“Moe, man. If you don’t take yo’ ass inside,” he said, then laughed.
Big Moe waved him off and tipped his head to me.
“I hope you enjoy the food, beautiful, and don’t let his hatin’ ass keep you from coming around here again.” He added, before heading back into the shack.
I laughed, shaking my head as we took our seats back at the table so Duke could eat. He flipped the lid open, broke off a piece of rib, then held it out to me.
The sweet barbecue aroma made my stomach growl, so I accepted the piece and brought it straight to my lips. The moment it touched my tongue, I closed my eyes and let out a low moan. The flavor hit all at once—sweet and spicy, rich and bold. It was everything… and now I was kicking myself for not ordering my own.
Duke smirked at me and peeled off another piece to hand me.
“I can already see the look in your eyes. I told you to order some, but I got you.”
I laughed and took the piece he offered me. I helped him polish off his entire plate before he handed me a wet napkin packet to clean my hands.
“Thanks for not asking a million questions.”
“I ask the important ones,” he responded.
“Like what?”
Duke shrugged, then looked up at me, his gray eyes locking onto mine and holding me there.
“Like, if you’re okay.”
For the first time since we’d been here together, I was stuck. The air felt charged, like everything depended on my response.
“I can’t lie to you. Everything feels out of my control right now. But I can say this, it feels like it will get better.”
Duke nodded and finished cleaning his hands. I could tell he wasn’t satisfied with my response, but he would be, at least for now. After we stood, he tossed away his container, and then we walked in silence to his bike. Duke stopped abruptly and turned to face me. I almost walked into his chest.
“I know you’re holding a lot to your chest, but I’m here whenever you’re ready to release some of it. Maybe I got the answers to the shit.”
I smiled and nodded. “You think you’re a superhero or something, huh?”
Duke shrugged. “Shit, call me Clark Kent when it comes to you, sweets.”
I pushed his shoulder with a giggle and walked around him towards his bike. But something caused me to stop and turn to face him again.
“Why do you care so much about how I feel? I’m not your responsibility.”
He held my gaze, his voice dropping just enough.
“It’s something about you,” he said. “Makes me feel like knowing you—and caring for you the way you deserve—would be the best decision I ever make.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the weight in his words. For a second, I didn’t have anything to say—and I hated that.
I scoffed softly, shaking my head as I stepped back. A hint of a smile slipped through, anyway.
“We’ll see about that, Superman,” I said, brushing past him toward his bike.
Duke helped me get behind him on his bike. Once he was sure I had on the helmet correctly and was comfortable, he slowly pulled out of the parking lot. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned in close. This time, I closed my eyes. I wanted to feel the motion of the bike and the wind.
It felt like the ride took at least an hour, but I knew it had only been half that.
I peeled my eyes open, bracing myself to step back into reality. Duke slowed to a stop in front of Sugar Kissed, then kicked down the stand before helping me off the bike.
Once on the sidewalk, I turned to face him. He was already leaning against his bike, arms crossed.
