Elizabeth
I was relieved when Donovan suggested the idea of riding back with Angel, I knew it would seem out of place for me to ask for a lift myself; but this has all worked out perfectly.I finish packing my things and hug Donovan, Sofía, and Miguel, thanking them again for letting me stay and being so welcoming.
Angel stores my bag in his bike’s lock box before handing me the spare helmet I usually wear.
“Let’s go, princess,” he says, quietly so no one else will hear.
The memory of him saying that to me before we both got shoved into the supply closet together makes me chuckle, oh how times have changed. I climb on behind him and wave a final goodbye, before holding onto the back of the bike while he kicks it into gear and sets off down the street.
About a mile or so outside the main town, he pulls into a gas station and brings the bike to a stop. I climb off and he follows.
“Just need to fill up,” he says, lifting his visor, “but don’t worry, I’ll get you home in time to work on your assignment.”
I laugh and lean into him, pressing my body against him as I wrap my arms around his neck, at least as much as I can with our helmets on.
“What?” he asks.
“Angel, there is no assignment.”
“What do you mean?”
“I just said that so we could leave early and spend the day together, and maybe… all night?” I’m nervous, I’d assumed that he’d want to spend the time with me, but what if he doesn’t. “Is that okay?”
He takes his helmet off and removes mine before taking my face in his hands, he tilts me to look up at him.
“Okay?” he asks, his eyes dark and intense, “yeah that’s definitely okay.”
He leans down and kisses me, trapping me between his body and the bike as he presses against me.
“Hey!” an angry voice calls, “There’s a line forming here!”
Angel pulls back and smirks at me before turning to the man who yelled. For a moment the look in his eyes makes me think he’s about to start something, but as I gently squeeze his arm his expression softens.
“Sorry about that,” he calls back, “couldn’t resist kissing my girl.”
He’s met with some happy cheers from guys who are milling around the station, and he laughs while he fills up his bike. Meanwhile I’m trying not to read too much into the fact that he just called me his girl.
When we’re ready to leave, instead of holding onto the back, I let myself sit forward and thread my arms around his waist, my body pressed against his. He reaches a hand down and grips my thigh, making me squeeze him between them.
“Fuck, princess, you’ve got no idea how long I’ve been looking forward to riding with you like this.”
“Take me for a ride then,” I say, before we flip our visors down and he starts the bike.
We aren’t in a hurry, so Angel takes the scenic route back to Tynerston. Following the coastal road reignites memories I’d buried, the smell of the ocean always makes me think of vacation time. Trips to the beach with my parents, how everything in the picnic tasted slightly salty from the ocean spray, and there was sometimes that subtle grit in the food from the sand, but it didn’t matter because after spending all day playing in the water, it was still the most delicious thing you’d ever tasted.
Growing up in Radbury Heights, we were rich, but I was too naive and sheltered to know any different, nothing really existed for me outside of the suburb I grew up in. I didn’t think twice about the fact that we’d have at least two family vacations a year, that my parents were always taking me to amusement parks, that I just had to ask for something and it would magically appear the next day, gift-wrapped with a pretty ribbon.
I always heard my friends say that they never saw their parents, that their dad was always at work, or their mom was busy organizing some social event. But my parents were always there for me, and even as a teenager I had the best relationship with them. I loved hanging out with them, going to the mall with my mom for a shopping day, going out on my dad’s boat, hanging out at the beach, just like the ones we’re passing now.
Tears form in my eyes and I quickly blink them away, nestling in a bit closer to Angel. I never let myself think about them and this trip down memory lane has caught me off guard. I know I’m burying stuff I should be facing head-on, but I can’t let myself properly grieve them until I’ve fixed everything. For now, I need to be strong.
I hug my arms a bit tighter around Angel, wondering what he knows, and how much Donovan’s told him. Donovan knows it’s not a secret, but I guess before now, Angel wouldn’t have ever been curious about my family. At what point do I owe him that information; we aren’t necessarily in a relationship, but we are exclusive, and after this weekend, we feel close, this feels like more than just sex.
The bike slows once we reach a small seaside town called Applefield; it’s quaint, not full of tourists like some of the larger towns and cities along the coast. Angel stops in the parking lot of a restaurant, I get off and remove my helmet.
“Hey,” he says, taking my hand, “what’s wrong?”
Shit, is it obvious I had tears in my eyes?
