nearly breaking the freaking sound barrier. With the late hour, downtown traffic was nonexistent. For a couple of city blocks, he and Ryatt played motorcycle games, controlling speed, weaving, and changing positions on who took lead.
Catching a red light, a bright yellow Civic pulled up beside us and gunned their engine. Ryatt lifted his face shield.
The guy draped his arm out the window. “How fast are you?”
Ryatt laughed. “Fast enough.”
“To the next light?”
I tapped Ryatt’s abs, nodded, and tightened my hold on him. Adrenaline slipped through my veins like liquid nitrogen.
Ryatt leaned toward the guy. “The lady likes to go fast.” He turned to Romeo. “We’ll meet you there.” He slapped his face shield down, dropped into first, released enough clutch to slide into the friction zone, and focused on the light. I aligned my body with his and tucked in.
The light flipped to green. The car slammed on the gas, smoked his tires, and roared through the intersection.
