I stay silent while my pulse hammers until I notice a few students turning to follow my line of sight.
“Class over,” I say, quieter than I intended.
But they heard me, and they quickly start packing up and filing out the door.
When the last shuffle of footsteps fades and it’s just Alder and me in the room, an exhale leaves me that feels like it’s been building for days.
Alder doesn’t move from his seat, still sprawled out and watching me with the same observant expression like he’s studying me.
“What?” I snap, my voice cutting through the empty room.
His lips twitch into a smile, and he rises smoothly to his feet.
He doesn’t speak as he slowly makes his way down the steps, his boots echoing through the space. When he reaches me, his hand immediately fists the front of my shirt, pulling me forward as his mouth crashes to mine. His tongue pushes hard past my lips as I automatically open for him and he devours me like he’s fuckingstarving. My head tilts back, and my heart thumps as I let him in, breathless already as I try to keep up.
“Fuck, baby, I missed you,” he murmurs when our lips part.
I just stare at him, taking in the bags under his eyes and the urgency woven into every line of his body.
His gaze flicks to my empty mug on the desk as his tongue runs along his bottom lip, then snaps back to meet mine again.
But he doesn’t say anything.
“Come on,” he says, jerking his chin towards the door as he turns.
I watch him stride away as my pulse picks up its pace into a hammering mess. I try to tell myself to stay here, to hold the ground I just fought to keep in front of Omar. For me to be responsible, and for him to stay out of my fucking way.
But the thundering in my chest drowns it all out.
Nothing else matters.
So I shove my computer into my bag, sling it over my shoulder, and follow him out into the dim light of the hall.
Neither of us says a word as we push through the doors and head to the parking lot, where the air is damp and heavy, and the grey clouds hang low, still threatening to split open.
When we reach his bike, he passes me a helmet. But before I can lift it onto my head, my gaze catches Omar standing at the physics building’s entrance, arms crossed and eyes fixed on me.
I don’t look away as I lower the helmet onto my head and snap the strap into place. Then I swing my leg over the back of Alder’s bike, and the seat vibrates beneath me as he revs the engine. The rumble quickly swallows every thought I could have formed about staying.
My arms slide around Alder’s waist, and the instant I’m holding onto him, he takes off, leaving everything behind us in a blur.
Just how I like it.
TWENTY-TWO
I cutthe engine and roll my bike into line with the rest of the Kings’, and glance at the clubhouse. Looks like everyone is here.
Shit.
Cade slides off the bike behind me and hands over his helmet with a curious look.
“I need to change,” I tell him, hanging the helmets on the handlebars and heading towards the clubhouse, motioning for him to follow me.
We cross the parking lot, and above us, the clouds fracture just enough for a subtle slice of light to cut through. But as I approach the clubhouse, a different cloud hangs over me, darker and heavier than anything in the sky right now.
I push the door open and step inside, holding the door for Cade to follow me in. The cheers and shouts start up right away, and I can’t help but smile at my brothers waiting for me.
“Alder! Welcome back, my boy!”
