“Thank you,” I reply and jump up to run upstairs. I’m back within five minutes, ready to ride.
“You good?” he asks when I return.
With a smirk and a nod, I reply, “I’m perfect.”
The wind feels so good blowing over my body in the midsummer heat. The way that Chaos takes the curves in the road, navigates the hills, and weaves in and out of the sparse traffic that we come across makes me feel so free.
The first time I rode with him years ago, I was terrified. But I no longer am. I love this feeling of being on the bike and becoming one with the road. We eat up miles of pavement until we’re in a rural area. There is nothing to see but green grass, trees, and a house or barn every few miles. There are acres and acres of land to each house and miles between each one.
After we have driven for so long that I no longer see any houses, Chaos pulls off the road where he stops his bike.
“What’s this place?”
“Just somewhere I thought we could stop and chill, give you a chance to stretch your legs.”
I climb off, remove my helmet, and place it in the bitch seat that I just occupied. “That lake sure is beautiful,” I declare, pointing to the lake not too far from us as I run my fingers over my short cut.
“This entire view is beautiful,” he remarks with heavy-lidded eyes, staring at me.
“Thank you, Chaos.”
He nods, reaches inside of his jacket, and pulls out a pre-rolled blunt and cigarette lighter. I watch as he lights it.
I walk a few paces away, loving the way the earth feels underneath my feet. Bending, I remove my sandals and press my toes in the grass. I close my eyes and bask in the soft warmth of the earth as the grass tickles my bare feet. The sun shines down on me, warming not only my body but my soul and my heart.
The pungent aroma of the weed inside of the blunt that he’s smoking mixes with the earthy, fresh outdoor scent. I spread my arms and take a deep inhale.
“You wanna hit?” he asks, and I spin around to see that he’s watching me.
Shaking my head, I reply, “No thanks.”
“When did you stop?”
“The minute that I learned I was pregnant with CJ.”
He nods. “That’s wassup.”
I watch as he continues smoking, but not for long. He easily puts it out and tucks both the blunt and the lighter back inside of his cut.
I hop onto the bike again and loop my arms around his neck. “This view of the lake is so serene.”
“Yeah, it is. Peaceful and relaxing.”
“I could stay here forever,” I whisper.
He kisses my neck. “We’re getting closer to finding out what happened.”
“I know. You told me before we left the apartment.”
“Yeah, but what I didn’t tell you is that Emmanuel is awoke.”
“Seriously?” I ask, leaning sideways from behind him so that I can get a better view of his face.
“Yeah, but he’s got a trach in and can’t talk right now.”
“How do you know that?”
“The MC has some people inside of the hospital who can get information to us. We’ve got people on him, keeping him safe just in case anyone tries anything.”
