Everything I sacrificed.
Suspended.
All gone.
My bike roars to life, and I hit the gas, speeding out of the parking lot.
I need to get the hell away from here before this place swallows me whole. A knot is stuck in my throat, my muscles tense, fingers gripping the handle bars as I speed through the streets and out of the town.
I should never have come back. I should never have thought I could do this. It was stupid to assume I could ever succeed here.
Just my bike, the long road, and the bite of the wind cutting through my jacket, that’s all I need. That and nothing else.
Jessica’s smiling face pops into my head, and that knot grows bigger.
She’ll be fucking disappointed when she finds out what happened.
Becky will never forgive me for leaving. And Chase will have to give some lame-ass excuse to Kyle about why I left without saying a word.
Cursing under my breath, I slow at the clearing until I come to a stop. Putting my feet on the ground, I pull off my helmet as I suck in a deep breath, my shaking fingers running through my hair.
The sun is slowly falling over the horizon, making me realize I’ve been riding for far longer than I thought.
Sliding my hand into my pocket, I pull out my phone, only to find dozens of messages waiting for me.
My heartbeat kicks up a notch, panic slamming into me. I suck in a breath as I just stare at the screen, a sense of unease creeping up inside of me. My fingers grip my phone tightly, and I have to force myself to loosen them so I can unlock it.
Becky:
We’re at Mom’s. You should come too.
Matthew?
Where are you?
This isn’t a joke.
We need you here.
Are you seriously doing this? Again?
You promised.
Chase:
Get your ass here. Now.
My heart beats wildly inside my ribcage, and my palms sweat. I check the timestamp, noticing that the messages were all sent over an hour ago.
Something is wrong.
Very, very wrong.
Bile rises up my throat, leaving a bitter taste on my tongue.
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I check that the road is clear and then do a sharp U-turn, my bike picking up speed.
Back home.
